Гроздья гнева
Chapter 3
Buthigherandhigherthehindlegsboostedit,untilatlastthecenterofbalancewasreached,thefronttippeddown,thefrontlegsscratchedatthepavement,anditwasup.Buttheheadofwildoatswasheldbyitsstemaroundthefrontlegs.
Nowthegoingwaseasy,andallthelegsworked,andtheshellboostedalong,wagglingfromsidetoside.Asedandrivenbyaforty-year-oldwomanapproached.Shesawtheturtleandswungtotheright,offthehighway,thewheelsscreamedandacloudofdustboiledup.Twowheelsliftedforamomentandthensettled.Thecarskiddedbackontotheroad,andwenton,butmoreslowly.Theturtlehadjerkedintoitsshell,butnowithurriedon,forthehighwaywasburninghot.
Andnowalighttruckapproached,andasitcamenear,thedriversawtheturtleandswervedtohitit.Hisfrontwheelstrucktheedgeoftheshell,flippedtheturtlelikeatiddly-wink,spunitlikeacoin,androlleditoffthehighway.Thetruckwentbacktoitscoursealongtherightside.Lyingonitsback,theturtlewastightinitsshellforalongtime.Butatlastitslegswavedintheair,reachingforsomethingtopullitover.Itsfrontfootcaughtapieceofquartzandlittlebylittletheshellpulledoverandfloppedupright.Thewildoatheadfelloutandthreeofthespearheadseedsstuckintheground.Andastheturtlecrawledondowntheembankment,itsshelldraggeddirtovertheseeds.Theturtleenteredadustroadandjerkeditselfalong,drawingawavyshallowtrenchinthedustwithitsshell
