The Brothers Karamazov

(coco) #1
 The Brothers Karamazov

The little pig says — umph! umph! umph!
The little calf says — moo, moo, moo,
The little duck says — quack, quack, quack,
The little goose says — ga, ga, ga.
The hen goes strutting through the porch;
Troo-roo-roo-roo-roo, she’ll say,
Troo-roo-roo-roo-roo, she’ll say!
‘Give him something, Mitya,’ said Grushenka. ‘Give him
a present, he’s poor, you know. Ah, the poor, the insulted!...
Do you know, Mitya, I shall go into a nunnery. No, I really
shall one day. Alyosha said something to me to-day that I
shall remember all my life.... Yes.... But to-day let us dance.
To-morrow to the nunnery, but to-day we’ll dance. I want to
play to-day, good people, and what of it? God will forgive us.
If I were God, I’d forgive everyone: ‘My dear sinners, from
this day forth I forgive you.’ I’m going to beg forgiveness:
‘Forgive me, good people, a silly wench.’ I’m a beast, that’s
what I am. But I want to pray. I gave a little onion. Wicked
as I’ve been, I want to pray. Mitya, let them dance, don’t
stop them. Everyone in the world is good. Everyone — even
the worst of them. The world’s a nice place. Though we’re
bad the world’s all right. We’re good and bad, good and
bad.... Come, tell me, I’ve something to ask you: come here
everyone, and I’ll ask you: Why am I so good? You know I
am good. I’m very good.... Come, why am I so good?’
So Grushenka babbled on, getting more and more drunk.
At last she announced that she was going to dance, too. She
got up from her chair, staggering. ‘Mitya, don’t give me any
more wine — if I ask you, don’t give it to me. Wine doesn’t

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