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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Adventures of Baron Munchausen
 הרפתקאות הברון מינכהאוזן
The Moon Trip
A relative of mine that has made me his inheritor had planned a trip to the moon, and I felt obligated to join.
We met some moon people. These are very odd creatures.
When they eat, they open their bodies and put the food directly into their stomachs. 
They grow on trees, inside nut-like fruits that are cooked in boiling water. 
They carry their heads outside of the bodies, and can even leave their heads behind.
I realize that my words may sound strange, but anyone who is sceptic can go to the moon and see for themselves.

מַסַּע הירח
.קְרוֹב מִשְׁפַּחְתִּי שֶׁקָּבַע אוֹתִי כְּיוֹרְשׁוֹ, תִּכְנֵן מַסָּע-חֵקֶר לירח וְלָכֵן חַשְׁתִּי מְחֻיָּב להצטרף
.פָּגַשְׁנוּ בְּאַנְשֵׁי יָרֵחַ. אֵלּוּ יְצוּרִים מוּזָרִים מְאֹד
.לְשֵׁם אֲכִילָה הֵם פּוֹתְחִים אֶת גּוּפָם וְתוֹחֲבִים אֶת הָאֲרוּחָה בְּמֵישָׁרִין לַקֵּבָה
.הֵם צוֹמְחִים עַל עֵצִים בְּתוֹךְפֵּרוֹת הַדּוֹמִים לֶאֱגוֹזִים, שֶׁמְּבַשְּׁלִים בַּמַּיִם רוֹתְחִים
,הֵם נוֹשְׂאִים אֶת הָרֹאשׁ מִחוּץ לַגּוּף וִיכוֹלִים אֲפִלּוּ לְהַשְׁאִירוֹ בַּבַּיִת. אֲנִי מֵבִין שֶׁדְּבָרַי עֲלוּלִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רֹשֶׁם מוּזָר
.אֲבָל כָּל סַפְקָן יָכֹל לַעֲלוֹת לַיָּרֵחַ לִבְדֹּק

 
Releasing the Horse
I went to Russia on the back of my horse, during a harsh winter.
As the evening came down, I tied it to what seemed to be a tree top that was sticking out of the snow. I fell asleep beside it.
I woke up in the morning in the church yard, and my horse was tied up to the lightning conductor on the steeple of the church. 
I understood the church was covered in snow that had melted overnight. I went down to the church’s graveyard with the melting snow, as my horse remained tied up on the steeple

שִׁחְרוּר הַסּוּס
.נָסַעְתִּי לְרוּסְיָה בְּעִיצּוּמוֹ שֶׁל חֹרֶף עַז עַל גַּבֵּי סוּסִי- אַבִּיר
עִם עֶרֶב קְשַׁרְתִּיו בְּחֶבֶל לְמָה שֶׁנִּרְאָה כְּצַמֶּרֶת עֵץ שֶׁהִזְדַּקְּרָה מֵהַשֶּׁלֶג, וְנִרְדַּמְתִּי לְיַדוֹ. הִתְעוֹרַרְתִּי בַּבֹּקֶר בְּחֲצַר כְּנֵסִיָּה וְסוּסִי קָשׁוּר לְקוֹלֵט הַבְּרָקִים בְּרֹאשׁ מִגְדָּל הַכְּנֵסִיָּה. הֵבַנְתִּי שֶׁהַכְּנֵסִיָּה הָיְתָה מְכֻסָּהּ בְּשֶׁלֶג שֶׁהוּתַך- לְמַיִם בַּלַּיְלָה. אֲנִי שָׁקַעְתִּי עִם הַשֶּׁלֶג הַנָּמוֹג עַד מַצֵּבוֹת הַקְּבָרִים שֶׁבַּחֲצַר הַכְּנֵסִיָּה, אֲבָל סוּסִי הַקָּשׁוּר נוֹתַר לְמַעלה


Deer in Cherry Sauce
One time I came across a deer, but before that, I had fired the last bullet out of my gun.
I loaded my gun with gun powder and scattered a handful of cherries that I had in my pocket on to the powder. 
I shot at its horns. The deer stumbled and ran away.
A year later, he appeared again, with a wonderful cherry tree growing from in between his horns. 
I shot him down. Because his cherry tree was full of fruit, I had a delicacy of a meal: 
roasted deer in cherry sauce.
צְבִי בְּדֻבְדְּבָנִים
.פַּעַם נִתְקַלְתִּי בִּצְבי אֲבָל קֹדֶם לְכָךְ יָרִיתִי מֵרוֹבִי אֶת הַקָּלִיעַ הָאַחֲרון
.טָעַנְתִּי אֶת רוֹבִי בְּאָבָק שְׂרֵפָה וּפִזַּרְתִּי עַל הַאֲבָקָה חֹפֶן גַּרְעִינֵי דֻּבְדְּבָנִים שֶׁהָיוּ בְּכִיסִי
.יָרִיתִי לְקַרְנָיו. הוּא הִתְנוֹדֵד אֲבָל בָּרַח. כַּעֲבֹר שָׁנָה הוֹפִיעַ שׁוּב כְּשֶׁבֵּין קַרְנָיו צָמַח עֵץ דֻּבְדְּבָן נִפְלָא. יָרִיתִי בּוֹ וְהִפַּלְתִּיו
!כֵּיוָן שֶׁעֵץ הַדֻּבְדְּבָן שֶׁלּוֹ שֶׁפַע פֵּרוֹת, הָיָה לִי בַּאֲרוּחָתִי צְלִי צְבִי בְּרֹטֶב דֻּבְדְּבָנִים- מַאֲכָל מַעֲדַנִּים


