Читать книгу The Reject - Edyth Bulbring - Страница 9

Captain Gollum’s Log

One, two,

Buckle my shoe;

Three, four,

Knock at the door;

Five, six,

Pick up sticks;

Seven, eight,

Lay them straight;

Nine, ten,

A big fat hen;

Eleven, twelve,

Dig and delve;

Thirteen, fourteen,

Maids a-courting;

Fifteen, sixteen,

Maids in the kitchen;

Seventeen, eighteen,

Maids in waiting;

Nineteen, twenty …

Our sacks of food grow empty. The days grow past twenty. We buckle our other shoes and follow the sea monster. We knuckle the door, harder – no answer. The days grow past forty. I count our sacks of food. Only two left. Drudge has grown the appetite of five little piggies. The days grow past sixty, past ninety. We pick up more sticks, and lay them straighter.

The last sack of food is gone. Our bowls are empty. Captain Gollum is hungry. Master Reader is hungry. Drudge is hungry. She waddles around the sloop. She is clumsy and slow. She’s given up all thoughts of pushing me overboard. She’s going to need me to help when the brat gets born.

She is a maid in waiting. A big fat hen.