Мэри Поппинс
The Dancing Cow
"Madam,"hesaid,"youcamehereformyadviceandIhavegivenittoyou.Doyouwanttogoondancingforever?Doyouwanttogohungryforever?Doyouwanttogosleeplessforever?"
TheRedCowthoughtofthelushsweettasteofdandelions.Shethoughtofmeadowgrassandhowsoftitwastolieon.Shethoughtofherwearycaperinglegsandhowniceitwouldbetorestthem.Andshesaidtoherself:"Perhaps,justforonce,itwouldn’tmatterandnobody—excepttheKing—needknow."
"Howhighdoyousupposeitis?"shesaidaloudasshedanced.
TheKinglookedupattheMoon.
"Atleastamile,Ishouldthink,"saidhe.
TheRedCownodded.Shethoughtso,too.Foramomentsheconsidered,andthenshemadeuphermind.
"IneverthoughtthatIshouldcometothis,yourMajesty.Jumping—andoverthemoonatthat.But—I’lltryit,"shesaidandcurtseyedgracefullytothethrone.
"Good,"saidtheKingpleasantly,realisingthathewouldbeintimefortheBarber,afterall."Followme!"
Heledthewayintothegarden,andtheRedCowandtheCourtiersfollowedhim.
"Now,"saidtheKing,whenhereachedtheopenlawn,"whenIblowthewhistle—jump!"
Hetookalargegoldenwhistlefromhiswaistcoatpocketandblewintoitlightlytomakesuretherewasnodustinit.
TheRedCowdancedatattention.
"Now—one!"saidtheKing.
"Two!"
"Three!"
Thenheblewthewhistle.
TheRedCow,drawinginherbreath,gaveonehugetremendousjumpandtheearthfellawaybeneathher.ShecouldseethefiguresoftheKingandtheCourtiersgrowingsmallerandsmalleruntiltheydisappearedbelow.
