Превращение

           WhenGregorwasalreadystickinghalfwayoutofthebed—thenewmethodwasmoreofagamethananeffort,allhehadtodowasrockbackandforth—itoccurredtohimhowsimpleeverythingwouldbeifsomebodycametohelphim.Twostrongpeople—hehadhisfatherandthemaidinmind—wouldhavebeenmorethanenough;theywouldonlyhavetopushtheirarmsunderthedomeofhisback,peelhimawayfromthebed,benddownwiththeloadandthenbepatientandcarefulasheswangoverontothefloor,where,hopefully,thelittlelegswouldfindause.Shouldhereallycallforhelpthough,evenapartfromthefactthatallthedoorswerelocked?Despiteallthedifficultyhewasin,hecouldnotsuppressasmileatthisthought.

           Afterawhilehehadalreadymovedsofaracrossthatitwouldhavebeenhardforhimtokeephisbalanceifherockedtoohard.Thetimewasnowtenpastsevenandhewouldhavetomakeafinaldecisionverysoon.Thentherewasaringatthedooroftheflat.“That’llbesomeonefromwork”,hesaidtohimself,andfrozeverystill,althoughhislittlelegsonlybecameallthemorelivelyastheydancedaround.Foramomenteverythingremainedquiet.“They’renotopeningthedoor”,Gregorsaidtohimself,caughtinsomenonsensicalhope.Butthenofcourse,themaid’sfirmstepswenttothedooraseverandopenedit.Gregoronlyneededtohearthevisitor’sfirstwordsofgreetingandheknewwhoitwas—thechiefclerkhimself.