Щасливий принц та інші казки
The Remarkable Rocket
"Buttheyhavenotlosttheironlyson,"saidtheRomanCandle;"nomisfortunehashappenedtothematall."
"Ineversaidthattheyhad,"repliedtheRocket;"Isaidthattheymight.Iftheyhadlosttheironlysontherewouldbenouseinsayinganythingmoreaboutthematter.Ihatepeoplewhocryoverspiltmilk.ButwhenIthinkthattheymightlosetheironlyson,Icertainlyammuchaffected."
"Youcertainlyare!"criedtheBengalLight."Infact,youarethemostaffectedpersonIevermet."
"YouaretherudestpersonIevermet,"saidtheRocket,"andyoucannotunderstandmyfriendshipforthePrince."
"Why,youdon’tevenknowhim,"growledtheRomanCandle.
"IneversaidIknewhim,"answeredtheRocket."IdaresaythatifIknewhimIshouldnotbehisfriendatall.Itisaverydangerousthingtoknowone’sfriends."
"Youhadreallybetterkeepyourselfdry,"saidtheFire-balloon."Thatistheimportantthing."
"Veryimportantforyou,Ihavenodoubt,"answeredtheRocket,"butIshallweepifIchoose;"andheactuallyburstintorealtears,whichfloweddownhissticklikerain-drops,andnearlydrownedtwolittlebeetles,whowerejustthinkingofsettinguphousetogether,andwerelookingforanicedryspottolivein.
"Hemusthaveatrulyromanticnature,"saidtheCatherineWheel,"forheweepswhenthereisnothingatalltoweepabout;"andsheheavedadeepsighandthoughtaboutthedealbox.
