Сборник лучших английских сказок. Уровень 1

’ Then he told her to take three feathers from under his side, and whatever she wished through them would come to pass[48 - come to pass – исполниться, случиться]. Then he left her at a great house to be laundry-maid[49 - laundry-maid – прачка] for seven years and a day.

And the girl used to take the feathers and say: �By power of my three feathers may the copper[50 - copper – зд. котёл] be lit, and the clothes washed, and ironed, and folded, and put away to the missis’s satisfaction.

And then she had no more care about it. The feathers did the rest[51 - do the rest – сделать остальное], and the lady had never had a better laundress[52 - laundress – прачка]. Well, one day the butler[53 - butler – дворецкий], who decided to have the pretty laundry-maid for his wife, said to her, he should have spoken before but he did not want to annoy her. �Why should it when we work together?’ the girl said. And then he felt free to go on[54 - go on – продолжать], and explain his master is to pay him seventy pounds, and how would she like him for a husband.

And the girl told him to bring her the money, and he asked his master for it, and brought it to her. But as they were going upstairs, she cried �O John, I must go back, sure I’ve left my shutters[55 - shutters – жалюзи] undone, and they’ll be slashing and banging all night.’

The butler said, �Never you trouble, I’ll put them right’, and he ran back, while she took her feathers, and said: �By power of my three feathers may the shutters slash and bang till morning, and John neither be able to fasten[56 - fasten – зд.

And so it was. The butler neither could leave the shutters, nor[57 - neither… nor… – ни… ни…] keep the shutters from opening as he closed them. And he was angry, but could not help himself, and he did not care to tell of it and get the laugh on him, so no one knew.

Then after a bit the coachman[58 - coachman – кучер] began to notice her, and she found he had forty pounds with the master, and he said she might have it if she would take him with it.

So after the laundry-maid had his money in her apron[59 - apron – фартук] as they went together, she stopped, exclaiming: �My clothes are left outside, I must run back and bring them in.