Пеппи Длинныйчулок
Chapter 1
Itwasalittlemonkey,dressedinbluepants, yellowjacket,andawhitestrawhat.
Pippiwalkedalongthestreetwithonefootonthesidewalkandtheotherinthegutter. TommyandAnnikawatchedaslongastheycouldseeher. Inalittlewhileshecameback,andnowshewaswalkingbackward. Thatwasbecauseshedidn’twanttoturnaroundtogethome. WhenshereachedTommy’sandAnnika’sgateshestopped.
Thechildrenlookedateachotherinsilence. AtlastTommyspoke. "Whydidyouwalkbackward?"
"WhydidIwalkbackwards?"saidPippi. "Isn’tthisafreecountry? Can’tapersonwalkanywayshewantsto ?Forthatmatter,letmetellyouthatinEgypteverybodywalksthatway,andnobodythinksit’stheleastbitstrange."
"Howdoyouknow?"askedTommy. "You’veneverbeeninEgypt,haveyou?"
"I’veneverbeeninEgypt?IndeedIhave. That’sonethingyoucanbesureof.Ihavebeenallovertheworldandseenmanythingsstrangerthanpeoplewalkingbackward. IwonderwhatyouwouldhavesaidifIhadcomealongwalkingonmyhandsthewaytheydoinFarthestIndia."
"Nowyoumustbelying,"saidTommy.
Pippithoughtamoment."You’reright,"shesaidsadly,"Iamlying."
"It’swickedtolie,"saidAnnika, whohadatlastgatheredupenoughcouragetospeak.
"Yes,it’sverywickedtolie,"saidPippievenmoresadly.
