Над пропастью во ржи

           "It’s‘Ifabodymeetabodycomingthroughtherye’!"oldPhoebesaid."It’sapoem.ByRobertBurns."

           "Iknowit’sapoembyRobertBurns."

           Shewasright,though.Itis"Ifabodymeetabodycomingthroughtherye."Ididn’tknowitthen,though.

           "Ithoughtitwas‘Ifabodycatchabody,’"Isaid."Anyway,Ikeeppicturingalltheselittlekidsplayingsomegameinthisbigfieldofryeandall.Thousandsoflittlekids,andnobody’saround—nobodybig,Imean—exceptme.AndI’mstandingontheedgeofsomecrazycliff.WhatIhavetodo,Ihavetocatcheverybodyiftheystarttogooverthecliff—Imeanifthey’rerunningandtheydon’tlookwherethey’regoingIhavetocomeoutfromsomewhereandcatchthem.That’sallI’ddoallday.I’djustbethecatcherintheryeandall.Iknowit’scrazy,butthat’stheonlythingI’dreallyliketobe.Iknowit’scrazy."

           OldPhoebedidn’tsayanythingforalongtime.Then,whenshesaidsomething,allshesaidwas,"Daddy’sgoingtokillyou."

           "Idon’tgiveadamnifhedoes,"Isaid.Igotupfromthebedthen,becausewhatIwantedtodo,IwantedtophoneupthisguythatwasmyEnglishteacheratElktonHills,Mr.Antolini.HelivedinNewYorknow.HequitElktonHills.HetookthisjobteachingEnglishatN.Y.U."Ihavetomakeaphonecall,"ItoldPhoebe."I’llberightback.Don’tgotosleep."Ididn’twanthertogotosleepwhileIwasinthelivingroom.Iknewshewouldn’tbutIsaiditanyway,justtomakesure.

           WhileIwaswalkingtowardthedoor,oldPhoebesaid,"Holden!"andIturnedaround.