Читать книгу The Grinch: The Story of the Movie: Movie tie-in - Коллектив авторов, Ю. Д. Земенков, Koostaja: Ajakiri New Scientist - Страница 9

As they headed back to Mt. Crumpit, the Grinch and Max passed the home of a bushy-bearded Who wearing a green hat and a red jumper with green Christmas trees on it. The Who was busy decorating his house, and, as he worked, he sang random words to different Christmas carols, “Hum-de-dum-dum Christmas … dah-de-dah-dah … mistletoe … It’s de dum dum dum dum dum …”

“Whoa!” the Grinch said when he spotted the Who. “There he is, Max!” he said in a low voice. “The happiest Who alive, the unbearable Bricklebaum!” Out of the side of his mouth, he told Max, “He thinks we’re friends.”

The Grinch ducked out of sight. He peered round a tree, watching Bricklebaum putting up what seemed to be miles of Christmas lights. The Grinch found the whole gaudy spectacle disgusting.

“Have a la-la-la-la Christmas,” Bricklebaum kept singing loudly. “It’s de dum dum dum dum dum …”

“He’s not looking,” the Grinch said to Max. “Quick, let’s make a run for it!”

Looking for an opening, the Grinch watched as Bricklebaum climbed a ladder to the roof of his house. The roof was crammed full of lights, candy canes and a giant Santa’s sleigh complete with eight plastic reindeer. There were even MORE lights along the gutters. All the electrical cords for these creations ran to a master switch. Cords also led to inflatable Christmas characters down in the garden: a penguin, a Santa Claus, giant presents and a teddy bear.

The Grinch pressed up against the tree that he and Max were hiding behind. “Go, go, go, go, go!” he hissed to Max.

“What?” Bricklebaum said, looking around. “What was that?” But he didn’t see anyone. He turned back to his work, resuming his singing, “… say hello and mistletoe and ho ho ho ho ho!”

The Grinch and Max made a mad dash for it … just as Bricklebaum hit the master switch to turn on the decorations. The huge Christmas characters began to inflate, and the Grinch wove between them with Max following with the wagon full of shopping. They were almost clear when—

WHAP! An inflatable snowman rose up as it filled with air. Its arm sprang out and smacked the Grinch in the face, knocking him right into the wagon. He ended up sprawled face-down in the snow. “Augh! Oof!”

“Oh, my goodness, Mr Grinch!” Bricklebaum cried. “I’m coming!” He scrambled down his ladder.

The Grinch lifted his head dizzily and shook snow off his face. He got up and started gathering the scattered shopping as fast as he could, hoping to escape before the friendly Who arrived to help.

“Leave Mr Grinch alone!” Bricklebaum told the inflatable snowman as he rushed past. When he reached the Grinch, Bricklebaum said, “That’s one tough balloon that you’re fighting there. Here, come on. Let me help you.”

“I do not want or need your help,” the Grinch protested.

But Bricklebaum started picking up the shopping and putting it back on the overloaded little wagon. He paused, looking at one item. “Hair dye?” he said, laughing as he read the label. “‘Gorgeous Green Goddess’!”

“Oh!” the Grinch exclaimed, snatching the hair dye out of Bricklebaum’s hand.

“Hey, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfy,” Bricklebaum said. “We all have to keep the grey away. I myself use ‘Chocolate Explosion’…”

“You know what?” the Grinch interrupted as he buried the hair dye at the bottom of the wagon. “If you want to apologise, apologise for THAT!” He pointed an accusing green finger at Bricklebaum’s overly decorated house. “You’re a grown man with a life-size Santa’s sleigh on your roof!”

“Don’t blame me!” Bricklebaum said. “Haven’t you heard? The mayor of Who-ville wants Christmas to be three times bigger this year! That means three times the lights! Three times the eggnog! Three times the—”

“Information needed,” the Grinch snapped.

Bricklebaum just laughed again. “Ha ha! That’s a good one!” He handed the Grinch a flyer, which the Grinch skim-read: “biggest Who-ville Christmas ever … three times the cheer … fun for all Whos …” Then it was his turn to break into laughter. “Oh, I get it!” the Grinch said. “This is one of your ‘joke’ things! Finally! Something you said is actually funny!”

Bricklebaum laughed, too. “Yeah, I do joke a lot,” he agreed. “But, no, this is actually—”

“Christmas three times bigger!” the Grinch said, still guffawing.

“Look,” Bricklebaum said, pointing at the flyer. “It says right there that—”

“It’s hysterical!” the Grinch cried, now helpless with laughter. “Oh dear! Ohhhh, no, no, no.”

“Well, you’re just going to have a good time with this, aren’t you?” Bricklebaum observed, chortling. “I have to say, it’s really nice to see you laughing.”

“Sorry, I can’t understand you,” the Grinch said, wiping tears of laughter from under his eyes. “I don’t speak ridiculous. Oh, you’re a scream. Have a nice life. Goodbye!”

He stomped away through the snow with Max following, pulling the wagon. They headed up the hill towards Mt. Crumpit.

“I’ll see you later!” Bricklebaum called after them, waving.

The Grinch and Max continued up the mountain. Partway up, the Grinch dropped Bricklebaum’s flyer and stepped on it, trampling it into the snow.