Jízda s rangerem Tomášem

Polly se probudila v autobuse při východu slunce. Ranger v hnědém otevíral svou kancelář. Jmenoval se Tomáš. Usmál se na ni. "Pojď se mnou na projížďku."

Polly woke up on the bus at sunrise. A ranger in brown was opening his office. His name was Tomas. He smiled at her. "Come ride with me."

Polly jela v jeho autě. Tomáš byl rangerem čtrnáct let. Řídil pomalu. Často zastavoval.

Polly rode in his truck. Tomas had been a ranger for fourteen years. He drove slowly. He stopped often.

První zastávka byla na mokré louce. Tomáš hledal stopy po medvědech. "V červnu tu rostou kornoutice. Medvědi je jedí."

The first stop was a wet meadow. Tomas looked for bear signs. "In June, corn lilies grow here. Bears eat them."

Polly se naklonila k oknu. Kornoutice byly malé zelené výhonky.

Polly hopped to the window. The corn lilies were small green spears.

Auto stoupalo. Vzduch se ochlazoval. Na zatáčce na cestě Tomáš ukázal. Na skále seděl sokol stěhovavý. Polly se na něj podívala. Sokol se spustil ze skály a zmizel.

The truck climbed. The air got cooler. At a turn in the road, Tomas pointed. A peregrine falcon sat on a rock. Polly looked at it. The falcon dropped off the rock and was gone.

"Sokoli hnízdí na útesech," řekl Tomáš. "Letos máme šest párů."

"Falcons nest on the cliffs," Tomas said. "We have six pairs this year."

Polly sledovala, jak sokol skládá křídla, aby se ponořil. Chtěla to zkusit.

Polly watched how the falcon folded its wings to dive. She wanted to try it.

Později Tomáš vešel do lesa. Vrátil se s kovovou plechovkou. "Někdo se pokusil zakopat tuto medvědovzdornou krabici."

Later, Tomas walked into the woods. He came back with a metal can. "Someone tried to bury this bear-proof box."

V poledne dorazili na Olmsted Point. Polly viděla velký výhled. Tenaya Lake daleko dole. Half Dome zezadu. Šedé hory v dálce.

At noon they reached Olmsted Point. Polly saw a big view. Tenaya Lake far below. Half Dome from behind. Grey mountains in the distance.

"Většina lidí tohle projede," řekl Tomáš. Nalil si trochu kávy do šálku. Položil šálek na palubní desku. "Zůstaň chvíli."

"Most people drive past this," Tomas said. He poured a little coffee in his cup. He set the cup on the dashboard. "Stay a while."