Карлик-ніс

           FiftyyearsagoIcouldhaveboughtwhatIwanted;thisisgoodfornothing."

           ThesewordsangeredlittleJacob."Youarearudeoldwoman,"hesaidangrily;"firstyoutakeupourbeautifulfreshherbsinyournastybetweenfingersandcrushthem,thenyouputthemtoOurlong,hookednose,sothatnobodyelsewhohadseenyou,wouldwanttobuythem,andthenyoumiscallourwares,asbadstuffandrubbishwheneventheDuke’scookdoesnotdisdaintobuyfromus."

           Theoldwomanlookedfixedlyatthespiritedladandlaughedinarepulsivemanner.Thensaidshe,inahoarsecroakingvoice,"Ah,mylittleman,doyoulikemynose,mynicelongnose?Thenyoushallhaveanicelongnosetoo,onethatshallreachfromthemiddleofyourfacerightdownbelowyourchin."

           Asshetalkedsheshuffledalongtotheotherbasketinwhichthecabbageswereplaced.Shetookthefinestcreamycrispheadsandcrushedtheminherhandsuntiltheycreakedandcracked,thenthrewthembackintothebasketanyhow."Badgoods,badcabbages,"shesaid.

           "Don’tshakeyourheadtoandfrolikethat,"criedthelittleboy,beginningtofeelfrightened."Yourneckisasthinasacabbagestalkandlooksasthoughitmightsnapintwo,andifyourheadrolledoffintoourcabbagebasket,whowouldbuyfromusthen?"

           "Soyoudon’tlikethinnecks,eh?"mutteredtheoldwoman."Verywell,then,youshallhavenoneatall.Yourheadshallstickclosedowntoourshoulderssothattherewillbenodangerofitsfallingoffyourlittlebody."