"J.R.R. Tolkien - Farmer Giles of Ham" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tolkien J.R.R)

'You have concealed your honourable name and pretended that
our meeting was by chance; yet you are plainly a knight of high
lineage. It used, sir, to be the custom of knights to issue a
challenge in such cases, after a proper exchange of titles and
credentials:

`Maybe it used, and maybe it still is,' said Giles, beginning to feel
pleased with himself. A man who has a large and imperial dragon
grovelling before him may be excused if he feels somewhat
uplifted. `But you are making more mistakes than one, old worm. I
am no knight. I am Farmer Aegidius of Ham, I am; and I can't
abide trespassers. I've
shot giants with my blunderbuss before now, for doing less
damage than you have. And I issued no challenge neither.'
The dragon was disturbed. `Curse that giant for a liar'
he thought. `I have been sadly misled. And now what on
earth does one do with a bold farmer and a sword so bright
and aggressive?' He could recall no precedent for such a
situation. `Chrysophylax is my name,' said he, `Chryso-
phylax the Rich. What can I . do for your honour?' he
added ingratiatingly, with one eye on the sword, and hop-
ing to escape battle.
`You can take yourself off, you horny old varmint,' said
Giles, also hoping to escape battle. `I only want to be shut
of you. Go right away from here, and get back to your own
dirty, den I' He stepped towards Chrysophylax, waving his
arms as if he was scaring crows.
That was quite enough for Tailbiter. It circled flashing
in the air; then down it came, smiting the dragon on the
joint of the right wing, a ringing blow that shocked him
exceedingly. Of course Giles knew very little about the
right methods of killing a dragon. or the sword might have
landed in a tenderer spot; but Tailbiter did the best it
could in inexperienced hands. It was quite enough for
Chrysophylax - he could not use his wing for days. Up he
got and turned to fly, and found that he could not. The
farmer sprang on the mare's back. The dragon began to
run. So did the mare. The dragon galloped over a field
puffing and blowing. So did the mare. The farmer bawled
and shouted, as if he was watching a horse race; and all
the while he waved Tailbiter. The faster the dragon ran
the more bewildered he became; and all the while the
grey mare put her best leg foremost and kept close
behind him.

On they pounded down the lanes, and through the gaps
in the fences, over many fields and across many brooks:
The dragon was smoking and bellowing and losing all
sense of direction. At last they came suddenly to the bridge
of Ham, thundered over it, and came roaring down the