登陆注册
5220400000051

第51章

'Ha,ha!'cried the woman,who had hitherto sat knitting,at the farther end of the tent,without saying a word,though not inattentive to our conversation,as I could perceive by certain glances which she occasionally cast upon us both.'Ha,ha!'she screamed,fixing upon me two eyes,which shone like burning coals,and which were filled with an expression both of scorn and malignity,'It is wonderful,is it,that we should have a language of our own?What,you grudge the poor people the speech they talk among themselves?That's just like you gorgios;you would have everybody stupid,single-tongued idiots,like yourselves.We are taken before the Poknees of the gav,myself and sister,to give an account of ourselves.So I says to my sister's little boy,speaking Rommany,I says to the little boy who is with us,Run to my son Jasper,and the rest,and tell them to be off,there are hawks abroad.So the Poknees questions us,and lets us go,not being able to make anything of us;but,as we are going,he calls us back."Good woman,"says the Poknees,"what was that I heard you say just now to the little boy?""I was telling him,your worship,to go and see the time of day,and to save trouble,I said it in our language.""Where did you get that language?"says the Poknees."'Tis our own language,sir,"I tells him,"we did not steal it.""Shall I tell you what it is,my good woman?"says the Poknees."I would thank you,sir,"says I,"for 'tis often we are asked about it.""Well,then,"says the Poknees,"it is no language at all,merely a made-up gibberish.""Oh,bless your wisdom,"says I,with a curtsey,"you can tell us what our language is,without understanding it!"Another time we meet a parson.

"Good woman,"says he,"what's that you are talking?Is it broken language?""Of course,your reverence,"says I,"we are broken people;give a shilling,your reverence,to the poor broken woman."Oh,these gorgios!they grudge us our very language!'

'She called you her son,Jasper?'

'I am her son,brother.'

'I thought you said your parents were-'

'Bitchadey pawdel;you thought right,brother.This is my wife's mother.'

'Then you are married,Jasper?'

'Ay,truly;I am husband and father.You will see wife and chabo anon.'

'Where are they now?'

'In the gav,penning dukkerin.'

'We were talking of language,Jasper?'

'True,brother.'

'Yours must be a rum one?'

''Tis called Rommany.'

'I would gladly know it.'

'You need it sorely.'

'Would you teach it me?'

'None sooner.'

'Suppose we begin now?'

'Suppose we do,brother.'

'Not whilst I am here,'said the woman,flinging her knitting down,and starting upon her feet;'not whilst I am here shall this gorgio learn Rommany.A pretty manoeuvre,truly;and what would be the end of it?I goes to the farming ker with my sister,to tell a fortune,and earn a few sixpences for the chabes.I sees a jolly pig in the yard,and I says to my sister,speaking Rommany,"Do so and so,"says I;which the farming man hearing,asks what we are talking about."Nothing at all,master,"says I;"something about the weather";when who should start up from behind a pale,where he has been listening,but this ugly gorgio,crying out,"They are after poisoning your pigs,neighbour!"so that we are glad to run,I and my sister,with perhaps the farm-engro shouting after us.

Says my sister to me,when we have got fairly off,"How came that ugly one to know what you said to me?"Whereupon I answers,"It all comes of my son Jasper,who brings the gorgio to our fire,and must needs be teaching him.""Who was fool there?"says my sister.

"Who,indeed,but my son Jasper,"I answers.And here should I be a greater fool to sit still and suffer it;which I will not do.I do not like the look of him;he looks over-gorgeous.An ill day to the Romans when he masters Rommany;and,when I says that,I pens a true dukkerin.'

'What do you call God,Jasper?'

'You had better be jawing,'said the woman,raising her voice to a terrible scream;'you had better be moving off,my gorgio;hang you for a keen one,sitting there by the fire,and stealing my language before my face.Do you know whom you have to deal with?Do you know that I am dangerous?My name is Herne,and I comes of the hairy ones!'

