Guy de Maupassant Two Friends Short Story Reading

hi everybody this is Jimmy and you're reading with Jimmy today we're going to read gu Deans short story the two friends this is translated by Roger Colette the two friends Paris was under siege starving and at her last gasp The Sparrows were disappearing from the roofs and the city's sewers were being depopulated people were eating anything they could find one Bright Morning in January mosat watchmaker by trade but an idler by necessity was walking sadly along the outer Boulevard with an empty stomach and his hands in his pockets of his uniform trousers when he came face to face with comrade in arms whom he recognized as an old friend it was mure Savage Riverside acquaintance every Sunday before the war mosat used to leave home at dawn with his bamboo rod in his hand and tin box on his back and he took the Argentina train got out at Colmes and walked to the Marinette Island and as soon as he reached this place of his dreams he started fishing and he went on fishing until night Nightfall there every Sunday he used to meet another fanatical angler stout Jolly little man called Miss Savage habid daser by the notam de they often spent half day sitting side by side with their rods in their hands and their feet dangling over the water and they had become firm friends some days they never set word and sometimes they chatted but they understood each other perfectly without any need for Words having similar tastes and identical feelings on Spring mornings about 10:00 when faint Mist was rising from the smooth surface of the river and drifting along with the current and the two enthusiastic Anglers could feel the pleasant warmth of the spring sun on their backs marcat would say to his neighbor this is the life and Mr Savage would reply this is the life all right and that was all that was necessary for them to understand and respect one another in the Autumn towards the end of the day when the setting sun rened the sky and stained the river Crimson when the Horizon was blaze and the water reflected the shapes of scarlet clouds and when the trees between the two friends already russed colored and shivering with the foraste of winter turned fiery red and gold Savage would look at morat with smile and say what picture and morat struck by the beauty of the scene but keeping his eyes fixed on his float would reply it's better than the boulevard isn't it they had no sooner recognized each other than they shook hands warmly struck by the changed circumstances in which they had met Savage heaved the Sigh and murmured what mess we're in morat answered gloomily and what weather we're having this is the first fine day we've had this year the sky was indeed bright unclouded blue they walked together on together side by side sad thoughtful you remember our fishing morat went on those were the days wonder when we'll go fishing again said Mor Miss Savage they went into little cafe had an absin it together and then they resumed their stroll along the pavement suddenly morat stopped short what about another won't say no replied Mr Savage and they went into another Cafe and when they came out they were rather fuddled as people are when they've been drinking spirits on an empty stomach and it was mild day and gentle breeze fanned their faces the warm air made Miss Savage already Intoxicated by the absent of quite Tipsy he stopped and said let's go where fishing of course but where well our usual Island the French outposts aren't far from Colmes and know Colonel dumlin and they'll let us through without any trouble quivering with excitement morat replied right I'm with you and they separated to go get their fishing tackle an hour later they were walking side by side along the main road and eventually they reached the villa which the colonel was using as his headquarters he smiled at their Whimsical request and he gave his consent and they set off again armed with pass before long they had crossed line of outposts and they passed through the deserted village of cols and they found themselves on the edge of the little Vineyard which sloped down to the seene it was about 11:00 across the river the village of arent looked dead the heights of oranut and sanoi dominated the whole Countryside and the great plane which stretches as far as NRE was empty completely empty with its bare cherry trees and its grave Fields pointing to The High Ground Mr Savage murmured the prussians are up there and paralyzing sense of anxiety took hold of the two friends as they looked at the deserted scene the prussians they had never seen any of them but for months they had been aware of their presence around Paris bringing ruin on France looting murdering starving invisible and irresistible and sort of superstitious Terror was added to the hatred that they felt for that unknown Victorious People suppose we meet some of them stammered marcat what what would we do with the mocking Parisian humor which had survived in spite of everything Miss Savage replied we'd offered them some fish to fry but they hesitated about venturing into the Open Country intimidated by the silence all around them and at last Savage made up his mind come on let's go he said but keep your eyes skinned and they went down into the vineyard bent double or crawling along their ears cocked and their eyes darting about nervously they still had strip of open ground AC cross to reach the riverbank so they broke into run and as soon as they got to the bank they crouched down among the dry rushes marcat put his ear to the ground to listen for the sound of footsteps in their vicinity he heard nothing they were alone absolutely alone feeling reassured they started to fish and in front of them marinot Island now deserted hid them from the opposite Bank the little restaurant was closed and it looked as if it been an abandoned for years Miss Savage caught the first grudging marcat the second and after that they kept lifting their robs every other moment and the little silver creatures wriggling at the end of the lines it was miraculous drought of fishes they carefully slipped the fish into fine meshed nut bag dangling in the water at their feet and feeling of Joy took hold of them that delicious Joy one feels at rediscovering pleasure after being deprived of it for months the kindly Sun warmed their backs and they heard nothing and they thought of nothing the rest of the world no longer existed for them they simply fished but suddenly dull Roar which seemed