Мэри Поппинс
The Dancing Cow
There’sacowdownintheLane,"saidMichael,jumpingupanddownonthewindow-seat.
"Acow?Arealcow—rightinthemiddleofatown?Howfunny!MaryPoppins,"saidJane,"there’sacowintheLane,Michaelsays."
"Yes,andit’swalkingveryslowly,puttingitsheadovereverygateandlookingroundasthoughithadlostsomething."
"IwishIcouldseeit,"saidJanemournfully.
"Look!"saidMichael,pointingdownwardsasMaryPoppinscametothewindow."Acow.Isn’tthatfunny?"
MaryPoppinsgaveaquick,sharpglancedownintotheLane.Shestartedwithsurprise.
"Certainlynot,"shesaid,turningtoJaneandMichael."It’snotfunnyatall.Iknowthatcow.ShewasagreatfriendofmyMother’sandI’llthankyoutospeakpolitelyofher."Shesmoothedherapronandlookedatthembothveryseverely.
"Haveyouknownherlong?"enquiredMichaelgently,hopingthatifhewasparticularlypolitehewouldhearsomethingmoreaboutthecow.
"SincebeforeshesawtheKing,"saidMaryPoppins.
"Andwhenwasthat?"askedJane,inasoftencouragingvoice.
MaryPoppinsstaredintospace,hereyesfixeduponsomethingthattheycouldnotsee.JaneandMichaelheldtheirbreath,waiting.
"Itwaslongago,"saidMaryPoppins,inabrooding,story-tellingvoice.Shepaused,asthoughshewererememberingeventsthathappenedhundredsofyearsbeforethattime.Thenshewentondreamily,stillgazingintothemiddleoftheroom,butwithoutseeinganything.
TheRedCow—that’sthenameshewentby.Andveryimportantandprosperousshewas,too(somyMothersaid).
