sylvan

O. Henryの短編小説 "THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF" を読んでいます。

I went up on the peak of the little mountain and ran my eye over the contiguous vicinity. Over toward Summit I expected to see the sturdy yeomanry of the village armed with scythes and pitchforks beating the countryside for the dastardly kidnappers. But what I saw was a peaceful landscape dotted with one man ploughing with a dun mule. Nobody was dragging the creek; no couries dashed hither and yon, bringing tidings of no news to the distracted parents. There was a sylvan attitude of somnolent sleepiness pervading that section of the external outward surface of Alabama that lay exposed to my view.

少年を誘拐した二人の犯人は少年の親に身代金を要求するのですが、少年はインディアンごっこが好きで、山中で暮らすのも気に入っているような非常に腕白な子で、家に帰りたがらず、誘拐犯達はてこずっています。さて、引用文中の "sylvan" の意味を調べます。

・Oxford English Dictionary: connected with forests and trees: sylvan surroundings
・Collins Dictionary: Sylvan is used to describe things that have an association with woods and trees.: a shady, sylvan glade
・Vocabulary.com: The adjective sylvan refers to a shady, wooded area. The word suggests a peaceful, pleasant feeling, as though you were far away from the noise of modern life.

誘拐犯の足にしがみつき家に帰りたがらない少年を父親に引き取ってもらうのに、犯人達は身代金どころか、父親にお金を払って、父親が少年を押さえている間に懸命に逃げたという話。何か落語の世界の話を連想しました。