Из полного собрания бессмыслиц (с параллельным текстом на английском языке) - Эдвард Лир

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Duck to the Kangaroo,

      “Good gracious! how you hop!

      Over the fields and the water too,

      As if you never would stop!

      My life is a bore in this nasty pond,

      And I long to go out in the world beyond!

      I wish I could hop like you!”

      Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.

II

      “Please give me a ride on your back!”

      Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.

      “I would sit quite still, and say nothing but

                                                                  “Quack”,

      Te whole of the long day through!

      And we’d go to the Dee, and the Jelly Bo Lee,

      Over the land, and over the sea; —

      Please take me a ride! O do!”

      Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.

III

      Said the Kangaroo to the Duck,

      “This requires some little reflection;

      Perhaps on the whole it might bring me luck,

      And there seems but one objection,

      Which is, if you’ll let me speak so bold,

      Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold,

      And would probably give me the roo-

      Matiz!” said the Kangaroo.

IV

      Said the Duck, “As I sate on the rocks,

      I have thought over that completely,

      And I bought four pairs of worsted socks

      Which fit my web-fit neatly.

      And to keep out the cold I’ve bought a cloak,

      And every day a cigar I’l smoke,

      All to follow my own dear true

      Love of Kangaroo!”

V

      Said the Kangaroo, “I’m ready!

      All in the moonlight pale;

      But to balance me well, dear Duck, sit steady!

      And quite at the end of my tail!”

      So away they went with a hop and a bound,

      And they hopped the whole world three

                                                        times round

      And who so happy, – O who,

      As the Duck and the Kangaroo?

      The Daddy Long-legs and the Fly

I

      Once Mr. Daddy Long-legs,

      Dressed in brown and gray,

      Walked about upon the sands

      Upon a summer’s day;

      And there among the pebbles,

      When the wind was rather cold,

      He met with Mr. Floppy Fly,

      All dressed in blue and gold.

      And as it was too soon to dine,

      They drank some Periwinkle-wine,

      And played an hour or two, or more,

      At battlecock and shuttledoor.

II

      Said Mr. Daddy Long-legs

      To Mr. Floppy Fly,

      “Why do you never come to court?

      I wish you’d tell me why.

      All gold and shine, in dress so fine,

      You’d quite delight the court.

      Why do you never go at all?

      I really think you ough!

      And if you went, you’d see such sights!

      Such rugs! and jugs! and candle-lights!

      And more than all, the King and Queen,

      One in red, and one in green!”

III

      “O Mr. Daddy Long-legs,”

      Said Mr. Floppy Fly,

      “It’s true I never go to court,

      And I will tell you why.

      If I had six long legs like yours,

      At once I’d go to court!

      But oh! I can’t, because my legs

      Are so extremely short.

      And I’m afraid the King and Queen

      (One in red, and one in green)

      Would said aloud, “You are not fit,

      You Fly, to come to court a bit!”

IV

      “O Mr. Daddy Long-legs,”

      Said Mr. Floppy Fly,

      “I wish you’d sing one little song!

      One mumbian melody!

      You used to sing so awful well

      In former days gone by,

      But now you never sing at all;

      I wish you’d tell me why:

      For if you would, the silvery sound

      Would please the shrimps and cockles round,

      And all the crabs would gladly come

      To hear you sing, “Ah, Hum di Hum!”

V

      Said Mr. Daddy Long-legs,

      “I can never sing again!

      And if you wish, I’ll tell you why,

      Although it gives me pain.

      For years I cannot hum a bit,

      Or sing the smallest song;

      And this the dreadful reason is,

      My legs are grown too long!

      My six long legs, all here and there,

      Oppress my bosom with despair;

      And if I stand, or lie, or sit,

      I cannot sing one single bit!”

VI

      So Mr. Daddy Long-legs

      And Mr. Floppy Fly

      Sat down in silence by the sea,

      And gazed upon the sky.

      They said, “This is a dreadful thing!

      The world has all gone wrong,

      Since one has legs too short by half,

      The other much too long!

      One never more can go to court,

      Because his legs have grown too short;

      The other cannot sing a song,

      Because his legs have grown too long!”

VII

      Then Mr. Daddy Long-legs

      And Mr. Floppy Fly

      Rushed downward to the foamy sea

      With one sponge-taneous cry;

      And there they found a little boat,

      Whose

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