Paddington Helps Out. Michael Bond
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Название: Paddington Helps Out
Автор: Michael Bond
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Природа и животные
isbn: 9780007402564
isbn:
“That sounds like it,” said Mrs Bird.
“Herbert!” called the man to a boy who was standing nearby watching the proceedings with an open mouth. “See if we’ve still got that wassname in the shed.
“It might well be an heirloom,” he continued, turning to the Browns. “It looks as if it’s been handed down a lot.”
Everyone waited anxiously while Herbert disappeared into a small hut by the side of the lock. He returned after a few moments carrying a bucket.
“We put it in here,” said the lock-keeper apologetically, “because we’d never seen anything like it before. We were going to send it to the museum.”
Paddington peered into the bucket. “That’s not a wassname,” he exclaimed thankfully. “That’s my hat.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness,” said Mrs Bird, echoing all their thoughts.
“There’s a fish inside it as well,” said the lock-keeper.
“What!” exclaimed Paddington. “A fish? Inside my hat?”
“That’s right,” said the man. “It must have been after your marmalade sandwich. Probably got in through one of the holes.”
“Crikey,” exclaimed Jonathan admiringly, as the Browns gathered round the bucket. “So there is!”
“That means Paddington’s won the prize for catching the first fish,” said Judy. “Congratulations!”
“Well, if it’s some kind of competition,” said the lock-keeper, “I’d better get you a jam-jar to put it in, sir.
“I suppose,” he said, looking rather doubtfully at the hat, “you’ll be wanting to wear it again?”
As Paddington gave him a hard stare he backed away and hurried off in search of a jam-jar. “There you are,” he said when he returned. “With the compliments of the Thames Conservancy.”
“Thank you very much,” said Paddington gratefully, offering the man his paw.
“Not at all,” said the man, as he stood on the side of the lock to wave them goodbye. “It’s a pleasure. After all, it’s not every day we have the opportunity of saving a bear’s heirloom from going over the weir. I shall remember today for a long time to come.”
“And so shall I remember it,” said Mr Brown as he stopped rowing somewhile later and let the boat drift lazily downstream in the current. “It may not have been the quietest day we’ve ever spent on the river, but it’s certainly the nicest.”
And the Brown family, as they lay back in the boat watching the shimmering water and listening to the music from the gramophone, had to agree.
Paddington, as he held on tightly to his hat with one paw while he dipped the other into a jar of his favourite marmalade, agreed most of all. Now that he had got his hat back and everything had been restored to normal he felt it was quite the nicest day he’d had for a long time.
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