Никоненко Тамара Петрівна

to fetch— сходити за кимось, принести

plodding – повільний і важкий

prank— витівка

to look on — дивитися як на, вважати за

whereabouts— приблизне місцезнаходження

to urge— примушувати, поганяти

to wander — мандрувати, блукати

errand— доручення

torment— джерело тортувань

to hang about  – розм. блукати навколо, тинятися

Mrs Tilley— мисіс Тіллі

Sylvia — Сильвія

   The woods were already filled with shadows one June evening, just before 8 o’clock. A little girl had gone to fetch her cow from the field and was driving her home. The cow was a slow plodding creature, annoying in her behaviour, but a valued companion for all that. They were going away from the western light, and deep into the forest, but their feet were familiar with the path, and it didn’t matter if their eyes could see it or not.

   There was hardly a night the whole summer through when the old cow could be found waiting at the field gate; on the contrary, it was her greatest pleasure to hide herself away in the tall bushes, and though she wore a cow bell, she had made the discovery that if she stood perfectly still it would not ring. So Sylvia had to hunt for her until she found her, and call “Co’! Co’!” with never an answering “moo” until her childish patience was quite spent. If the creature had not given good milk and plenty of it, the own­ers would have thought very differently about things. Besides, Sylvia had all the time there was, and very little use to make of it. Sometimes in pleasant weather she looked on the cow’s pranks as an intelligent attempt to play hide and seek and, as the child had no friends, she put a great deal of ef­fort into these games.

   Tonight was no exception. Throughout the long chase the cow had given no sign of her whereabouts. Yet Sylvia had only laughed when she came upon the cow, and urged her affectionately homeward with a twig of birch leaves. The old cow didn’t want to wander further, she even turned in the right di­rection at once. She was almost ready to be milked now and seldom stopped. Sylvia wondered what her grandmother would say because they were so late. It was a long time since she had left home at half past five, but everyone knew the difficulty of making this errand a short one. Mrs Tilley had chased the horned torment too many summer evenings to blame anyone else for taking a long time, and was only thankful she now had Sylvia to help her. The good woman suspected that Sylvia hung around; there never was such a child for wandering out of doors. Everybody said it was a good change for the girl who had tried to grow for eight years in a crowded manufacturing town, but for Sylvia herself, it seemed as if she had never been alive at all before she came to live at the farm.