er Pepper's nose. It was indeed a certificate written in an illegible medical hand. Pepper could only make out one word «antabus.» «I've got last year's and the year before that as well, only they're in the safe.»
Driver Acey didn't look at the paper. He drained a full glass of yogurt, sniffed the joint of his index finger, and asked in a tearful voice:
«Well, what else is there in the forest? Trees.» He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. «But they don't stand still: jump. Got it?»
«Well?» asked Pepper eagerly, «what was that– jump?»
«Like this. It stands still. A tree, right? Then it starts hunching and bending, then whoosh! There's a noise, crashing, I don't know what all. Ten yards. Smashed my cab. There it is standing again.» «Why?» asked Pepper.
« 'Cos it's called a jumping tree,» explained Acey pouring himself more yogurt.
«Yesterday, a consignment of new electric saws arrived,» announced Hausbotcher, licking his lips. «Phenomenal productivity. I would go so far as to say that they weren't electrosaws but saw-combines. Our saw-combines of eradication.»
All around they were drinking yogurt out of cut glasses, tin mugs, little coffee cups, paper cones, straight out of the bottle. Everybody's legs were stuck , under their chairs. And everyone probably could show his certificate of liver, stomach, small intestine trouble. For this year and for the last several.
«Then the manager calls me in,» Acey went on, raising his voice, «and he asks why my cab's stove in. 'Again,' he says, 'sod, giving people lifts?' Now you, Mr. Pepper, play chess with him, you might put in a little word for me. He respects you, he often talks of you, 'Pepper,' he says, 'he's a character! I won't give a vehicle for Pepper and don't ask. We can't let
Driver Acey didn't look at the paper. He drained a full glass of yogurt, sniffed the joint of his index finger, and asked in a tearful voice:
«Well, what else is there in the forest? Trees.» He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. «But they don't stand still: jump. Got it?»
«Well?» asked Pepper eagerly, «what was that– jump?»
«Like this. It stands still. A tree, right? Then it starts hunching and bending, then whoosh! There's a noise, crashing, I don't know what all. Ten yards. Smashed my cab. There it is standing again.» «Why?» asked Pepper.
« 'Cos it's called a jumping tree,» explained Acey pouring himself more yogurt.
«Yesterday, a consignment of new electric saws arrived,» announced Hausbotcher, licking his lips. «Phenomenal productivity. I would go so far as to say that they weren't electrosaws but saw-combines. Our saw-combines of eradication.»
All around they were drinking yogurt out of cut glasses, tin mugs, little coffee cups, paper cones, straight out of the bottle. Everybody's legs were stuck , under their chairs. And everyone probably could show his certificate of liver, stomach, small intestine trouble. For this year and for the last several.
«Then the manager calls me in,» Acey went on, raising his voice, «and he asks why my cab's stove in. 'Again,' he says, 'sod, giving people lifts?' Now you, Mr. Pepper, play chess with him, you might put in a little word for me. He respects you, he often talks of you, 'Pepper,' he says, 'he's a character! I won't give a vehicle for Pepper and don't ask. We can't let
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