Дни грёз
The Reluctant Dragon
Oneeveningtheshepherd,whoforsomenightspasthadbeendisturbedandpreoccupied,andoffhisusualmentalbalance,camehomeallofatremble,and,sittingdownatthetablewherehiswifeandsonwerepeacefullyemployed,shewithherseam,heinfollowingouttheadventuresoftheGiantwithnoHeartinhisBody,exclaimedwithmuchagitation:
“It’sallupwithme,Maria!NevernomorecanIgouponthemthereDowns,wasiteverso!”
“Nowdon’tyoutakeonlikethat,”saidhiswife,whowasaVERYsensiblewoman:“buttellusallaboutitfirst,whateveritisashasgivenyouthisshake-up,andthenmeandyouandthesonhere,betweenus,weoughttobeabletogettothebottomofit!”
“Itbegansomenightsago,”saidtheshepherd.“Youknowthatcaveupthere—Ineverlikedit,somehow,andthesheepneverlikeditneither,andwhensheepdon’tlikeathingthere’sgenerallysomereasonforit.Well,forsometimepastthere’sbeenfaintnoisescomingfromthatcave—noiseslikeheavysighings,withgruntsmixedupinthem;andsometimesasnoring,farawaydown—REALsnoring,yetsomehownotHONESTsnoring,likeyouandmeo’nights,youknow!”
“Iknow,”remarkedtheBoy,quietly.
“OfcourseIwasterriblefrightened,”theshepherdwenton;“yetsomehowIcouldn’tkeepaway.Sothisveryevening,beforeIcomedown,Itookacastroundbythecave,quietly.Andthere—OLord!thereIsawhimatlast,asplainasIseeyou!”
“SawWHO?”saidhiswife,beginningtoshareinherhusband’snervousterror.
“WhyHIM,I’matellingyou!”saidtheshepherd.
