Вино из одуванчиков

           GrandfatherSpauldingstudiedthesmokeballintheskyandsaid,quietly,"Lee,wasthatit?YourHappinessMachine?"

           "Someyear,"saidLeoAuffmann"I’llfigureitandtellyou."

           LenaAuffmann,standinginthedarknow,watchedasthefiremenraninandoutoftheyard;thegarage,roaring,settleduponitself.

           "Leo,"shesaid,"itwon’ttakeayeartofigure.Lookaround.Think.Keepquietalittlebit.Thencometellme.I’llbeinthehouse,puttingbooksbackonshelves,andclothesbackinclosets,fixingsupper,supper’slate,lookhowdark.Come,children,helpMama."

           WhenthefiremenandtheneighborsweregoneLeoAuffmannwasleftwithgrandfatherSpauldingandDouglasandTom,broodingoverthesmolderingruin.Hestirredhisfootinthewetashesandslowlysaidwhathehadtosay.

           "Thefirstthingyoulearninlifeisyou’reafool.Thelastthingyoulearninlifeisyou’rethesamefool.Inonehour,I’vedonealotofthinking.Ithought,LeoAuffmannisblind!...YouwanttoseetherealHappinessMachine?Theonetheypatentedacouplethousandyearsago,itstillruns,notgoodallthetime,no!butitruns.It’sbeenhereallalong."

           "Butthefire—"saidDouglas.

           "Sure,thefire,thegarage!ButlikeLenasaid,itdon’ttakeayeartofigure;whatburnedinthegaragedon’tcount!"Theyfollowedhimupthefront-porchsteps.

           "Here,"whisperedLeoAuffmann,"thefrontwindow.Quiet,andyou’llseeit."

           Hesitantly,Grandfather,Douglas,andTompeeredthroughthelargewindowpane.