But who will go? That was the question. It was black midnight. The way to the old woman's house lay straight through the glen. And whoever travels that road can meet the dreaded Brownie.
The farmer wanted to go. But he dare not leave his wife alone. The servants stood in groups about the kitchen. No one was ready to go.
The cause of their terror was a queer, wee, misshapen little man. That little man was all covered with hair. He had a long beard, red eyes, broad, flat feet. He had enormous long arms that touched the ground, even when he stood upright. He was within a yard or two of them. He listened to their talk, with an anxious face. He stood behind the kitchen door.
He came up as usual, from his hiding-place in the glen. He wanted to see if there was any work for him to do. Also he wanted to get his bowl of milk. He saw, from the open door and windows, that there was something wrong inside the farmhouse. He crept into the entry to find out what the matter was.
He gathered from the servants'talk that the Mistress was ill. He loved her dearly. She was very kind to him. His heart sank within him. Then he heard that the silly servants were afraid to go and call a nurse for her. His contempt and anger knew no bounds.
Fools, idiots, dolts! he muttered to himself.
He stamped his queer, misshapen feet on the floor.
If they stand like this, the bonnie lady will die. So the Brownie must go himself!
A farmer's dark cloak hung on a peg on the wall. The Brownie took it. He threw it over his head and shoulders. He wanted to hide his ungainly form. Then he hurried away to the stable. Then he saddled and bridled the horse that stood there.
After that he led it to the door and scrambled on its back.
Now, go! he said.
The horse understood him. It darted out into the darkness like an arrow from the bow. Soon the Brownie drew rein at the old woman's cottage.
She was in bed. She was asleep. He rapped sharply on the window. She rose and asked who was there. He bent forward and told her his errand.
You must come with me, Goodwife, quickly! he commanded, in his deep, harsh voice. It's necessary to save the Lady of Ferne-Den's life. There is no one to nurse her at the farm there. She had a lot of empty-headed servant wenches.
But how to get there? I don't have a cart, said the old woman anxiously.
She saw there was nothing at the door save a horse and its rider.
You must just climb up behind me on the saddle, replied the Brownie, shortly, and hang on tight to my waist. I'll promise to bring you to the Ferne-Den safe and sound[19].
His voice was masterful. The old woman dare not refuse. She dressed herself. When she was ready she unlocked her door, and mounted the horse.
Without a word, they approached the dreaded glen. Then the old woman was very afraid.
Do you think that we can meet the Brownie there? she asked timidly. Folk say that he is a terrible creature.
Her companion laughed.
Don't be afraid, he said, I promise you'll see nobody uglier this night than the man whom you ride behind.
Oh, then, I'm fine, replied the old woman, with a sigh of relief.
She relapsed into silence again. They passed the glen. The horse turned into the farmyard. Then the horseman slid to the ground. He lifted the old woman carefully down in his long, strong arms. As he did so the cloak slipped off him. It revealed his short, broad body and his misshapen limbs.
Who are you? the woman asked. What makes your eyes so big? And what did you do to your feet?
The queer little man laughed again.
Waste no time, good Dame, he replied. Go into the house. If anyone asks you who brought you hither so quickly, tell them that there was nobody near your house, so you rode behind the Brownie Of Ferne-Den!
Упражнения
1. Who was not afraid of the Brownies?
1) the country people
2) the old woman
3) the farmer's wife
4) the little children
5) everybody
2. Вставьте нужный глагол:
There is no one to ____________________ her at the farm there.
1) look for
2) catch
3) sell
4) nurse
5) kill
3. Какие домовые не упоминаются в сказке?
1) the Brownie of Blednock
2) the Brownie of Reverbrunn
3) the Brownie of Bodsbeck
4) the Brownie of Stary-Trom
5) the Brownie of Ferne-Den
4. Вставьте нужное существительное:
The silly ____________________ were afraid and dared not set out to fetch a nurse.
1) children
2) servants
3) Brownies
4) farmers
5) old women
5. Как переводится safe and sound?
