Bowler Hat and Red Nose

Page 1


Bowler Hat and Red Nose


A BLOODHOUND IS NEEDED 1 Little Rece was musing as he ate his lunch. The investigation seemed so simple sometimes. Catch the thief, take the reward, and that’s all. At other times it felt complicated and difficult. How should they begin? What did they need? And then he realised that he should ask his brother for advice. His brother read detective stories every day. “We had an argument about what is needed for an investigation. I mean, I was listening to all the rubbish being said about umbrellas, galoshes, wires.” “That is rubbish indeed.” “I think that a revolver is needed.” “That is just as stupid. The first thing that is needed is a corpse.” “Naturally, that’s clear.” “And then, it depends. The best thing to have is a bloodhound. Let it sniff about, and the investigation can begin. This is an English specialty.” The little Rece yawned. “At least try to look competent if I try to engage in an intelligent conversation with you.” But the little Rece already knew what he wanted, and he was not interested in intelligent conversations at all. 43


“Thank you for the intelligent conversation anyway.” “In exchange for that, go and fetch Mum’s sleeping pills.” Little Rece put the prescription in his pocket. He walked down the stairs and stood in the gateway. How should he get a bloodhound? In the meantime, he walked to the pharmacy and bought the pills. His overloaded left pocket was bulging, and the pills tinkled in the glass with every step. He strolled lazily down the street, eyeing the dogs. There were plenty of them, but each had a leash on its neck with somebody holding the other end. Then he saw a boy, cursing with great talent. “Come on, you bastard! You lunatic hell-hound! You dog of a bitch! You cock-up scavenger! You oversize bacillus! You, you, you!”

His dog flashed its tiny porcelain teeth, lay down in the dust, spreading its legs like a frog. “Is this your dog?” “Is this a dog at all? Do you think I am willingly making a fool of myself?” 44


“So it was passed off on you.” “You’re as sharp as a razor. I have tried everything. But this bastard always finds its way home.” “Do you want me to help you?” “Let’s hear the offer, brother.” “Not that I would want it. But I have a sick aunt, I’d like to surprise her with it.” “There is only one question, brother. Where does your aunt live?” “The postman only goes there once a week. With a gun because the place is so deserted.” “Here, take the dog!” “What is her name?” “Lili.” “Quite a stupid name. Now come on, Lili.” Lili looked at little Rece with bright eyes. Then she rushed forth and the leash tightened. This was how they reached the square. Still running, little Rece saw Bagaméri leaning on his cart, and – yes! – a huge bloodhound was leashed to the wheel. The little Rece murmured to himself in a dismal tone: “Bagaméri looks suspicious, very suspicious!”

2 Lili was an undivided success among the wild geese. The little Rece was proud of the dog, although it secretly hurt him a little when he saw that Lili was just as friendly with everyone as she was with him. He explained to them what the dog should be used for. 45


“Can this dog sniff at all?” Karcsi whispered. “I mean, isn’t she too small?” The little Rece rejected the idea. “We shall need her wit, not her physical force.” The wild geese set out. The little Rece put the leash back on the dog’s neck. Péter took the album from under his pillow, and put a piece of paper in it. On the paper he wrote: Inspection of the scene. Participants: Lili, Rozmaring, Rex, Jim and Joe, Boa and Constrictor. Reserve: Hörömpő and Emmánuel the Fourth.

46


separate part különálló rész

vertically függőlegesen

to get stuck elakad

cell rubrika

appropriate megfelelő

digit számjegy

to scan átnéz

approach megközelítés

confinement szobafogság

to mutter motyog

amnesty amnesztia

horizontally vízszintesen

A BLOODHOUND IS NEEDED 1 galoshes sárcipő

to bulge kidagad

corpse holttest

to eye sg nézeget vmit

wire kábel

bloodhound véreb

to sniff about körülszaglászik to yawn ásít

to fetch elhoz

sleeping pill altató (tabletta) prescription recept

124

to tinkle csilingel

leash póráz

to curse szitkozódik scavenger dögevő

oversize túlméretezett bacillus bacilus

to flash sg felvillant vmit


to pass sg off on sy rásóz vmt vkre

to tighten megfeszül

deserted elhagyatott

suspicious gyanús

dismal gyászos

razor borotva

2 undivided osztatlan

wit

to reject sg visszautasít vmit

reserve tartalék

success siker

ész

inspection of the scene helyszíni szemle

INSPECTION OF THE SCENE 1 intrusion behatolás

grid rács

investigator nyomozó

a week’s dose egy heti adag

undercover titkos

to toot tülköl

foghorn ködkürt to croak brekeg

cracked voice rekedt hang

resignation beletörődés

charming elbűvölő

to clatter by elzötyög

to wrap becsomagol gravel kavicsos

125


About the Author István Csukás (1936–) studied music, law and arts. He earned his living as the editor-in-chief of Móra Ferenc Publishing House from 1978 to 1985, and has been working as a freelance writer ever since. He turned to children’s literature in the mid-60’s, and wrote close to a hundred volumes of novels, poetry and tales.

About the Title The members of the Wild Geese patrol enter into an alliance to find the turtles that were stolen from the Zoo. Bagaméri, the damned ice-cream man, constantly crosses their path to get to the turtles first and to earn the reward. The serialised film version of the book produced in 1974 received several awards, for example the Best Children Series award in Hollywood in 1976.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.