to come from under the ground made the Earth tremble the big guns were opening up morat turned his head and above the bank away to the left he saw the great bulk of Mount valon its Summit sporting white plume puff of smoke it had just span out and the next moment second puff of smoke came from the top of the fort and few seconds later boom of another detonation reached their ears others followed as in quick succession the hill sent out its deadly breath emitting clouds of Milky Vapor which rose slowly into the peaceful Sky the form cloud above the fork Mr Savage Shrugged his shoulders there they go aheed again he said morerod who was anxiously watching the feather on his float bobbing up and down was suddenly filled with peaceloving man's anger at these Mad Men Who insisted on fighting one another so he growled they must be fools killing each other like that they're worse than wild beasts said Miss Savage and marcat who had just hooked Bleak declared and to think that it'll all be like that as long as we have governments Savage corrected him the Republic would never have declared war with Kings mad broken you have War abroad and with republics you have War at home so that started friendly argument discussing the great political problems with the sweet reasonableness of peaceful men of limited intelligence and agreeing on one point that men would never be free and all the time Mount valone went on thundering destroying French houses with its shells pulverizing human lives crushing bodies putting an end to countless dreams countless expectations countless hopes of happiness and inflicting wounds that would never heal on the hearts of girls wives and mothers in other lands such is life said Miss savage or rather such as death retorted morat with laugh and then they gave start of Terror as they became aware that somebody was moving behind them looking around they saw four armed men standing right behind them four big bearded men dressed like liveried servants with flat caps on their heads covering them with rifles the two rods dropped from their hands and floated away down the river in matter of seconds they were seized bound and marched off thrown into boat and fed across to the island behind the house that they had had thought to be deserted they saw score of German soldiers hairy giant of man sitting asri chair and smoking large porcelain pipe asked them in excellent French well gentlemen have you had good day's fishing just then one of the soldiers deposited At His Feet the net bag full of fish which he had taken care to bring along the Prussian officer smiled see you weren't doing so badly but that's not what want to talk to you about listen to me and and don't get alarmed as far as I'm concerned you are couple of spies sent to keep an eye on me capture you and shoot you you pretend to be fishing to conceal your real intentions you have fallen into my hands so much the worse for you war is war but as you came out here through your own lines presume you have password in order to get back give me that password and I'll spare your lives the two friends were standing side by side ashen-faced their hands were trembling slightly but they said nothing the officer went on nobody will be any wise any the wiser you you'll go back as if nothing had happened and the secret will go with you and if you refuse you die you die on the spot so choose they remained motionless and they made no reply the Prussian pointed to the water and calmly continued five minutes from now you will be at the bottom of that River five minutes you've got relatives waiting for you presume Mont valerin was still firing the two Anglers stood there silent the German gave an order in his own language and then he moved his chair so as not to be too close to the prisoners 12 men took up position at distance of 20 Paces the rifles at the order give you one minute said the officer not second more and then he suddenly got to his feet went over to the two Frenchmen took morat by the arm and led him to one side quick the password he whispered your your friend will never know I'll pretend I've relented morat made no reply the Prussian then took Miss Savage aside and made the same suggestion to him Mr Savage said nothing and they find they found themselves together again side by side the officer gave an order the soldiers raised their rifles just then morat's eye fell on the net bag full of grunged lying on the grass few feet away few feet away the pile of fish which were still wiggling glistened in ray of sunshine and he felt momentary weakness try as he might to hold them back tears came into his eyes Goodbye Mr Savage he stammered goodbye miss mosat his friend said and they shook hands trembling uncontrollably from head to foot fire shouted the officer 12 shad rang out together Savage fell forward like log and marcat being taller swayed spun around and fell across his friend's body he lay there with his face to the sky while blood gushed out of the holes in the front of his tunic the German gave another order his men dispersed and came back with some lengths of rope some Stones which they had fastened to the feet of the two men dead men and then they carried them to the bank valeron was still firing all the time capped Now by huge cloud of Smoke Two Soldiers took morerod by the head and feet two others picked up Miss Savage in the same way and they swung them backwards and forwards and they threw them as far as they could the bodies described the curve in the air and then waited by the Stones plunged feet first into the river the water splashed bubbled and quivered and then became calm again few tiny waves spread to each Bank little blood was floating on the surface still perfectly calm the officer murmured to himself now it's the fish's turn as he set off back to the house suddenly he noticed the bag of grung it on the grass he picked it up examined it smiled and shouted will soldier in white apron came running up throwing him the two dead men's Hall the officer said fry these little things for me straight away while they're still alive they'll be delicious and then he lit his pipe again you've been reading with Jimmy that was guan's two friends learn more by watching the ongoing analysis of this short Story But be sure to visit and read other Classics with Jimmy on this website remember if you have any questions Jimmy reading withth jimmy.com Jimmy reading withth jimmy.com wasn't that great story what 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