Аліса в Країні чудес
The Mock Turtle’s Story
TheyhadnotgonefarbeforetheysawtheMockTurtleinthedistance, sittingsadandlonelyonalittleledgeofrock,and,astheycamenearer,Alicecouldhearhimsighingasifhisheartwouldbreak. Shepitiedhimdeeply. ‘Whatishissorrow?’sheaskedtheGryphon, andtheGryphonanswered,verynearlyinthesamewordsasbefore, ‘It’sallhisfancy,that:hehasn’tgotnosorrow,youknow.Comeon!’
SotheywentuptotheMockTurtle,wholookedatthemwithlargeeyesfulloftears,butsaidnothing.
‘Thishereyounglady,’saidtheGryphon,‘shewantsfortoknowyourhistory,shedo.’
‘I’lltellither,’saidtheMockTurtleinadeep,hollowtone: ‘sitdown,bothofyou,anddon’tspeakawordtillI’vefinished.’
Sotheysatdown,andnobodyspokeforsomeminutes. Alicethoughttoherself,‘Idon’tseehowhecanevenfinish,ifhedoesn’tbegin. ’Butshewaitedpatiently.
‘Once,’saidtheMockTurtleatlast,withadeepsigh,‘IwasarealTurtle.’
Thesewordswerefollowedbyaverylongsilence,brokenonlybyanoccasionalexclamationof‘Hjckrrh!’fromtheGryphon, andtheconstantheavysobbingoftheMockTurtle. Alicewasverynearlygettingupandsaying, ‘Thankyou,sir,foryourinterestingstory,’butshecouldnothelpthinkingtheremustbemoretocome,soshesatstillandsaidnothing.
‘Whenwewerelittle,’theMockTurtlewentonatlast,morecalmly,thoughstillsobbingalittlenowandthen,‘wewenttoschoolinthesea. ThemasterwasanoldTurtle—weusedtocallhimTortoise—’
‘WhydidyoucallhimTortoise,ifhewasn’tone? ’Aliceasked.
