О.Уайльд. Преданный друг. Ч.7

Oscar Wilde

THE DEVOTED FRIEND

Part 7

The next day he was nailing up some honeysuckle (жимолость) against the porch, when he heard the Miller’s voice calling to him from the road. So he jumped off the ladder, and ran down the garden, and looked over the wall.

There was the Miller with a large sack of flour on his back.

‘Dear little Hans,’ said the Miller, ‘would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?’

‘Oh, I am so sorry,’ said Hans, ‘but I am really very busy today. I have got all my creepers (ползучие растения) to nail up, and all my flowers to water, and all my grass to roll.'

‘Well, really,’ said the Miller, ‘I think that, considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, it is rather unfriendly of you to refuse.'

‘Oh, don’t say that,’ cried little Hans, ‘I wouldn’t be unfriendly for the whole world;’ and he ran in for his cap, and trudged off with the big sack on his shoulders.

It was a very hot day, and the road was terribly dusty, and before Hans had reached the sixth milestone (мильный столб) he was so tired that he had to sit down and rest. However, he went on bravely, and at last he reached the market. After he had waited there some time, he sold the sack of flour for a very good price, and then he returned home at once, for he was afraid that if he stopped too late he might meet some robbers on the way.

‘It has certainly been a hard day,’ said little Hans to himself as he was going to bed, ‘but I am glad I did not refuse the Miller, for he is my best friend, and, besides, he is going to give me his wheelbarrow.'

Early the next morning the Miller came down to get the money for his sack of flour, but little Hans was so tired that he was still in bed.

‘Upon my word (честное слово (уст.)),’ said the Miller, ‘you are very lazy. Really, considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, I think you might work harder. Idleness is a great sin, and I certainly don’t like any of my friends to be idle or sluggish. You must not mind my speaking quite plainly to you. Of course I should not dream of doing so if I was not your friend. But what is the good of friendship if one cannot say exactly what one means? Anybody can say charming things and try to please and to flatter, but a true friend always says unpleasant things, and does not mind giving pain. Indeed, if he is a really true friend he prefers it, for he knows that then he is doing good.'

‘I am very sorry,’ said little Hans, rubbing his eyes and pulling off his night-cap, ‘but I was so tired that I thought I would lie in bed for a little time, and listen to the birds singing. Do you know that I always work better after hearing the birds sing?’

‘Well, I am glad of that,’ said the Miller, clapping little Hans on the back, ‘for I want you to come up to the mill (мельница) as soon as you are dressed and mend my barn-roof for me.'

Poor little Hans was very anxious to go and work in his garden, for his flowers had not been watered for two days, but he did not like to refuse the Miller as he was such a good friend to him.

‘Do you think it would be unfriendly of me if I said I was busy?’ he inquired in a shy and timid voice.

‘Well, really,’ answered the Miller, ‘I do not think it is much to ask of you, considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow; but of course if you refuse I will go and do it myself.'

‘Oh! on no account (О, нет, нет),’ cried little Hans; and he jumped out of bed, and dressed himself, and went up to the barn.