The Drinking General
We drank a lot of Vodka, because it was very cold in Russia.
The best drinker was an old general who had lost the top of his head in a battle of swords in the war against the Turks. He always wore a hat. He would drink so much and never get drunk.
I was full of admiration towards him, until I noticed that every hour he would lift up his hat, where there was a silver tray covering his skull. A cloud of alcohol fumes came out of the top of his head and he was completely sober. To prove it to my friend, I set fire to the fumes, and they hovered above his head.
Later, the old general would ask me: “Munchausen, light me up again, please!”

הַגֵּנֵרָל הבקי בשתייה
שָׁתִינוּ הַרְבֵּה ווֹדְקָה כִּי קַר בְּרוּסְיה. אַלּוּף הַשְּׁתִיָּה הָיָה גֵּנֵרָל זָקֵן, שֶׁבַּמִּלְחָמָה בַּתּוּרְכִּים, בִּקְרָב חָרָבוֹת עַז, אִבֵּד אֶת קָדְקֹד הַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת שֶׁלּו 
וְלָכֵן חָבַשׁ תָּמִיד כּוֹבַע. הוּא שָׁתָה הָמוֹן וְלֹא הָיָה שִׁכּוֹר מֵעוֹדוֹ. הִתְפַּלֵּאתִי מְאֹדעַד שֶׁשַּׂמְתִּי לֵב שֶׁמִּדַּי שָׁעָה הֵרִים בְּמִקְצָת הַגֵּנֵרָל אֶת כּוֹבָעוֹ 
.וְגַם טָס כֶּסֶף היה לו מִתַּחַת הַכּוֹבַע שֶׁשִּׁמֵּשׁ לוֹכְּמִכְסֶה מְלָאכוּתִי לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת. מֵהַפֶּתַח בְּרֹאשׁוֹ עָלָה עָנָן אֵדֵי הָאַלְכּוֹהוֹל וְהוּא הִתְפַּכַּח לַחֲלוּטִין
.כְּדֵי לְהוֹכִיחַ זֹאת לִידִידַי הִצַּתְתִּי בְּגַפְרוּר אֶת אֵדֵי הָאַלְכּוֹהוֹל וְהֵם רִחֲפוּ בְּאֵשׁ כְּחַלְחַלָּה מֵעָלָיו
!בַּהֶמְשֵׁךְ, הַגֵּנֵרָל עַצְמוֹנָהַג לְבַקֵּשׁ: מִינְכְהַאוּזֶן הַדְלֵק אוֹתִי שׁוּב בְּבַקָּשָׁה

The Bet with the Sultan
When I visited the Turkish Sultan, he gave me some Tokay wine, and said it was the greatest wine to be found. 
I took a sip and said that the Emperor of Vienna has better wine. The Sultan got annoyed, and so I offered a bet:
If within one hour I would bring a bottle of better wine from Vienna, I would receive some gold and silver from the treasury, 
but if I didn’t succeed, I would pay by being decapitated.
Right away I wrote a letter of request to the Emperor, and gave it to the fastest messenger. 
He ran off and returned five minutes before the hour was up. 
The Sultan tasted the wine, announced my victory and I rushed to load the treasure gold. 
Then I ran away on a big sail boat.

הַהִתְעָרְבוּת עִם הַשּׂוּלְטָן
.כְּשֶׁבִּקַּרְתִּי אֶת הַשּׂוּלְטָן הַתּוּרְכִּי, הוּא כִּבֵּד אוֹתִי בְּיֵין טוֹקַאי וְאָמַר שֶׁזֶּהוּ הַיַּיִן הטוב בְּיוֹתֵר שֶׁיֵּשׁ
:לָגַמְתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי שֶׁאֵצֶל הַקֵּיסָר בְּוִינָה יֵשׁ יַיִן טוֹב יוֹתֵר. הַשּׂוּלְטָן הִתְרַגֵּז וְלָכֵן הִצַּעְתִּי הִתְעָרְבוּת
.אִם אָבִיא בְּתוֹךְ שָׁעָה בַּקְבּוּק טוֹב יוֹתֵר מִוִּינָה אֲקַבֵּל מִקֻּפַּת הָאוֹצָר זָהָב וְכֶסֶף רַב, אֲבָל אִם לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּם בְּעֲרִיפַת רֹאשִׁי
.מִיָּד כָּתַבְתִּי מִכְתָּב בַּקָּשָׁה לַקֵּיסָרִית בְּוִינָה וּנְתַתִּיו בִּידֵי הָרָץ הַמָּהִיר בְּיוֹתֵר. הוּא מִהֵר וְהִגִּיעַ חָמֵשׁ דַּקּוֹת לִפְנֵיתֹּם זְמַן הַהִתְעָרְבוּת
.הַשּׂוּלְטָן טָעַם מֵהַיַּיִן, הִכְרִיז שֶׁנִּצַּחְתִּי וַאֲנִי מִהַרְתִּי לְהַעֲמִיס אֶת זְהָב-הָאוֹצָר וְלִבְרֹחַ מַהֵר בְּאֳנִיַּת מִּפְרָשִׂים גְּדוֹלָה

