"Children's Books - White, E.B. - Charlotte's Web" - читать интересную книгу автора (Children's Books)

The cocker spaniel heard the commotion and he ran out from the barn to
join the chase. Mr. Zuckerman heard, and he came out of the machine
shed where he was mending a tool. Lurvy, the hired man, heard the noise
and came up from the asparagus patch where he was pulling weeds.
Everybody walked toward Wilbur and Wilbur didn't know what to do. The
woods seemed a long way off, and anyway, he had never been down there in
the woods and wasn't sure he would like it.

"Get around behind him, Lurvy," said Mr. Zuckerman, "and drive him
toward the barn! And take it easy - don't rush him!

I'll go and get a bucket of slops."

The news of Wilbur's escape spread rapidly among the animals on the
place. Whenever any creature broke loose on Zuckerman's farm, the event
was of great interest to the others. The goose shouted to the nearest
cow that Wilbur was free, and soon all the cows knew. Then one of the
cows told one of the sheep, and soon all the sheep knew. The lambs
learned about it from their mothers. The horses, in their stalls in the
barn, pricked up their ears when they heard the goose hollering; and
soon the horses had caught on to what was happening. "Wilbur's out,"
they said. Every animal stirred and lifted its head and became excited
to know that one of his friends had got free and was no longer penned up
or tied fast.

Wilbur didn't know what to do or which way to run. It seemed as though
everybody was after him. "If this is what it's like to be free," he
thought, "I believe I'd rather be penned up in my own yard."

The cocker spaniel was sneaking up on him from one side, Lurvy the hired
man was sneaking up on him from the other side. Mrs. Zuckerman stood
ready to head him off if he started for the garden, and now Mr.
Zuckerman was coming down toward him carrying a pail. "This is really
awful," thought Wilbur. "Why doesn't Fern come?" He began to cry.

The goose took command and began to give orders.

"Don't just stand there, Wilbur! Dodge about, dodge about!"

cried the goose. "Skip around, run toward me, slip in and out, in and
out, in and out! Make for the woods! Twist and turn!"

The cocker spaniel sprang for Wilbur's hind leg. Wilbur jumped and ran.
Lurvy reached out and grabbed. Mrs. Zuckerman screamed at Lurvy. The
goose cheered for Wilbur. Wilbur dodged between Lurvy's legs. Lurvy
missed Wilbur and grabbed the spaniel instead.

"Nicely done, nicely done!" cried the goose. "Try it again, try it
again!"