"Zenna Henderson - Hush!" - читать интересную книгу автора (Henderson Zenna)

HUSH!

by

Zenna Henderson



June sighed and brushed her hair back from her eyes automatically as she marked her place in her geometry book with
one finger and looked through the dining-room door at Dubby lying on the front-room couch.
тАЬDubby, please,тАЭ she pleaded. тАЬYou promised your mother that youтАЩd be quiet tonight. How can you get over
your cold if you bounce around making so much noise?тАЭ
DubbyтАЩs fever-bright eyes peered from behind his tented knees where he was holding a tin-truck which he
hammered with a toy guitar.
тАЬI am quiet, June. ItтАЩs the truck that made the noise. See?тАЭ And he banged on it again. The guitar splintered
explosively and Dubby blinked in surprise. He was wavering between tears at the destruction and pleased laughter for
the awful noise it made. Before he could decide, he began to cough, a deep-chested pounding cough that shook his
small body unmercifully.
тАЬThatтАЩs just about enough out of you, Dubby,тАЭ said June firmly, clearing the couch of toys and twitching the
covers straight with a practiced hand. тАЬYou have to go to your room in just fifteen minutes anyway тАУ or right now if
you donтАЩt settle down. Your mother will be calling at seven to see if youтАЩre okay. I donтАЩt want to have to tell her
youтАЩre worse because you wouldnтАЩt be good. Now read your book and keep quiet. IтАЩve got work to do.тАЭ
There was a brief silence broken by DubbyтАЩs sniffling and JuneтАЩs scurrying pencil. Then Dubby began to chant:

тАШShrimp boatses running a dancer tonight
Shrimp boatses running a dancer tonight
Shrimp boatses running a dancer tonight
SHRIMP BOATses RUNning a DANcer tonight тАУтАЩ

тАЬDub-by!тАЭ called June, frowning over her paper at him.
тАЬThatтАЩs not noise,тАЭ protested Dubby. тАЬItтАЩs singing. Shrimp boatses тАУтАЭ The cough caught him in mid-phrase and
June busied herself providing Kleenexes and comfort until the spasm spent itself.
тАЬSee?тАЭ she said. тАЬYour cough thinks itтАЩs a noise.тАЭ
тАЬWell, what can I do then?тАЭ fretted Dubby, bored by four days in bed and worn out by the racking cough that still
shook him. тАЬI canтАЩt sing and I canтАЩt play. I want something to do.тАЭ
тАЬWell,тАЭ June searched the fertile pigeonholes of her babysitterтАЩs repertoire and came up with an idea that Dubby
had once originated himself and dearly loved.
тАЬWhy not play-like? Play-like a zoo. I think a green giraffe with a mop of a tail and roller skates for feet would be
nice, donтАЩt you?тАЭ
Dubby considered the suggestion solemnly. тАЬIf he had egg beaters for ears,тАЭ he said, overly conscious as always
of ears, because of the trouble he so often had with his own.
тАЬOf course he does,тАЭ said June. тАЬNow you play-like one.тАЭ
тАЬMineтАЩs a lion,тАЭ said Dubby, after mock consideration. тАЬOnly he has a flag for a tail тАУ a pirate flag тАУ and he wears
yellow pyjamas and airplane wings sticking out of his back and his ears turn like propellers.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs a good one,тАЭ applauded June. тАЬNow mine is an eagle with rainbow wings and roses growing around his
neck. And the only thing he ever eats is the song of birds, but the birds are scared of him and so heтАЩs hungry nearly
all the time тАУ pore olтАЩ iggle!тАЭ
Dubby giggled. тАЬPlay-like some more,тАЭ he said, settling back against the pillows.
тАЬNo, itтАЩs your turn. Why donтАЩt you play-like by yourself now? IтАЩve just got to get my geometry done.тАЭ
DubbyтАЩs face shadowed and then he grinned. тАЬOkay.тАЭ