Мэри Поппинс
John and Barbara's Story
"It’sthetrueone,then,"MaryPoppinssaid,tyingBarbara’ssocksfirmlyroundherankles.
"Well,it’sJaneandMichaelwhoaresilly,"Johncontinued."IknowIshan’tforgetwhenIgetolder."
"NorI,"saidBarbara,contentedlysuckingherfinger.
"Yes,youwill,"saidMaryPoppinsfirmly.
TheTwinssatupandlookedather.
"Huh!"saidtheStarlingcontemptuously."Lookat’em!Theythinkthey’retheWorld’sWonders.Littlemiracles—Idon’tthink!Ofcourseyou’llforget—sameasJaneandMichael."
"Wewon’t,"saidtheTwins,lookingattheStarlingasiftheywouldliketomurderhim.
TheStarlingjeered.
"Isayyouwill,"heinsisted."Itisn’tyourfault,ofcourse,"headdedmorekindly."You’llforgetbecauseyoujustcan’thelpit.Thereneverwasahumanbeingthatrememberedaftertheageofone—attheverylatest—except,ofcourse,Her."AndhejerkedhisheadoverhisshoulderatMaryPoppins.
"Butwhycansherememberandnotus?"saidJohn.
"A-a-a-h!She’sdifferent.She’stheGreatException.Can’tgobyher,"saidtheStarling,grinningatthemboth.
JohnandBarbaraweresilent.
TheStarlingwentonexplaining.
"Huh!"saidtheStarling."Lookat’em!"
"She’ssomethingspecial,yousee.Notinthematteroflooks,ofcourse.Oneofmyownday-oldchicksishandsomerthanMaryP.everwas—"
"Here,youimpertinence!"saidMaryPoppinscrossly,makingadartathimandflickingheraproninhisdirection.ButtheStarlingleaptasideandflewuptothewindow-frame,whistlingwickedly,welloutofreach.
