Читать книгу Songs of Action - Артур Конан Дойл, Исмаил Шихлы - Страница 7

Pennarby shaft is dark and steep,

Eight foot wide, eight hundred deep.

Stout the bucket and tough the cord,

Strong as the arm of Winchman Ford.

   ‘Never look down!

   Stick to the line!’

That was the saying at Pennarby mine.

A stranger came to Pennarby shaft.

Lord, to see how the miners laughed!

White in the collar and stiff in the hat,

With his patent boots and his silk cravat,

   Picking his way,

   Dainty and fine,

Stepping on tiptoe to Pennarby mine.

Touring from London, so he said.

Was it copper they dug for? or gold? or lead?

Where did they find it?  How did it come?

If he tried with a shovel might he get some?

   Stooping so much

   Was bad for the spine;

And wasn’t it warmish in Pennarby mine?

’Twas like two worlds that met that day —

The world of work and the world of play;

And the grimy lads from the reeking shaft

Nudged each other and grinned and chaffed.

   ‘Got ’em all out!’

   ‘A cousin of mine!’

So ran the banter at Pennarby mine.

And Carnbrae Bob, the Pennarby wit,

Told him the facts about the pit:

How they bored the shaft till the brimstone smell

Warned them off from tapping – well,

   He wouldn’t say what,

   But they took it as sign

To dig no deeper in Pennarby mine.