Irish Tales / Ирландские сказки. Книга для чтения на английском языке

�Easy, boys!’ says Jack. �Walk on your tippy toes[29 - Walk on your tippy toes – (устар.) Ведите себя тихо (ходите на цыпочках)] till we see what sort of people we have to deal with.’

So they crept near the window, and there they saw six robbers inside, with pistols, and blunderbushes, and cutlashes, sitting at a table, eating roast beef and pork, and drinking mulled beer, and wine, and whiskey punch.

�Wasn’t that a fine haul we made at the Lord of Dunlavin’s!’ says one ugly-looking thief with his mouth full.

�And it’s little we’d get only for the honest porter! Here’s his purty health!’

�The porter’s purty health!’ cried out every one of them, and Jack bent his finger at his comrades.

�Close your ranks, my men,’ says he in a whisper, �and let everyone mind the word of command.’

So the ass put his fore-hoofs on the sill of the window, the dog got on the ass’s head, the cat on the dog’s head, and the cock on the cat’s head.

Then Jack made a sign, and they all sung out like mad.

�Hee-haw, hee-haw!’ roared the ass; �Bow-wow!’ barked die dog; �Meaw-meaw!’ cried the cat; �Cockadoodle-doo!’ crowed the cock.

�Level your pistols!’ cried Jack, �and make smithereens of ’em. Don’t leave a mother’s son of ’em alive; present, fire!’

With that they gave another halloo, and smashed every pane in the window. The robbers were frightened out of their lives[30 - were frightened out of their lives – (разг.

) были до смерти напуганы]. They blew out the candles, threw down the table, and skelped out at the back door as if they were in earnest, and never drew rein till they were in the very heart of the wood. Jack and his party got into the room, closed the shutters, lighted the candles, and ate and drank till hunger and thirst were gone.

Then they lay down to rest – Jack in the bed, the ass in the stable, the dog on the doormat, the cat by the fire, and the cock on the perch.

At first the robbers were very glad to find themselves safe in the thick wood, but they soon began to get vexed.

�This damp grass is very different from our warm room,’ says one.

�I was obliged to drop a fine pig’s foot,’ says another.

�I didn’t get a tayspoonful of my last tumbler,’ says another.

�And all the Lord of Dunlavin’s gold and silver that we left behind!’ says the last.