Читать книгу The Tales of Uncle Remus / Сказки дядюшки Римуса. Книга для чтения на английском языке - Джоэль Чендлер Харрис - Страница 13

Brer Rabbit was mad after he lost the race to Brer Turtle. The neighbors could hear him cussing and carrying on so bad that they almost called the police. Brer Rabbit had to get even with Brer Turtle. But as hard as he thought, as long as he thought, as wide and high as he thought, he didn’t have a thought[62].

That just made him more mad. He decided finally, “If I can’t get even with Brer Turtle, then I’ll show Miz Meadows and the girls that I’m still the boss of Brer Fox!”

Unfortunately, Brer Rabbit did his deciding out loud. Mr. Jack Sparrow was sitting in a nearby tree, and he heard every word. The period on Brer Rabbit’s sentence was hardly dry before Mr. Jack Sparrow started chirping:

“I’m gon’ to tell Brer Fox! I’m gon’ to tell Brer Fox! Just as sho’ as you born, I’m gon’ to tell Brer Fox!” And he flew off.

Brer Rabbit got a little worried. To tell the truth, he was downright scared[63], and he lit out for home. His eyes were on the ground and his feet were in the air and consequently he didn’t see Brer Fox until he’d bumped into him and almost knocked him over.

“What’s the matter, Brer Rabbit? You in an awful hurry today.”

“Brer Fox! I been looking all over for you! What’s this I hear about you going to beat me up, beat my wife up, beat my children up, and tear my house down?” He looked mad enough to chew concrete.

“What are you talking about?” Brer Fox wanted to know.

“You heard me! What did I do to make you want to do all that to me and mine?”

“Brer Rabbit, I don’t know who told you that, but it’s a lie!” Brer Fox started to get a little heated. “Who been telling lies on me?”

Brer Rabbit hemmed and hawed and pretended like he didn’t want to say, but finally: “It was Mr. Jack Sparrow. I couldn’t believe my ears, but he swore up, down, and sideways that it was the truth.”

Brer Fox didn’t say another word. He took off down the road looking for Mr. Jack Sparrow. Brer Rabbit smiled and went on home.

Brer Fox hadn’t gone far when he heard somebody call his name. “Brer Fox!”

It was Mr. Jack Sparrow, but Brer Fox kept walking like he hadn’t heard.

“Brer Fox! Brer Fox!” Mr. Jack Sparrow called, flying around his head.

Brer Fox make like he still ain’t heard. Then he came to a tree stump and sat down like he was tired.

“Brer Fox!” said Mr. Jack Sparrow, lighting on the ground beside him. “I got something to tell you.”

“Get on my tail, Mr. Jack Sparrow. You know, I’m deaf in one ear and can’t hear out of the other.”

Mr. Jack Sparrow hopped on his tail.

“Believe you better get on my back, Mr. Jack Sparrow. I’m deaf in one ear and can’t hear out the other.”

Mr. Jack Sparrow hopped on his back.

“Naw, that won’t do either. Still can’t hear. Hop on my head.”

Mr. Jack Sparrow hopped on his head.

“Doggone it. Believe you better hop on my tooth. I’m deaf in one ear and can’t hear out the other, but I got a little hearing in my eyetooth.”

Mr. Jack Sparrow hopped on Brer Fox’s tooth, and Brer Fox opened his mouth real wide and – GULP!

Tattletales never do come to a good end.[64]