Сборник лучших английских сказок. Уровень 1

But she did not say the right name. By the end of the month, the impet began to look very angrily, and twirled his tail faster and faster.

Finally, the last day came. The impet came at night with the five skeins and said:

“Do you know my name?”

“Is that Nicodemus[107 - Nicodemus – Никодим]?” says she.

“No, it isn’t,” he says.

“Is that Sammle[108 - Sammle – Сэммл]?” says she.

“No, it isn’t,” he says.

“Is that Methusalem[109 - Methusalem – Мафусаил]?” says she.

“No, no, no!” he says.

Then he looks at her and says: “Woman, there’s only tomorrow night, and then you’ll be mine!” And he flew away.

She was very afraid. But the king came. When he sees the five skeins, he says:

“Well, my dear, if I see the skeins ready tomorrow night, I shan’t kill you. And I’ll have supper here.” So he brought supper and another stool for him, and they sat down.

Suddenly, he stops and begins to laugh.

“What’s up?[110 - What’s up? – В чём дело?]“ says she.

“Oh,” says he, “I was hunting today, and I went very far in the wood. And I heard a song. So I got off[111 - I got off – я слез] my horse, and I went forward. I saw a funny little black man. He had a little spinning-wheel, and he was spinning wonderfully fast, and he was twirling his tail. And he was singing:

“Nimmy nimmy not,

My name’s Tom Tit Tot.”

When the girl heard this, she became very happy, but she didn’t say a word.

Next day, that little impet looked very maliceful when he came for the flax. And when the night came, she heard the knock. She opened the window, and the impet came into the room. He was grinning, and his tail was twirling very fast.

“What’s my name?” he asked when he was giving her the skeins.

“Is that Solomon[112 - Solomon – Соломон]?” she says.

“No, it isn’t,” he said and came further into the room.

“Well, is that Zebedee[113 - Zebedee – Зеведей]?” says she again.

“No, it isn’t,” says the impet. And then he laughed and twirled his tail like a wheel.

“Take time[114 - Take time – Не торопись], woman,” he says, “next guess, and you’re mine.” And he lifted his black hands.

The girl smiled and said:

“NIMMY NIMMY NOT,

YOUR NAME’S TOM TIT TOT!”

When the impet heard her, he cried awfully and flew away into the dark, and she never saw him any more.