"William Morris - The Wood Beyond the World" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morris William)

But when he was come down past the first green slopes, he was so worn, that he said to himself
that rest was better than meat, so little as he had slept for the last three days; so he laid him down
under an ash-tree by a stream-side, nor asked what was o’clock, but had his fill of sleep, and
even when he awoke in the fresh morning was little fain of rising, but lay betwixt sleeping and
waking for some three hours more; then he arose, and went further down the next green bent, yet
somewhat slowly because of his hunger-weakness. And the scent of that fair land came up to him
like the odour of one great nosegay.


So he came to where the land was level, and there were many trees, as oak and ash, and sweet-
chestnut and wych-elm, and hornbeam and quicken-tree, not growing in a close wood or tangled
thicket, but set as though in order on the flowery greensward, even as it might be in a great
king’s park.


So came he to a big bird-cherry, whereof many boughs hung low down laden with fruit: his belly
rejoiced at the sight, and he caught hold of a bough, and fell to plucking and eating. But whiles
he was amidst of this, he heard suddenly, close anigh him, a strange noise of roaring and braying,
not very great, but exceeding fierce and terrible, and not like to the voice of any beast that he
knew. As has been aforesaid, Walter was no faint-heart; but what with the weakness of his travail
and hunger, what with the strangeness of his adventure and his loneliness, his spirit failed him;
he turned round towards the noise, his knees shook and he trembled: this way and that he looked,
and then gave a great cry and tumbled down in a swoon; for close before him, at his very feet,
was the dwarf whose image he had seen before, clad in his yellow coat, and grinning up at him
from his hideous hairy countenance.


How long he lay there as one dead, he knew not, but when he woke again there was the dwarf
sitting on his hams close by him. And when he lifted up his head, the dwarf sent out that fearful

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harsh voice again; but this time Walter could make out words therein, and knew that the creature
spoke and said:


“How now! What art thou? Whence comest? What wantest?”


Walter sat up and said: “I am a man; I hight Golden Walter; I come from Langton; I want
victual.”


Said the dwarf, writhing his face grievously, and laughing forsooth: “I know it all: I asked thee to
see what wise thou wouldst lie. I was sent forth to look for thee; and I have brought thee
loathsome bread with me, such as ye aliens must needs eat: take it!”


Therewith he drew a loaf from a satchel which he bore, and thrust it towards Walter, who took it
somewhat doubtfully for all his hunger.