Над пропастью во ржи

           You’veprobablyseentheads,anyway. Theyadvertiseinaboutathousandmagazines, alwaysshowingsomehotshotguyonahorsejumpingoverafence. LikeasifallyoueverdidatPenceywasplaypoloallthetime. Ineverevenoncesawahorseanywhereneartheplace. Andunderneaththeguyonthehorse’spicture,italwayssays: "Since1888wehavebeenmoldingboysintosplendid,clear-thinkingyoungmen." Strictlyforthebirds. Theydon’tdoanydamnmoremoldingatPenceythantheydoatanyotherschool. AndIdidn’tknowanybodytherethatwassplendidandclear-thinkingandall. Maybetwoguys.Ifthatmany. AndtheyprobablycametoPenceythatway. 

           Anyway,itwastheSaturdayofthefootballgamewithSaxonHall. ThegamewithSaxonHallwassupposedtobeaverybigdealaroundPencey. Itwasthelastgameoftheyear,andyouweresupposedtocommitsuicideorsomethingifoldPenceydidn’twin. Irememberaroundthreeo’clockthatafternoonIwasstandingwaythehellupontopofThomsenHill, rightnexttothiscrazycannonthatwasintheRevolutionaryWarandall. Youcouldseethewholefieldfromthere, andyoucouldseethetwoteamsbashingeachotherallovertheplace. Youcouldn’tseethegrandstandtoohot,butyoucouldhearthemallyelling,deepandterrificonthePenceyside, becausepracticallythewholeschoolexceptmewasthere, andscrawnyandfaggyontheSaxonHallside, becausethevisitingteamhardlyeverbroughtmanypeoplewiththem. 

           Therewerenevermanygirlsatallatthefootballgames. Onlyseniorswereallowedtobringgirlswiththem. Itwasaterribleschool,nomatterhowyoulookedatit. Iliketobesomewhereatleastwhereyoucanseeafewgirlsaroundonceinawhile, evenifthey’reonlyscratchingtheirarms orblowingtheirnoses orevenjustgigglingorsomething.