1) целый и невредимый
2) безопасный и звучащий
3) мирный и спящий
4) толстый и здоровый
5) милый
Ответы:
the farmer's wife; nurse; the Brownie of Reverbrunn, the Brownie of Stary-Trom; servants; целый и невредимый
Farquhar Macneill
Once upon a time there was a young man named Farquhar MacNeill. One day the farmer's wife asked him to go over the hill to the house of a neighbour. She wanted to borrow flour, because she didn't have any left.
Farquhar agreed to do so. He set out at once upon his errand. The farmer's wife showed him the path to follow. She said that it was easy to find the house. So he looked for the light in the window.
Soon on his left hand he saw something that he took for the light[20]. He forgot his Mistress's instructions to follow the path right over the hill. He left it, and walked towards the light.
He thought he reached it. Suddenly his foot tripped. He fell down, down, down, into a Fairy Parlour, far under the ground. It was full of Fairies.
He saw two little elderly women, in black aprons and white mutches. They stood close by the door. They ground corn between two flat millstones. Other two Fairies, younger women, in blue print gowns and white kerchiefs, gathered up the freshly ground meal. They baked it into bannocks. Then they toasted it on a girdle over a peat fire. The fire burnt slowly in a corner.
In the centre of the large apartment many Fairies, Elves, and Sprites danced to the music of a tiny set of bagpipes. A brown-faced[21] Gnome played it. The Gnome sat on a ledge of rock far above their heads.
Farquhar came suddenly down in their midst. They all stopped, and looked at him in alarm. But then they saw that he was not hurt. They bowed gravely. Then they went on with their work and with their play.
Farquhar liked to dance very much. So he asked the Fairies to join them. They looked surprised at his request. But then they allowed him to do so. In a few minutes the young man danced with them.
As he danced a strange change came over him. He forgot about the flour. He forgot his home. He forgot everything. He only knew that he wanted to remain with the Fairies all the rest of his life[22].
And he remained with them. A magic spell was cast over him. He could be invisible and sip the dew from the grass and honey from the flowers daintily and noiselessly.
Time passed by. One night he and his merry companions set out for a long journey through the air. They started early. They intended to pay a visit to the Man in the Moon and be back again before cock-crow[23].
During the flight Farquhar fell in love with a young Fairy Maiden. He did not see a cottage that was right in his way. Suddenly he struck against the chimney. Then he stuck fast in the thatch.
His companions sped merrily on.
Farquhar glanced down the wide chimney. In the cottage kitchen he saw a lovely young woman. She had a rosy-cheeked baby in her arms. Now Farquhar was in his mortal state again. He liked children very much. A word of blessing rose to his lips. He looked at the mother and child and said,
God shield you[24].
The Holy Name crossed his lips. The spell was broken. Instantly his thoughts flew to his friends at home. His thoughts flew to the Mistress and to her flour. He was sure that he was absent for some weeks. So he hurried to the farm.
He arrived in the neighbourhood. Everything seemed strange. There were woods, and walls in the neighborhood! To his amazement, he did not find his way to the farm. He expected to find his father's house. But he found a crop of rank green nettles.
What does it all mean? In great distress he looked about for someone to tell him. At last he found an old man. That man thatched the roof of a cottage.
Примечания
1
Thomas the Rhymer Томас-Рифмач
2
hunting-horn охотничий рог
3
Blessed Virgin herself сама Пресвятая Дева
4
common-sense здравый смысл
5
save me кроме меня
6
ravine ущелье
7
ash-covered покрытый пеплом
8
Page-boys пажи
9
Get off now. Слезай.
10
cockle-shells ракушки
11
they found themselves они оказались
12
mother-of-pearl перламутр
13
Ah, woe to me! О, горе мне!
14
as well as ever как ни в чём не бывало
15
moor болото
16
to go a-hunting пойти поохотиться
17
bairn шотл. ребёнок, дитя
18
Matin Bell звон к заутрене
19
safe and sound целый и невредимый
20
he saw something that he took for the light он увидел что-то, что принял за свет
21
1 brown-faced смуглолицый
22
all the rest of his life на всю оставшуюся жизнь
23
3 cock-crow пение петуха
24
God shield you. Храни вас Бог.