"The Book of Lies" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kristof Agota)

The Cobbler

The cobbler lives and works in the basement of a house near the station. The room is enormous. In one corner is his bed, in another his kitchen. His workshop faces the window, which is at ground level. The cobbler is sitting on a low stool surrounded by shoes and tools. He looks at us over his spectacles; he looks at our cracked patent-leather shoes.

We say:

"Good morning, sir. We would like warm, waterproof rubber boots. Do you sell them? We have money."

He says:

"Yes, I sell them. But the lined ones, the warm ones, are very expensive."

We say:

"We absolutely need them. Our feet are cold."

We put what money we have on the low table.

The cobbler says:

"It's just enough for one pair. But one pair should do you. You're the same size. You can take turns going out."

"That isn't possible. One of us never goes out without the other. We go everywhere together."

"Ask your parents for more money, then."

"We have no parents. We live with our Grandmother, whom they call the Witch. She won't give us any money."

The cobbler says:

"The Witch is your grandmother? Poor kids! And you've come from her house all the way here in those shoes!"

"Yes, we have. We can't get through the winter without boots. We have to go into the forest to find wood; we have to clear the snow. We absolutely need…"

"Two pairs of warm, waterproof boots."

The cobbler laughs and hands us two pairs of boots:

"Try them on."

We try them on; they fit us very well.

We say:

"We'll keep them. We'll pay you for the second pair in the spring when we'll be selling fish and eggs. Or if you prefer, we'll bring you wood."

The cobbler hands us back our money:

"Here, take it. I don't want your money. Buy yourselves some good socks with it. I'll give you the boots because you absolutely need them."

We say:

"We don't like to accept presents."

"And why not?"

"Because we don't like to say thank you."

"Nobody's making you say anything. Be off with you. No.

Wait a moment! Take these slippers and these sandals for the summer and these shoes too. They're very strong. Take whatever you like."

"But why are you giving us all this?"

"I don't need them anymore. I'll be going away soon."

We ask:

"Where are you going?"

"Who knows? They'll take me away and kill me."

We ask:

"Who wants to kill you, and why?"

He says:

"Don't ask questions. Leave now."

We pick up the shoes, the slippers, and the sandals. We have the boots on our feet. We stop at the door and say:

"We hope they won't take you away. Or if they do take you away, we hope they won't kill you. Goodbye, sir, and thank you, thank you very much."

When we get back, Grandmother asks:

"Where did you steal all that, you punks?"

"We didn't steal anything. It's a present. Not everybody is as stingy as you, Grandmother."