Щасливий принц та інші казки
The Devoted Friend
Everybodycanseethat.’
"‘Howwellyoutalk!’saidtheMiller’sWife,pouringherselfoutalargeglassofwarmale;‘reallyIfeelquitedrowsy.Itisjustlikebeinginchurch.’
"‘Lotsofpeopleactwell,’answeredtheMiller;‘butveryfewpeopletalkwell,whichshowsthattalkingismuchthemoredifficultthingofthetwo,andmuchthefinerthingalso’;andhelookedsternlyacrossthetableathislittleson,whofeltsoashamedofhimselfthathehunghisheaddown,andgrewquitescarlet,andbegantocryintohistea.However,hewassoyoungthatyoumustexcusehim."
"Isthattheendofthestory?"askedtheWater-rat.
"Certainlynot,"answeredtheLinnet,"thatisthebeginning."
"Thenyouarequitebehindtheage,"saidtheWater-rat."Everygoodstory-tellernowadaysstartswiththeend,andthengoesontothebeginning,andconcludeswiththemiddle.Thatisthenewmethod.Iheardallaboutittheotherdayfromacriticwhowaswalkingroundthepondwithayoungman.Hespokeofthematteratgreatlength,andIamsurehemusthavebeenright,forhehadbluespectaclesandabaldhead,andwhenevertheyoungmanmadeanyremark,healwaysanswered‘Pooh!’Butpraygoonwithyourstory.IliketheMillerimmensely.Ihaveallkindsofbeautifulsentimentsmyself,sothereisagreatsympathybetweenus."
