Вітер у вербах
Dulce Domum
"
Itdidnottakelongtopreparethebrewandthrustthetinheaterwellintotheredheartofthefire;andsooneveryfield-mousewassippingandcoughingandchoking(foralittlemulledalegoesalongway)andwipinghiseyesandlaughingandforgettinghehadeverbeencoldinallhislife.
"Theyactplays,too,thesefellows,"theMoleexplainedtotheRat."Makethemupallbythemselves,andactthemafterwards.Andverywelltheydoit,too!Theygaveusacapitalonelastyear,aboutafield-mousewhowascapturedatseabyaBarbarycorsair,andmadetorowinagalley;andwhenheescapedandgothomeagain,hislady-lovehadgoneintoaconvent.Here,you!Youwereinit,Iremember.Getupandreciteabit."
Thefield-mouseaddressedgotuponhislegs,giggledshyly,lookedroundtheroom,andremainedabsolutelytongue-tied.Hiscomradescheeredhimon,Molecoaxedandencouragedhim,andtheRatwentsofarastotakehimbytheshouldersandshakehim;butnothingcouldovercomehisstage-fright.TheywereallbusilyengagedonhimlikewatermenapplyingtheRoyalHumaneSociety’sregulationstoacaseoflongsubmersion,whenthelatchclicked,thedooropened,andthefield-mousewiththelanternreappeared,staggeringundertheweightofhisbasket.
Therewasnomoretalkofplay-actingoncetheveryrealandsolidcontentsofthebaskethadbeentumbledoutonthetable.UnderthegeneralshipofRat,everybodywassettodosomethingortofetchsomething.