Вітер у вербах
The Wild Wood
Iseeitallnow!Youargueditout,stepbystep,inthatwiseheadofyours,fromtheverymomentthatIfellandcutmyshin,andyoulookedatthecut,andatonceyourmajesticmindsaidtoitself,‘Door-scraper!’Andthenyouturnedtoandfoundtheverydoor-scraperthatdoneit!Didyoustopthere?No.Somepeoplewouldhavebeenquitesatisfied;butnotyou.Yourintellectwentonworking.‘Letmeonlyjustfindadoor-mat,’saysyoutoyourself,‘andmytheoryisproved!’Andofcourseyoufoundyourdoor-mat.You’resoclever,Ibelieveyoucouldfindanythingyouliked.‘Now,’saysyou,‘thatdoorexists,asplainasifIsawit.There’snothingelseremainstobedonebuttofindit!’Well,I’vereadaboutthatsortofthinginbooks,butI’venevercomeacrossitbeforeinreallife.Yououghttogowhereyou’llbeproperlyappreciated.You’resimplywastedhere,amongusfellows.IfIonlyhadyourhead,Ratty—"
"Butasyouhaven’t,"interruptedtheRat,ratherunkindly,"Isupposeyou’regoingtositonthesnowallnightandtalk?Getupatonceandhangontothatbell-pullyouseethere,andringhard,ashardasyoucan,whileIhammer!"
WhiletheRatattackedthedoorwithhisstick,theMolesprangupatthebell-pull,clutcheditandswungthere,bothfeetwellofftheground,andfromquitealongwayofftheycouldfaintlyhearadeep-tonedbellrespond.
