Маленькие мужчины / Little men. Уровень 4

“Why, that’s my name!” cried Nat, looking both surprised and interested.

“Yes; I have a page for each boy. I keep a little account of how he gets on through the week, and Sunday night I show him the record. If it is bad I am sorry and disappointed, if it is good I am glad and proud; but, whichever it is, the boys know I want to help them, and they try to do their best for love of me and Father Bhaer. I don’t show my records to any but the one to whom each belongs. I call this my conscience book[6 - conscience book – книга совести]; and only you and I will ever know what is written on the page below your name.

Whether you will be pleased or ashamed to read it next Sunday depends on yourself. I think it will be a good report. I hope you will be quite contented if you keep our few rules, live happily with the boys, and learn something.”

“I’ll try ma’am,” said Nat.

“I really don’t know which I like best, writing or boys,” she said, laughing. “Yes, I know many people think boys are a nuisance, but that is because they don’t understand them.

”

Nat, who had never heard anything like this before, really did not know whether Mother Bhaer was a trifle crazy, or the most delightful woman he had ever met.

“Now, I think you will go into the school-room and practise some of the hymns we will sing tonight,” she said.

When the church-goers came back and dinner was over, every one read, wrote letters home, or talked quietly to one another, sitting here and there about the house.

At three o’clock the entire family went to walk. Nat was not strong enough for the long walk, and asked to stay at home with Tommy, who kindly offered to show him Plumfield.

“You’ve seen the house, so come out and have a look at the garden, and the barn, and the menagerie,” said Tommy.

“What is your menagerie?” asked Nat, as they trotted along the road that encircled the house.

“We all have pets, you see, and we keep them in the corn-barn, and call it the menagerie.

Here you are. Isn’t my guinea-pig[7 - guinea-pig – морская свинка] a beauty?” and Tommy proudly presented one of the ugliest animal that Nat ever saw.

“Those white mice are Rob’s, Franz gave them to him. The rabbits are Ned’s, and the bantams outside are Stuffy’s. That box is Demi’s turtle-tank.”

“What is in this box?” asked Nat, stopping before a large deep one, half-full of earth.