And as soon as there was a lull you could hear his high-pitched yells of encouragement to Kala Nag, above the trumpeting and crashing, and snapping of ropes, and groans of the tethered elephants. “Mael, mael, Kala Nag! (Go on, go on, Black Snake!) Dant do! (Give him the tusk!) Somalo! Somalo! (Careful, careful!) Maro! Mar! (Hit him, hit him!) Mind the post! Arre! Arre! Hai! Yai! Kya-a-ah!” he would shout, and the big fight between Kala Nag and the wild elephant would sway to and fro across the Keddah, and the old elephant catchers would wipe the sweat out of their eyes, and find time to nod to Little Toomai wriggling with joy on the top of the posts.
He did more than wriggle (он не только извивался: «он делал больше, чем извивался»). One night he slid down from the post and slipped in between the elephants and threw up the loose end of a rope (однажды ночью он соскользнул вниз со столба, прошмыгнул между слонами и бросил свободный конец веревки; to slide – скользить, двигаться плавно; to slip – скользить, плавно передвигаться; проскользнуть, прошмыгнуть; to throw – бросать, кидать), which had dropped (который упал; to drop – капать; падать), to a driver who was trying to get a purchase on the leg of a kicking young calf (загонщику, который пытался заполучить ногу пинающегося слоненка; purchase – зд.: точка опоры; calf – теленок; детеныш /оленя, слона, кита/) (calves always give more trouble than full-grown animals (слонята всегда доставляют больше хлопот, чем взрослые животные)). Kala Nag saw him (Кала Наг увидел его), caught him in his trunk (поймал его хоботом; to catch), and handed him up to Big Toomai (и передал Большому Тумаи; to hand – дотрагиваться, брать рукой; передавать, вручать), who slapped him then and there, and put him back on the post (который тут же отшлепал /сына/ и посадил обратно на столб; to slap – хлопать, шлепать; then and there – в этот момент, тотчас же, на месте, тут же).
He did more than wriggle. One night he slid down from the post and slipped in between the elephants and threw up the loose end of a rope, which had dropped, to a driver who was trying to get a purchase on the leg of a kicking young calf (calves always give more trouble than full-grown animals). Kala Nag saw him, caught him in his trunk, and handed him up to Big Toomai, who slapped him then and there, and put him back on the post.
