"Yuri Olesha. The three fat men (англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

a green tophat. His cheeks were painted a bright red.
"Shhh!" he hissed, as if he were talking German. "Shhh! This is the
show you've always wanted to see!"
There was a little less noise after that.
"This is such a special day, that we've invited Lapitup the Strong Man
to perform for you!"
"Ta-ti-tu!" the bugles blew.
Rattles were spun around to sound like applause.
''Lapitup the Strong Man will now show you what his amazing muscles can
do."
The band began to play. The curtain parted. Lapitup the Strong Man came
forward. A huge man in pink tights, he really did look strong.
He huffed and puffed and he held his head low like a bull. His muscles
moved up and down under his tights. They looked like rabbits that had been
swallowed by a boa-constrictor.
Stagehands brought in the weights and dropped them on the stage, nearly
breaking the floor boards. A cloud of dust rose from the spot. A murmur went
through the crowd.
The strong man began to do his tricks. He picked up a weight in each
hand, tossed them into the air like rubber balls, caught them, and then
clapped them together, making sparks fly.


"Look!" he said. "This is how the Three Fat Men will crack the skulls
of Prospero the Gunsmith and Tibul the Acrobat."
The strong man had also been bought by the gold of the Three Fat Men.
"Ha-ha-ha!" he laughed at his own joke.
He knew that no one would dare throw an oat-cake at him, for everyone
could see how strong he was.
In the silence that fell on the crowd the Negro's voice sounded very
clearly. Every head turned his way.
"What did you say?" the Negro asked, placing his foot on the bottom
step.
"I said that's how the Three Fat Men will crack the skulls of Prospero
the Gunsmith and Tibul the Acrobat."
"Keep your mouth shut!"
The Negro spoke calmly, sternly, and quietly.
"Who do you think you are, you black thing, you?" the strong man said
angrily.
He dropped the weights and put his hands on his hips.
The Negro climbed on to the stage.
"You are very strong and no less mean. Why don't you tell us who you
are? Who gave you the right to insult the people? I know you. You're a
blacksmith's son. Your father is an honest man. Your sister's name is Ellie.
She's a laundress. She washes the rich people's clothes. Perhaps she was
shot by the Guards yesterday. And you ... you're a traitor!"
The strong man backed away in amazement. The Negro was really telling
the truth. Lapitup couldn't understand how he had found all this out.
"Get out of here!" the Negro shouted.
The strong man came to his senses. His face turned purple with anger.