Full of eagerness to prove her sagacity, she told the king to mind the cooking a moment — hinting that he might manufacture and add a dish or two, if he chose — then she went out of the room and gave her children a sign to follow after. The king muttered:
'Another English king had a commission like to this, in a bygone time — it is nothing against my dignity to undertake an office which the great Alfred stooped to assume. But I will try to better serve my trust than he; for he let the cakes burn.'
The intent was good, but the performance was not answerable to it; for this king, like the other one, soon fell into deep thinkings concerning his vast affairs, and the same calamity resulted — the cookery got burned. The woman returned in time to save the breakfast from entire destruction; and she promptly brought the king out of his dreams with a brisk and cordial tongue-lashing. Then, seeing how troubled he was over his violated trust, she softened at once and was all goodness and gentleness toward him.
The boy made a hearty and satisfying meal, and was greatly refreshed and gladdened by it. It was a meal which was distinguished by this curious feature, that rank was waived on both sides; yet neither recipient of the favor was aware that it had been extended. The goodwife had intended to feed this young tramp with broken victuals in a corner, like any other tramp, or like a dog; but she was so remorseful for the scolding she had given him, that she did what she could to atone for it by allowing him to sit at the family table and eat with his betters, on ostensible terms of equality with them; and the king, on his side, was so remorseful for having broken his trust, after the family had been so kind to him, that he forced himself to atone for it by humbling himself to the family level, instead of requiring the woman and her children to stand and wait upon him while he occupied their table in the solitary state due his birth and dignity. It does us all good to unbend sometimes. This good woman was made happy all the day long by the applauses she got out of herself for her magnanimous condescension to a tramp; and the king was just as self-complacent over his gracious humility toward a humble peasant woman.
When breakfast was over (когда завтрак был закончен), the housewife told the king to wash up the dishes (хозяйка сказала королю помыть блюда = посуду; to tell — сказать). This command was a staggerer (это распоряжение было сильным ударом) for a moment (на минуту), and the king came near rebelling (и король был готов взбунтоваться; to come near — подойти близко; to rebel — бунтовать); but then he said to himself (но затем он сказал себе), 'Alfred the Great watched the cakes (Альфред Великий присматривал за пирогами); doubtless he would have washed the dishes, too (без сомнения, он бы помыл посуду тоже) — therefore will I essay it (следовательно, я попробую это).'
He made a sufficiently poor job of it (он сделал достаточно плохую работу из этого); and to his surprise, too (и к своему удивлению к тому же), for the cleaning of wooden spoons and trenchers (ибо очистка деревянных ложек и подносов) had seemed an easy thing to do (казалась легким делом: «легкой вещью чтобы сделать»). It was a tedious and troublesome piece of work (это была нудная и трудная работа), but he finished it at last (но он закончил ее наконец). He was becoming impatient (он становился нетерпеливым = ему не терпелось) to get away on his journey now (отправиться в свое путешествие сейчас; to get away — удрать, уйти, отправиться); however he was not to lose (однако ему не было суждено лишиться; to lose — терять) this thrifty dame's society (общества этой хозяйственной дамы) so easily (так легко). She furnished him some little odds and ends of employment (она снабжала его всякой мелкой работой; odds and ends — всякая всячина), which he got through with (через которые он продирался) after a fair fashion (на добросовестный манер) and with some credit (и с некоторой честью = успехом). Then she set him and the little girls to paring some winter apples (затем она приставила его и маленьких девочек к очищению каких-то зимних яблок); but he was so awkward at this service (но он был так неловок на этой службе) that she retired him from it (что она уволила его от нее) and gave him a butcher-knife to grind (и дала ему мясницкий нож — наточить). Afterward she kept him (после она удерживала его = поручила ему; to keep — хранить) carding wool (чесать шерсть) until he began to think (пока он не начал думать) he had laid the good King Alfred about far enough in the shade (что положил = оставил Короля Альфреда достаточно далеко в тени) for the present (пока что: «для настоящего времени»), in the matter of showy menial heroisms (в деле показного лакейского героизма = подвигов) that would read picturesquely in story-books and histories (которые будут читаться колоритно в книгах сказок и исторических трудах), and so he was half minded to resign (и поэтому он был наполовину настроен уйти в отставку). And when, just after the noonday dinner (и когда сразу после полуденного обеда), the goodwife gave him a basket of kittens to drown (хозяйка дала ему корзинку котят — утопить), he did resign (он действительно уволился: «сделал уволиться»). At least he was just going to resign (по крайней мере, он как раз собирался удалиться; to be going to — собираться сделать что-то) — for he felt that he must draw the line somewhere (ибо он чувствовал, что должен провести черту = положить предел где-то; to feel — чувствовать), and it seemed to him (и казалось ему) that to draw it at kitten-drowning (что провести ее = черту на затоплении котят) was about the right thing (было примерно то что надо: «правильная вещь») — when there was an interruption (когда появилось препятствие). The interruption was John Canty (препятствием был Джон Кэнти) — with a peddler's pack on his back (с коробом разносчика на спине) — and Hugo (и Хьюго)!
The king discovered these rascals (король обнаружил этих негодяев) approaching the front gate (приближающимися к передним воротам) before they had had a chance to see him (прежде чем они имели шанс увидеть его); so he said nothing about drawing the line (так что он не сказал ничего о том, чтобы провести черту), but took up his basket of kittens (но подхватил свою корзинку с котятами) and stepped quietly out the back way (и вышел тихо наружу через заднюю дверь), without a word (без единого слова). He left the creatures in an outhouse (он оставил этих созданий = котят в сарае; to leave — оставлять, покидать), and hurried on (и поспешил дальше) into a narrow lane at the rear (по узкому переулку сзади).
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