Белая птичка
The Little House
ItwasbecausehisboathadgotwedgedontheSerpentinebetweenfieldsoffloatingice,throughwhichhehadtobreakaperilouspassagewithhistrustypaddle.
Thefairieshadasyetscarcelymissedhim,fortheycouldnotdance,soheavyweretheirhearts.Theyforgetallthestepswhentheyaresadandrememberthemagainwhentheyaremerry.Davidtellsmethatfairiesneversay“Wefeelhappy”:whattheysayis,“Wefeeldancey.”
Well,theywerelookingveryundanceyindeed,whensuddenlaughterbrokeoutamongtheonlookers,causedbyBrownie,whohadjustarrivedandwasinsistingonherrighttobepresentedtotheDuke.
Maimiecranedforwardeagerlytoseehowherfriendfared,thoughshehadreallynohope;nooneseemedtohavetheleasthopeexceptBrownieherself,who,however,wasabsolutelyconfident.Shewasledbeforehisgrace,andthedoctorputtingafingercarelesslyontheducalheart,whichforconveniencesakewasreachedbyalittletrapdoorinhisdiamondshirt,hadbeguntosaymechanically,“Cold,qui—,”whenhestoppedabruptly.
“What’sthis?”hecried,andfirstheshooktheheartlikeawatch,andthenputhiseartoit.
“Blessmysoul!”criedthedoctor,andbythistimeofcoursetheexcitementamongthespectatorswastremendous,fairiesfaintingrightandleft.
EverybodystaredbreathlesslyattheDuke,whowasverymuchstartledandlookedasifhewouldliketorunaway.“Goodgraciousme!”thedoctorwasheardmuttering,andnowtheheartwasevidentlyonfire,forhehadtojerkhisfingersawayfromitandputtheminhismouth.
