Самые лучшие английские легенды / The Best English Legends

Remember there is only one wish in the ring. It is very easy to make a mistake. And if we make a mistake, we shall be so unhappy. We shall never forgive ourselves. No, no! We must keep our wishing ring. It has already brought us good fortune. We must not use it yet. Be reasonable, my dear. Cheer up and try to choose the best wish.”

What the farmer said was true. The ring really brought them good fortune. But they both still worked hard all day. And in the evening the farmer usually sat on the steps, smoked his pipe and talked with his neighbours.

The years went by, their children grew up, but the farmer still kept his wish. Sometimes his wife spoke to him about it, but he always answered,

“No, no, my dear. We have still a lot of time. We must not use our wishing ring yet.”

At last she saw that she couldn’t make him use the ring and gave up speaking about it.[15 - and gave up speaking about it – и прекратила всякие разговоры о нём] Though the farmer often looked at his ring and even turned it on his finger, he never said a wish.

Thirty, forty years went by. The farmer and his wife grew old, their hair was white as snow.

And so they lived happily on till one day, when they both died together, at the same time. Their children and grand-children stood around them and cried. The youngest son wanted to take the ring from the father’s finger as a remembrance; but the eldest son said,

“No, don’t take the ring. Let our dear Father keep it. He liked it so much.

And Mother also often looked at it. Perhaps she once gave it to Father, when they were young.”

So they left the ring on the finger of the old farmer, who always thought it was a wishing ring, though it was not. And yet the ring had brought him as much happiness as a man could wish. Indeed, a bad thing in good hands is better than a good thing in bad hands.

Binnorie[16 - Binnorie – Биннори]

Once upon a time[17 - once upon a time – однажды; как-то раз] there were two king’s daughters.

They lived in a bower near the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie. And Sir William[18 - Sir William – сэр Уильям] came wooing the eldest and won her love and plighted troth[19 - plighted troth – поклялся в верности] with glove and with ring. But after a time[20 - after a time – спустя некоторое время] he looked upon the youngest, with her cherry cheeks and golden hair, and his love grew towards her till he cared no longer for the eldest one.