Добавлено: Mon May 09, 2005 7:58 pm Заголовок сообщения:
Как лошадиный баршник втюхивал простакам лошадей, которые издыхали еще по дороге домой.
Вообще-то я немного о другом. Нашла один из источников вдохновения Пратчетта и главной героини:
Sweet Polly Oliver
As pretty Polly Oliver
Sat musing, 'tis said,
A comical fancy
Came into her head;
Nor father nor mother
Shall make me false prove,
I'll list for a soldier
And follow my love.
So in soldier's attire
To the wars she went out,
And bore a brave part
In both raid and in rout;
In the battle she found him
Slightly wounded and low
On the ground where he lay
With his face to the foe.
Now Polly he knew
In a moment's quick glance,
And he cried, Why my dear,
Sure I've met you in France;
But the lass she said, nay,
He was surely mistook,
But her words were belied
By the love in her look.
The sergeant sent for
The parson to come,
And couple the lovers
Who'd follow'd the drum;
And Polly, restored to
Her womanly state,
Found all she had sought
In a home and a mate.
Это с сайта
http://www.contemplator.com/england/pollyolv.html. Там еще много военных баллад, которые Полли слышала в своем трактире. Жаль, что нет песни про ангелочков, которые поднимаются все выше и выше...