Вино из одуванчиков

           LastmonthIcutmyfingersixtimes,bruisedmykneetentimes,felloffmybackporchtwice,youhear-twice!Ibrokeawindow,droppedfourdishes,onevaseworthadollarforty-nineatBixby’s,andI’mbillin’youforeverydroppeddishfromnowoninmyhouseandenvirons!"

           "I’llbepoorbyChristmas,"saidMrs.Goodwater.Sheopenedthescreendoorandcameoutsuddenlyandletthedoorslam."ElmiraBrown,howoldareyou?"

           "Youprobablygotitwritteninoneofyourblackbooks.Thirty-five!"

           "Well,whenIthinkofthirty-fiveyearsofyourlife..."Mrs.Goodwaterpursedherlipsandblinkedhereyes,counting."That’sabouttwelvethousandsevenhundredandseventy-fivedays,orcountingthreeofthemperday,twelvethousand-oddcommotions,twelvethousandmuch-adosandtwelvethousandcalamaties.It’safullrichlifeyoulead,ElmiraBrown.Shakehands!"

           "Getaway!"Elmirafendedheroff.

           "Why,lady,you’reonlythesecondmostclumsywomaninGreenTown,Illinois.Youcan’tsitdownwithoutplayingthechairlikeanaccordion.Youcan’tstandupbutwhatyoukickthecat.Youcan’ttrotacrossanopenmeadowwithoutfallingintoawell.Yourlifehasbeenonelongdecline,ElmiraAliceBrown,sowhynotadmitit?"

           "Itwasn’tclumsinessthatcausedmycalamities,butyoubeingwithinamileofmeatthosetimeswhenIdroppedapotofbeansorjuicedmyfingerintheelectricsocketathome."

           "Lady,inatownthissize,everybody’swithinamileofsomeoneatonetimeorotherintheday."