Page 95 - СКАЗКИ СНЕЖНОГО ЭЛЬФА

iar. I just wanted to bring my mum a coned branch,’ Snowyflake
whispered and closed her eyes.
The squirrel chattered again and the old man cried,’ Oh, girl,
dear, that’s too bad, let me hide you in my pocket.’
The old man seized the girl and put her in the pocket of his
fur coat. Snowyflake was about to say she wouldn’t fit in the
pocket, but in there she found it comfortable and not tight at all.
And, above all, warm. Right there, in the corner, two little birds
were squeaking and a very thin little squirreling settled itself,
crackling. Snowyflake, not seeming surprised at this, comfort-
ably stretched out her legs, relaxing, and dozed off.
Unaware of the time, she thought some little while must
have passed before the old man’s deep voice said, ‘I say, get out,
you, naughty ones.’
The birds twittered cheerfully and flattered up out of the
pocket, the squirreling followed them. Snowyflake alone re-
mained inside, unable to act. The old man cautiously took the
girl out of his vast pocket and set her down in a big armchair,
moving it up to a huge fireplace with a nice warm fire, crackling
in the grate. Snowyflake looked round the room, amazed. The
room had a high ceiling and splinters of light darted on it here
and there; the transparent walls covered with lacelike hoar-
frost looked quaint and ornamental.
Dancing on the mantelpiece were various birds, squirrels
and martens. Roes, foxes and hares were walking on the floor,
peacefully looking at one another. Snowyflake shook free of
her mittens, reached out her hands to the fire and cried out
– her fingers seemed made of ice, so white and lifeless they
looked.

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