is my wife; and you know what wives are like.’

Suleiman-bin-Daoud smiled in his beard and said, ‘Yes, I know, little brother.’

‘One must keep them in order somehow,’ said the Butterfly, ‘and she has been quarrelling with me all the morning. I said that to quiet her.’

And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said (и Сулейман-ибн-Дауд сказал), ‘May it quiet her (пусть это угомонит ее). Go back to your wife, little brother (возвращайся к своей жене, маленький братец), and let me hear what you say (и позволь мне услышать, что ты скажешь).’

Back flew the Butterfly to his wife (Мотылек полетел обратно к своей жене), who was all of a twitter behind a leaf, and she said (которая вся трепетала за листом, и она сказала), ‘He heard you (он услышал тебя)! Suleiman-bin-Daoud himself heard you (сам Сулейман-ибн-Дауд услышал тебя)!’

‘Heard me (услышал меня)!’ said the Butterfly (сказал Мотылек). ‘Of course he did (конечно, он услышал). I meant him to hear me (я и предполагал, что он услышит меня).’

‘And what did he say (и что он сказал)? Oh, what did he say (ах, что он сказал)?’

twitter ['twItq], leaf [lJf], meant [ment]

And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said, ‘May it quiet her. Go back to your wife, little brother, and let me hear what you say.’

Back flew the Butterfly to his wife, who was all of a twitter behind a leaf, and she said, ‘He heard you! Suleiman-bin-Daoud himself heard you!’

‘Heard me!’ said the Butterfly. ‘Of course he did. I meant him to hear me.’

‘And what did he say? Oh, what did he say?’

‘Well,’ said the Butterfly (ну, — сказал Мотылек), fanning himself most importantly (обмахиваясь очень важно = с очень важным видом), ‘between you and me, my dear (между нами говоря, моя дорогая) — of course I don’t blame him (конечно, я не виню его), because his Palace must have cost a great deal and the oranges are just ripening (потому что его Дворец, наверное, обошелся в круглую сумму: «очень много», и апельсины как раз созревают), — he asked me not to stamp (он попросил меня не топать), and I promised I wouldn’t (и я пообещал, что не буду).’

Gracious (Батюшки)!’ said his wife, and sat quite quiet (сказала его жена и сидела очень тихо; to sit — сидеть); but Suleiman-bin-Daoud laughed till the tears ran down his face at the impudence of the bad little Butterfly (а Сулейман-ибн-Дауд засмеялся /и смеялся/, пока слезы не побежали по его лицу, над наглостью жалкого маленького Мотылька).

deal [dJl], orange ['OrInG], impudence ['Impjudqns]

‘Well,’ said the Butterfly, fanning himself most importantly, ‘between you and me, my dear — of course I don’t blame him, because his Palace must have cost a great deal and the oranges are just ripening, — he asked me not to stamp, and I promised I wouldn’t.’

Gracious!’ said his wife, and sat quite quiet; but Suleiman-bin-Daoud laughed till the tears ran down his face at the impudence of the bad little Butterfly.

Balkis the Most Beautiful stood up behind the tree among the red lilies and smiled to herself (Прекраснейшая Балкис встала за деревом среди красных лилий и улыбнулась про себя), for she had heard all this talk (ибо она слышала всю эту беседу). She thought (она подумала), ‘If I am wise I can yet save my Lord from the persecutions of these quarrelsome Queens (если я мудра, я еще смогу спасти моего Повелителя от приставаний этих сварливых Цариц),’ and she held out her finger and whispered softly to the Butterfly’s Wife (и она выставила /свой/ палец и прошептала тихо Жене Мотылька), ‘Little woman, come here (маленькая женщина, иди сюда).’ Up flew the Butterfly’s Wife, very frightened (Жена Мотылька, очень испуганная, взлетела), and clung to Balkis’s white hand (и прицепилась к белой кисти Балкис).