Читать «Самые лучшие английские сказки» онлайн - страница 11
Сергей Александрович Матвеев
“You can have your ball,” said the fox, “if you become my housekeeper for a year.”
The girl agreed to live in the fox’s house for a year. She did not see the fox very often, because he went out early every morning and came back late at night.
Now before the fox went out as usual one morning, he called the girl to him and said to her, “I am going away for a little time. While I am away there are five things you must not do: you must not wash up the dishes or sweep the floor or dust the chairs or look into the cupboard, and you must not look under my bed.”
And the fox went away. But the girl decided to disobey him, and she said to herself, “I will see what happens if I don’t do as he tells me.”
So first of all she washed up the dishes. Suddenly a great bag full of copper fell down before her.
“Very good,” said the girl.
Next she swept the floor. This time, a great bag full of silver fell down before her.
“Better still,” said the girl.
Next she dusted the chairs, when a great bag full of gold fell down before her.
“That’s just what I want,” said the girl.
Next she looked into the cupboard, and there was her glass ball!
“Oh, you don’t know how glad I am,” she said and clapped her hands.
Finally she went upstairs and looked under the bed, and there was the fox! She was awfully frightened and ran downstairs, through the garden and up the town street. She came to a lane, and at the top of the lane she met a horse and said to the horse:
“Horse of mine, horse of thine,
If you meet a fox today,
do not tell I passed this way.”
And the horse neighed and said, “I will not.”
A little further she met a cow and said:
“Cow of mine, cow of thine,
If you meet a fox today,
do not tell I passed this way.”
And the cow mooed and said, “I will not.”
A little further she met a mule and said:
“Mule of mine, mule of thine,
If you meet a fox today,
do not tell I passed this way.”
And the mule brayed and said, “I will not.”
A little further she met a dog and said:
“Dog of mine, dog of thine,
If you meet a fox today,
do not tell I passed this way.”
And the dog barked and said, “I will not.”
A little further on she met a cat and said:
“Cat of mine, cat of thine,
If you meet a fox today,
do not tell I passed this way.”
And the cat mewed and said, “I will not.”
Finally she met an owl and said:
“Owl of mine, owl of thine,
If you meet a fox today,
do not tell I passed this way.”
And the owl hooted and said, “I will not.”
The fox followed the girl, and now he came to the same lane where he met the horse and sang to him with such a lovely voice:
“Horse of mine, horse of thine,
Did you meet a maid of mine?”
And the horse said, “She passed me by.”
Next he met the same cow and sang to her:
“Cow of mine, cow of thine,
Did you meet a maid of mine?”
And the cow said, “She passed me by.”
A little further on he met the same mule and sang:
“Mule of mine, mule of thine,
Did you meet a maid of mine?”
And the mule said, “She passed me by.”
A little further he met the same dog and sang:
