Гроздья гнева
Chapter 1
Andthechildrencameoutofthehouses,buttheydidnotrunorshoutastheywouldhavedoneafterarain.Menstoodbytheirfencesandlookedattheruinedcorn,dryingfastnow,onlyalittlegreenshowingthroughthefilmofdust.Themenweresilentandtheydidnotmoveoften.Andthewomencameoutofthehousestostandbesidetheirmen—tofeelwhetherthistimethemenwouldbreak.Thewomenstudiedthemen’sfacessecretly,forthecorncouldgo,aslongassomethingelseremained.Thechildrenstoodnearby,drawingfiguresinthedustwithbaretoes,andthechildrensentexploringsensesouttoseewhethermenandwomenwouldbreak.Thechildrenpeekedatthefacesofthemenandwomen,andthendrewcarefullinesinthedustwiththeirtoes.Horsescametothewateringtroughsandnuzzledthewatertoclearthesurfacedust.Afterawhilethefacesofthewatchingmenlosttheirbemusedperplexityandbecamehardandangryandresistant.Thenthewomenknewthattheyweresafeandthattherewasnobreak.Thentheyasked,What’llwedo?Andthemenreplied,Idon’tknow.Butitwasallright.Thewomenknewitwasallright,andthewatchingchildrenknewitwasallright.Womenandchildrenknewdeepinthemselvesthatnomisfortunewastoogreattobeariftheirmenwerewhole.Thewomenwentintothehousestotheirwork,andthechildrenbegantoplay,butcautiouslyatfirst.Asthedaywentforwardthesunbecamelessred.Itflareddownonthedust-blanketedland.Themensatinthedoorwaysoftheirhouses;theirhandswerebusywithsticksandlittlerocks.Themensatstill—thinking—figuring.