The Chase after the Rabbit
Once I chased after a rabbit that was running across a road, when a carriage carrying two beautiful ladies came between us.
Because the windows of the carriage were open, and because I didn’t want to give up on the rabbit, I decided to leap towards the rabbit, with my horse, through the windows of the carriage.

הַמִּרְדָּף אַחַר הָאַרְנָב
.פַּעַם רָדַפְתִּי אַחֲרֵי אַרְנָב שֶׁרָץ וְחָצָה בִּמְנוּסָתוֹ כְּבִישׁ. וְהִנֵּה נִכְנְסָה, בֵּינִי וּבֵינוֹ מֶרְכָּבָה וּבָהּ יָשְׁבוּ שְׁתֵּיגְּבִירוֹת יְפֵיפִיּוֹת
.כֵּיוָן שֶׁחַלּוֹנוֹת הַמֶּרְכָּבָה הָיוּ פְּתוּחִים וְלֹא רָצִיתִי לְוַתֵּר עַל הָאַרְנָב, הֶחְלַטְתִּי כְּהֶרֶף- עַיִןלְזַנֵּק בְּכִוּוּן הָאַרְנָב, יַחַד עִם הַסּוּס, דֶּרֶךְ הַכִּרְכָּרָה


Escaping the Swamp
I was riding my Lithuanian, and wanted to jump over a swamp. 
The momentum wasn’t enough and we dived into the swamp.
We would have drowned if I had not grabbed my hair by my hand and pulled myself out! 
And not only myself did I pull out, but my horse, too!
הַהֵחָלְצוּת מֵהַבִּצָּה
.רָצִיתִי לִקְפֹּץ, רָכוּב עַל הַלִּיטָאִי שֶׁלִּי, מֵעַל לְבִצָּה. הַתְּנוּפָה בַּאֲוִיר לֹא צָלְחָה וצָלַלְנוּ בַּבּיצה
הָיִינוּ טוֹבְעִים אִלְמָלֱא הָיִיתִי, מִבְּלִי לַחֲשֹׁב הַרְבֵּה - תּוֹפֵס בְּיָדִי אֶת שערי וּמוֹשֵׁךְ אֶת עַצְמִי מֵהַבִּצָּה! וְלֹא רַקאֶת עַצְמִי בִּלְבַד אֶלָּא גַּם אֶת סוּסי

"when a carriage carrying two beautiful ladies"
מֶרְכָּבָה וּבָהּ יָשְׁבוּ שְׁתֵּי גְּבִירוֹת יְפֵיפִיּוֹת
.
The Split Lithuanian
During the battle, I was riding my Lithuanian, and thanks to his speed, 
I was the first to arrive at an abandoned fortress of the enemy, who had run away.
I brought the Lithuanian to the water, and it drank and drank and drank and drank. 
I looked back and saw my poor beast’s backend was gone. 
The water it was drinking was leaking from its behind. Apparently, as I rode into the fortress, 
the gate came down and cut my horse in half.
הַלִּיטָאִי הֶחָצוּי
 .רָכַבְתִּי בְּמַהֲלַךְ הַקְּרָב עַל הַלִּיטָאִי שֶׁלִּי וְהוֹדוֹת לִמְהִירוּתוֹ הָיִיתִי הָרִאשׁוֹן בִּמְצוּדָה נְטוּשָׁה שֶׁל הָאוֹיֵב הַנָּסוֹג
.הֵבֵאתִי אֶת הַלִּיטָאִי לַמַּיִם. הוּא שָׁתָה בְּלִי סוֹף. הִבַּטְתִּי לְאָחוֹר וְרָאִיתִי שֶׁהָעַכּוּז שֶׁל הַבְּהֵמָה הַמִּסְכֵּנָה חָסֵר וְאֵינֶנּוּ
.הַמַּיִם שֶׁשָּׁתָה נָזְלוּ מֵאֲחוֹרָיו. הִסְתַּבֵּר שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר רָכַבְתִּי בְּפֶתַח הַמִּבְצָר הוֹרִידוּ אֶת הַשַּׁעַר שֶׁקָּטַע אֶת אֲחוֹרֵי גּוּפוֹ שֶׁל סוּסִי

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Published:

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Published: