Мэри Поппинс
Bad Tuesday
We’reonourwayroundtheworld."
"Gracious,whatajourney!Well,stayforalittlemomentsothatIcangetsomesleep.Ifyoucanlookafterallthosecreatures"—henoddedatthechildren—"youcankeeptwosmalleggswarm.Do,MaryPoppins!AndI’llgetyousomebananasinsteadofthatwrigglingfish."
"Itwasapresent,"saidMaryPoppins.
"Well,well,keepitifyoumust.Butwhatmadnesstogogallivantingroundtheworldwhenyoucouldstayandbringupournestlings.Whyshouldwespendourtimesittingwhenyoucoulddoitaswell?"
"Better,youmean!"sniffedMaryPoppins.
Then,toJaneandMichael’sdisappointment—theywoulddearlyhavelikedsometropicalfruit—sheshookherheaddecisivelyandsaid,"East!"
Againtheworldwentspinningroundthem—orweretheyspinningroundtheworld?Andthen,whicheveritwasceased.
Theyfoundthemselvesinagrassyclearingsurroundedbybambootrees.Greenpaperlikeleavesrustledinthebreeze.Andabovethatquietswishingtheycouldhearasteadyrhythmicsound—asnore,orwasitapurr?
Glancinground,theybeheldalargefurryshape—blackwithblotchesofwhite,orwasitwhitewithblotchesofblack?Theycouldnotreallybesure.
JaneandMichaelgazedateachother.Wasitadreamfromwhichtheywouldwake?Orweretheyseeing,ofallthings,aPanda!AndaPandainitsownhomeandnotbehindbarsinazoo.
Thedream,ifitwasadream,drewalongbreath.
"Whoeveritis,pleasegoaway.Irestintheafternoon."
Thevoicewasasfurryastherestofhim.
"Verywell,then,wewillgoaway.
