Elemoont/Chapter 10

in which the Hunter gets into a trap and Insidious Lunatic do not understand where the right is and where the left side is.

However, it is the time to return to our Hunter. It will be impolitely to set him aside on the Moon where (if you remember) our friend Elemoont had thrown him in a minute fit of temper. So, the Hunter becoming to this time the Incautious Hunter-for-Elephants carelessly stepped along the cave, which had the inscription on a stone above its entrance "DO NOT TAKE CARE! NO LUNATICS!" He went shining his way with his flashlight and whistling a gay melody. Here is it.

The lunatics keeping quiet in the depth of the cave (it is namely they specially written that there is not any lunatics in the cave; they are very perfidious creatures!) even stopped laugh at the Hunter and listen with delight to his concert whistling. "He whistles very well!" thought some lunatics. "And the melody is very well," thought another ones. "But he is a burdock all the same," thought the thirds. And the fourths, the fifths, the sixths, the sevenths and so on lunatics did not think anything and made ready for the attack. And when the Incautious Hunter had just turned the corner all lunatics jumped out of their cover and surrounded him. "Oho!" said the Hunter. "Aha!" said the lunatics. The Hunter disliked it intensely. "What!" thought he, "It shouldn't be any lunatics here!" All lunatics laughed loudly and cried, "The burdock! The burdock!"

"What the burdock?" was astonished the Hunter, "Where is the burdock?"

"You are the burdock!" said the lunatics hiccupping of laugh.

"You are the burdocks yourselves!" was angry the Hunter, "And I am the Hunter but not the burdock! The Hunter...for Lunatics!" And the Hunter raised his gun.

"You are the Hunter-for-Lunatics! Well, well!" said some lunatics. "Well, begin to hunt," spitefully said other lunatics. "He is an incredible boaster!" said the thirds. The fourths, the fifths, the sixths, the sevenths, and so on lunatics also said something waving their hands about, but you could not understand what they told because of the great noise. At last a thick lunatic that was undoubtedly the very insidious lifted his hand and silence fell under the vaults of the cave. "How shall we punish this boaster?" asked he. "Let's launch him to the Moon!" cried one of lunatics and moved with enthusiasm by his large like leaves of a burdock ears.

"And you say that I am a burdock!" thought the Hunter-for-Elephants-and-for Lunatics.

The lunatics were making a lot of noise. "Keep silence!" exclaimed the Insidious Lunatic, "How can we launch him to the Moon if he is already on the Moon? And we all also are here." "Yes, I forget it," dropped lop-eared lunatic.

"And it isn't too great a punishment," said the Insidious Lunatic, "It's no a big deal to launch somebody to the Moon."

"It's right," confirmed lunatics.

"It will be much better if we keep him here on the Moon!" said the Insidious Lunatic and the Hunter gave a start, "But you may not do it! It contradicts…" and he fell thinking.

"What? What does it contradict?" the lunatic asked.

"Interplanetary Law!" invented the Hunter and added, "Am I not right?" The lunatics became slightly gloomy. "Hmm-Hmm...." muttered the Insidious Lunatic, «Interplanetary Law?...Are you right?… Are you left?… I don't understand anything!"