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- Джон Стейнбек
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- О мышах и людях
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- Стр. 1/104
About mice and humans
A
few
miles
south
of
Soledad
,
the
Salinas
River
drops
in
close
to
the
hillside
bank
and
runs
deep
and
green
.
The
water
is
warm
too
,
for
it
has
slipped
twinkling
over
the
yellow
sands
in
the
sunlight
before
reaching
the
narrow
pool
.
On
one
side
of
the
river
the
golden
foothill
slopes
curve
up
to
the
strong
and
rocky
Gabilan
Mountains
,
but
on
the
valley
side
the
water
is
lined
with
trees
—
willows
fresh
and
green
with
every
spring
,
carrying
in
their
lower
leaf
junctures
the
debris
of
the
winter
’
s
flooding
;
and
sycamores
with
mottled
,
white
,
recumbent
limbs
and
branches
that
arch
over
the
pool
.
On
the
sandy
bank
under
the
trees
the
leaves
lie
deep
and
so
crisp
that
a
lizard
makes
a
great
skittering
if
he
runs
among
them
.
Rabbits
come
out
of
the
brush
to
sit
on
the
sand
in
the
evening
,
and
the
damp
flats
are
covered
with
the
night
tracks
of
‘
coons
,
and
with
the
spreadpads
of
dogs
from
the
ranches
,
and
with
the
split
-
wedge
tracks
of
deer
that
come
to
drink
in
the
dark
.
There
is
a
path
through
the
willows
and
among
the
sycamores
,
a
path
beaten
hard
by
boys
coming
down
from
the
ranches
to
swim
in
the
deep
pool
,
and
beaten
hard
by
tramps
who
come
wearily
down
from
the
highway
in
the
evening
to
jungle
-
up
near
water
.
In
front
of
the
low
horizontal
limb
of
a
giant
sycamore
there
is
an
ash
pile
made
by
many
fires
;
the
limb
is
worn
smooth
by
men
who
have
sat
on
it
.
Evening
of
a
hot
day
started
the
little
wind
to
moving
among
the
leaves
.
The
shade
climbed
up
the
hills
toward
the
top
.
On
the
sand
banks
the
rabbits
sat
as
quietly
as
little
gray
sculptured
stones
.
And
then
from
the
direction
of
the
state
highway
came
the
sound
of
footsteps
on
crisp
sycamore
leaves
.
The
rabbits
hurried
noiselessly
for
cover
.
A
stilted
heron
labored
up
into
the
air
and
pounded
down
river
.
For
a
moment
the
place
was
lifeless
,
and
then
two
men
emerged
from
the
path
and
came
into
the
opening
by
the
green
pool
.
They
had
walked
in
single
file
down
the
path
,
and
even
in
the
open
one
stayed
behind
the
other
.
Both
were
dressed
in
denim
trousers
and
in
denim
coats
with
brass
buttons
.
Both
wore
black
,
shapeless
hats
and
both
carried
tight
blanket
rolls
slung
over
their
shoulders
.
The
first
man
was
small
and
quick
,
dark
of
face
,
with
restless
eyes
and
sharp
,
strong
features
.
Every
part
of
him
was
defined
:
small
,
strong
hands
,
slender
arms
,
a
thin
and
bony
nose
.
Behind
him
walked
his
opposite
,
a
huge
man
,
shapeless
of
face
,
with
large
,
pale
eyes
,
and
wide
,
sloping
shoulders
;
and
he
walked
heavily
,
dragging
his
feet
a
little
,
the
way
a
bear
drags
his
paws
.
His
arms
did
not
swing
at
his
sides
,
but
hung
loosely
.
The
first
man
stopped
short
in
the
clearing
,
and
the
follower
nearly
ran
over
him
.
He
took
off
his
hat
and
wiped
the
sweat
-
band
with
his
forefinger
and
snapped
the
moisture
off
.
His
huge
companion
dropped
his
blankets
and
flung
himself
down
and
drank
from
the
surface
of
the
green
pool
;
drank
with
long
gulps
,
snorting
into
the
water
like
a
horse
.
The
small
man
stepped
nervously
beside
him
.
«
Lennie
!
»
he
said
sharply
.
«
Lennie
,
for
God
’
sakes
don
’
t
drink
so
much
.
»
Lennie
continued
to
snort
into
the
pool
.
The
small
man
leaned
over
and
shook
him
by
the
shoulder
.
«
Lennie
.
You
gonna
be
sick
like
you
was
last
night
.
»
Lennie
dipped
his
whole
head
under
,
hat
and
all
,
and
then
he
sat
up
on
the
bank
and
his
hat
dripped
down
on
his
blue
coat
and
ran
down
his
back
.
«
That
’
s
good
,
»
he
said
.
«
You
drink
some
,
George
.
You
take
a
good
big
drink
.
»
He
smiled
happily
.
George
unslung
his
bindle
and
dropped
it
gently
on
the
bank
.
«
I
ain
’
t
sure
it
’
s
good
water
,
"
he
said
.
«
Looks
kinda
scummy
.
»
Lennie
dabbled
his
big
paw
in
the
water
and
wiggled
his
fingers
so
the
water
arose
in
little
splashes
;
rings
widened
across
the
pool
to
the
other
side
and
came
back
again
.
Lennie
watched
them
go
.
«
Look
,
George
.
Look
what
I
done
.
»
George
knelt
beside
the
pool
and
drank
from
his
hand
with
quick
scoops
.
«
Tastes
all
right
,
"
he
admitted
.
«
Don
’
t
really
seem
to
be
running
,
though
.
You
never
oughta
drink
water
when
it
ain
’
t
running
,
Lennie
,
"
he
said
hopelessly
.
«
You
’
d
drink
out
of
a
gutter
if
you
was
thirsty
.
»
He
threw
a
scoop
of
water
into
his
face
and
rubbed
it
about
with
his
hand
,
under
his
chin
and
around
the
back
of
his
neck
.
Then
he
replaced
his
hat
,
pushed
himself
back
from
the
river
,
drew
up
his
knees
and
embraced
them
.
Lennie
,
who
had
been
watching
,
imitated
George
exactly
.
He
pushed
himself
back
,
drew
up
his
knees
,
embraced
them
,
looked
over
to
George
to
see
whether
he
had
it
just
right
.
He
pulled
his
hat
down
a
little
more
over
his
eyes
,
the
way
George
’
s
hat
was
.
