A Litlle Hero

"Oh dear! I 1) was/wish I could be one of them," said Tom to himself. He had been reading a book about
2) knights/nights and heroes, who rode through the woods slaying dragons and setting beautiful
princesses free. Wouldn't it have been so much fun to wear a helmet and armour, 3) carrying/carried a
long lance, and riding a splendid horse! But there are no dragons nowadays, and knights wear black
coats like other men. I wish I had lived long ago!".

Tom was just an everyday boy, rather short for his age and someone stout. His hair was red and stiff,
and his frank, jolly face was freckled all over.

The sun was shining brightly into the room and the 4) lives/leaves were peeping shyly and whispering
softly, as if to say, "Never mind about all heroes or wicked dragons! Come out and play."

Tom jumped from his 5) sit/seat, put on his cap and set off down the road toward the village, as fast as
he could spin the wheels of his bicycle. In the village it was the quietest hour of the day. Shopkeepers
were taking their early tea and school children had gone off to play in the fields. There was not a living
thing to be seen except, at the far 6) and/end of the street, a nursemaid with a pram and a small child
trotting by her side.

All at once, away in a distance, along the road, Tom caught sight of a horse galloping toward him, as if it
was running a race with the wind. There was no7) reader/ rider on its back. Its eyes were staring, its side
was panting, the bit had fallen from its mouth, and the reins were loose upon its hot neck. Just then the
child stepped off the pavement to cross the street, right in the 8) path/pad of the horse. The nurse-maid
was looking in at a shop window and so didn't miss the little girl from her side.

The horse was coming closer. If it were not stopped, it 9) wood/would knock down the little girl. There
was nobody to help her, except Tom. Without waiting a moment, the brave lad 10) road/rode on at full
speed on his bicycle. It was a race now between the run-away horse and the brave boy; and the boy 11)
win/ won. For, just as the horse's hoofs were coming down upon the little girl, Tom leaped off his
bicycle, and pushed himself in front of her.

The horse turned aside for an instant, then reared and plunged. It knocked Tom down, and trampled his
bicycle as it set off again on its wild race. The nursemaid, who was 12) no/ now in 13) great/greet fright,
first scolded and then petted the child until she sobbed, but there was no one to notice the brave boy,
who limped home slowly an in 14) pen/ pain. His face was hurt, his clothes were torn, and he dragged
his broken bicycle-the bicycle that only a few weeks before had been new and the 15) price/pride of his
heart.

"It was nothing at all, Mother," said Tom when he reached home. "I couldn't let the girl be trampled by a
run-away horse, could I? Besides, there was nobody else." This was all that Tom told his mother. But
mothers know many things about their little boys and girls that the boys and girls do not always care to
tell.

Tom did not get a 16) pedal/medal for his brave action and there was not a word about it in the
newspaper. That very evening, however, his father took the bicycle to the village to be mended. As
Tom's mother 17) robbed/rubbed his stiff shoulder and smeared some ointment on his scratched
cheeks, she looked at him with wet eyes. But Tom thought there was a smile not far behind then tears.
Then she smoothed his rough hair with her soft hand, kissed him, and called him her own dear little
hero.

Terjemahan

Pahlawan Kecil
"Ya ampun! Seandainya aku bisa menjadi salah satu dari mereka," kata Tom pada dirinya sendiri. Dia
telah membaca buku tentang ksatria dan pahlawan, yang berkuda melalui hutan membunuh naga dan
membebaskan putri-putri cantik. Bukankah sangat menyenangkan memakai helm dan baju besi,
membawa tombak panjang, dan menunggang kuda yang hebat! Tapi tidak ada naga saat ini, dan para
ksatria mengenakan mantel hitam seperti pria lainnya. Saya berharap saya telah hidup lama!".

Tom hanyalah anak laki-laki biasa, agak pendek untuk usianya dan seseorang yang gagah. Rambutnya
merah dan kaku, dan wajahnya yang jujur dan ceria berbintik-bintik di sekujur tubuhnya.

Matahari bersinar terang ke dalam ruangan dan dedaunan mengintip malu-malu dan berbisik pelan,
seolah berkata, "Jangan pedulikan semua pahlawan atau naga jahat! Keluar dan bermain."

Tom melompat dari tempat duduknya, mengenakan topinya dan berjalan menyusuri jalan menuju
desa, secepat yang dia bisa memutar roda sepedanya. Di desa itu adalah jam paling tenang dalam
sehari. Pemilik toko sedang minum teh lebih awal dan anak-anak sekolah pergi bermain di ladang.
Tidak ada makhluk hidup yang terlihat kecuali, di ujung jalan, seorang perawat dengan kereta dorong
bayi dan seorang anak kecil berlari di sisinya.

Tiba-tiba, jauh di kejauhan, di sepanjang jalan, Tom melihat seekor kuda berlari ke arahnya, seolah-
olah sedang berlomba dengan angin. Tidak ada pengendara di punggungnya. Matanya menatap,
sisinya terengah-engah, potongannya jatuh dari mulutnya, dan tali kekangnya lepas di lehernya yang
panas. Saat itu anak itu turun dari trotoar untuk menyeberang jalan, tepat di jalur kuda. Perawat-
pelayan sedang melihat ke jendela toko dan tidak melewatkan gadis kecil dari sisinya.

Kuda itu semakin mendekat. Jika tidak dihentikan, itu akan merobohkan gadis kecil itu. Tidak ada
yang membantunya, kecuali Tom. Tanpa menunggu beberapa saat, pemuda pemberani itu melaju
dengan kecepatan penuh di atas sepedanya. Itu adalah perlombaan sekarang antara kuda yang
melarikan diri dan anak laki-laki pemberani; dan anak itu menang. Karena, tepat ketika kuku kuda itu
menabrak gadis kecil itu, Tom melompat dari sepedanya, dan mendorong dirinya di depannya.

Kuda itu berbelok ke samping sejenak, lalu bangkit dan terjun. Itu menjatuhkan Tom, dan menginjak-
injak sepedanya saat melaju lagi di balapan liarnya. Pengasuh, yang sekarang sangat ketakutan,
pertama-tama memarahi dan kemudian membelai anak itu sampai dia terisak, tetapi tidak ada yang
memperhatikan bocah pemberani, yang berjalan tertatih-tatih pulang dengan kesakitan. Wajahnya
terluka, bajunya sobek, dan ia menyeret sepedanya yang rusak—sepeda yang baru beberapa minggu
lalu menjadi baru dan kebanggaan hatinya.

"Tidak apa-apa, Bu," kata Tom sesampainya di rumah. "Aku tidak bisa membiarkan gadis itu diinjak-
injak kuda yang kabur, kan? Lagi pula, tidak ada orang lain." Hanya ini yang dikatakan Tom kepada
ibunya. Tetapi para ibu mengetahui banyak hal tentang anak laki-laki dan perempuan mereka yang
tidak selalu ingin diceritakan oleh anak laki-laki dan perempuan.

Tom tidak mendapatkan medali untuk tindakan beraninya dan tidak ada kabar tentang hal itu di surat
kabar. Namun malam itu juga, ayahnya membawa sepedanya ke desa untuk diperbaiki. Saat ibu Tom
mengusap bahunya yang kaku dan mengoleskan salep di pipinya yang tergores, dia menatapnya
dengan mata basah. Tapi Tom berpikir ada senyum tidak jauh di belakang kemudian air mata.
Kemudian dia merapikan rambutnya yang kasar dengan tangannya yang lembut, menciumnya, dan
memanggilnya pahlawan kecil kesayangannya.