Английские волшебные сказки / English Fairy Tales

Nix Nought Nothing took her comb from her hair and threw it down, and out of every one of its prongs there sprung up a fine thick briar in the way of the giant. You may be sure it took him a long time to work his way through the briar bush, and by the time he was well through, Nix Nought Nothing and his sweetheart had run far, far away from him. But he soon came along after them, and was just like to catch ’em up when the giant’s daughter called out to Nix Nought Nothing, ‘Take my hair dagger and throw it down, quick, quick!’ So Nix Nought Nothing threw down the hair dagger and out of it grew as quick as lightning a thick hedge of sharp razors placed criss-cross. The giant had to tread very cautiously to get through all this and meanwhile they both ran hard, and on, and on, and on, till they were nearly out of sight. But at last the giant was through, and it wasn’t long before he was like to catch them up.

But just as he was stretching out his hand (но прямо когда он протягивал свою руку) to catch Nix Nought Nothing (чтобы поймать Ничего-Ничего-Ничего) his daughter took out her magic flask (его дочка вытащила свою волшебную фляжку) and dashed it on the ground (и швырнула ее на землю; to dash – бросить, швырнуть; ударять чем-либо о что-либо). And as it broke (и когда она разбилась; to break – разбить/ся/), out of it welled a big, big wave (наружу из нее хлынула большая-большая волна) that grew, and that grew (которая /все/ росла и росла), till it reached the giant’s waist (пока /не/ достигла пояса великана), and then his neck (а затем его шеи), and when it got to his head (и когда она добралась до его головы), he was drowned dead (он утонул: «был утоплен замертво»; to drown – тонуть; топить), and dead, and dead indeed (окончательно мертв: «и мертвый, и мертвый действительно»).

But Nix Nought Nothing fled on (но Ничего-Ничего-Ничего бежал дальше; to flee – спасаться бегством) till where do you think they came to (пока куда, вы думаете, они /не/ пришли)? Why (как же; why – почему?; /выражает самые разнообразные эмоции в зависимости от контекста: удивление, согласие или несогласие, нетерпение и т. п./), to near the castle of Nix Nought Nothing’s father and mother (близко к замку отца и матери Ничего-Ничего-Ничего). But the giant’s daughter was so weary (но дочка великана была такая усталая) that she couldn’t move a step further (что она не могла двинуться на шаг дальше). So Nix Nought Nothing told her to wait there (сказал ей подождать там) while he went and found out a lodging for the night (пока он ходил и разыскивал жилье на ночь).

ground

[rand], indeed [n’di:d], castle [‘k:sl]