Самые лучшие английские сказки - стр. 12

The girl that tossed her ball over the wall was afraid of this fox, but she liked the glass ball very much, so she said to herself, “I must not lose my ball and I’ll get it back.[45]”

So she bravely walked to the fox’s house, but she knocked at the door very timidly. The fox opened the door and the girl told him how she lost her glass ball in his garden.

“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[46] one morning, he called the girl to him and said to her, “I am going away for a little time.[47] While I am away[48] 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,[49] a great bag full of silver fell down before her.

“Better still,[50]” 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,[51]

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,