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 我是崇祯帝

    我是崇祯帝

    穿越成了明末崇祯皇帝!(无系统,无金手指。)到处是饥民,天灾,后金,流寇,皇帝还非常的穷,明末地狱的难度啊!(崇祯帝):朕既然受命于天,天降朕于大明,朕一定要做一位圣明的天子,爱百姓,爱大臣,爱国家,简称三爱。(众大臣):呸,这皇帝脸厚心黑,还忒不要脸。(众富豪):俺们赶快捂紧钱袋子,装穷的走起!(众宦官):皇帝陛下?呵呵,一言难尽。……(崇祯帝):江河所至,皆为汉土;朕思之所极,也皆是我大明的国土,朕乃世界大皇帝!(众大臣):臣等一脸懵逼,陛下您咋不上天啊?
  • 权谋论:再嫁为后

    权谋论:再嫁为后

    她只愿,今生不相欠,来生不相见,无论是谁!她说:你们莫在她的坟前哭,脏了她的轮回路。她不过是一颗不能有风花雪月的棋子,棋子,没有自由身,被人掌控的棋子,那高贵的身份只是假象,她,只是棋子!他明知道,却还是对她动了心。他也知道,却也是动了情。他说:如果你愿意,你不再是棋子。她笑了,笑的沧桑苦涩,已经太迟了,一日是棋子,到死都是棋子。他说:你是我的夫人,就只能是我的夫人,只有这一个身份。她说:你错了,一开始就错了,他们的目标不是你,怪只怪,那件锦衣盖错了人,你也爱错了人!
  • 寻宝档案之擎天棒槌

    寻宝档案之擎天棒槌

    传说在东北长白山的深山之中,也就是满清的龙脉所在之地。有一个巨大的人参,它有真人般大小,长者人身上所有的器官。而且据说可以幻化人形,呼风唤雨,甚至施展圆光幻术。它就是“擎天棒槌”而且它还有一大堆的子子孙孙。可是想见到它,并不容易,一个开人参行的老板洪奎和一个祖传的风水之术的张铁嘴,还有一个背负着灭门之仇的放山人的儿子二憨,三个人走进了东北的深山老林。踏上了寻找擎天棒槌的路。
  • 52栋(连载2)

    52栋(连载2)

    晚上九点。我匆匆来到 52栋。母亲说:“你今天怎么这么高兴啊?还哼着歌。”我一愣:“有吗?”才发现自己一直哼着容中尔甲的《神奇的九寨》呢。我哈哈一笑:“我想了很多年的一个文化工程终于开工了,能不高兴吗?”母亲说:“自从你当了这个城管局长后,脾气不知道坏了多少,整天黑着脸,总是一副刚刚吵完架的样子,像是有人欠你钱不还一样。今天这个事到底是什么好事啊,能让你高兴成这样?”
  • 修罗神帝

    修罗神帝

    九天世界,位面崛起,万族林立。一位来自低等位面的修罗之子,无意中觉醒了血脉中的逆天神纹,一步步踏上了精彩绝伦的九天世界。强者之路,谁主沉浮?历经劫难,与天齐高。踏上云端,扶摇直上九万里!我就是武,执掌轮回!我就是天,主宰世界!
  • 最强寰宇主神

    最强寰宇主神

    (推荐新书:《大虫子的万界吞噬系统》)最强系统择主,至此从地球开始,一步步登临巅峰,碾压全宇宙!弹指挥臂间,银河支离破碎!举手投足间,寰宇雷霆万钧!我是一个崛起于微末的人,也是一尊亦正亦邪的神。___欢迎加入粉丝群,企鹅群号:827183920
  • 我的文学地图

    我的文学地图

    黑马,作家、翻译家、D.H.劳伦斯研究学者。他亲身走遍几乎所有与劳伦斯相关的地方,寻找这些地方与作品的关系。他更以这种方式游走于世界各地,感受这个世界的真质,用心灵的脚步丈量出一幅属于他的文学地图。
  • 泰州学派研究(阳明学研究丛书)

    泰州学派研究(阳明学研究丛书)

    在16世纪中国思想史上,阳明后学的“泰州学派”产生了广泛的思想影响。我们发现泰州学派的思想特征有浓厚的社会取向、政治取向以及宗教取向;其思想立场大多有取于阳明心学的“现成良知”说,同时又有“回归孔孟”的思想诉求。他们的思想言行既是阳明心学的产物,同时又极大地推动了阳明心学运动向下层社会的迅速渗透以及儒学世俗化的整体进程。
  • 淮阳集

    淮阳集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 居士传

    居士传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。