Fairy - tale

ABOUT HAPPY A.T. CONTROLLER AND UNHAPPY TOAD

Once upon a time there lived an air traffic controller. He had a beautiful wife, but god gave them no children. But in any case, they have trodden on (11) (he thought so...). It is very difficult in present time to work as an A.T. controller, you should be busy as a bee (2), but nobody says any good word on the job. Head chiefs are busy with their business, you might as well talk to a brick wall (18). Though they were rolling in money (21), but either he or she wanted something more from this life. His job he knew like the palm of his hand (22), but one day he led together two very big airplanes at the minimum save interval. At that time his heart sank into his boot (13). His authorities flew off the handle (1) and decided to get rid of this controller, though they didn’t fit to hold a candle (7) him as specialist. Terrible danger threatened him: cavils, corrections and wrong orders; in general they twisted him round his little finger (17). Moreover, at home his wife badgered him very much. She invented he earned not enough money. However, she sat on the phone (3) all days, she could not cook fried eggs at all, and the restaurant food got him already down for a long time. Sometimes he can home, tired, exhausted, hungry as a hunter (14), but she was vanished into thin air (15) for shopping...
But before she was better. He found her on the swamp, she worked there as a toad, he warmed her up a bit, showed much kindness, and when, at last he kissed her she turned into a wonderful girl. Moreover, they became as a husband and a wife, as thick as thieves (23). But last time she became entirely uncertain, and she wanted her husband would go to the end of the earth to get the best (20) and the most expensive things. It’s not quite enough the salary of any controller! One morning she started to suggest a terrible thing to our hero, it seemed she got out of bed on the wrong side (16).
«Listen to me darling, — she said, — you see, our happiness is still all up in the air (19). You still could not conquer my heart at all. That’s why we have to turn over one business, and them we’ll leave this terrible country for my lovely Holland and then we’ll be happy and rich. That’s the heart of the matter... (9) you have to crash in the air two biggest airplanes, two «iron birds». And I’ll remember my magic youth, convert into a fox, and run to the place of falling airplanes, gather all, money and jewels of poor passengers. At that time you have to fly to the Holland by another airplane. And them we’ll meet together there. We mustn’t beat about the bush (6), it’s time to do us happier». That was her horrible speech. He didn’t believe to his own ears. He couldn’t realize - it was really his wife?!
«What the hell’s mind game do you want to play? — he cried to her. — I’m pulling the devil by the tail (5), working for «two boys», and you want to make me a murder of innocent children, women, old men, and this all just for our happiness? It’s beyond my comprehension.» Our controller was open-hearted (12), and he couldn’t hide from his feelings. He went out the street where rained cats and dogs (8). He went for his best friend, controller too. He told his friend everything, and his friend answered to our hero: «Do not make a mountain out of a molehill (10), all women are the same one. Listen to me. I was invited via INTERNET to the Holland by European A. T. C. Organization. They would like to recruit one more controller from Russia. Do you mind if we are round pegs in a square hole (4) here? Let’s go together. Together is more merrily».
Our controller was quite stunned with this invitation. As at the work, so at home they put a spoke in his wheel (24) here. And he decided to take a chance, to go Europe, making an effort there.

1) To fly off the handle выйти из себя
2) To be busy as a bee трудиться, как пчела
3) To sit on the phone сидеть на телефоне
4) A round peg in a square hole быть на своём месте
5) To pull the devil by the tail биться, как рыба об лёд
6) To beat about the bush ходить вокруг да около
7) Not fit to hold a candle someone и в подмётки не годится
8) It rain cats and dogs льёт, как из ведра
9) That’s the heart of the matter вот в чём суть...
10) To make a mountain out of a molehill делать из мухи слона
11) To tread on быть на седьмом небе
12) Open-hearted с открытым сердцем
13) One’s heart sank into one’s boot сердце в пятки ушло
14) Hungry as a hunter голодный, как волк
15) To vanish into thin air как ветром сдуло
16) To get out of bed on the wrong side встать не с той ноги
17) To twist someone round one’s little finger вить из кого-то верёвки
18) You might as well talk to a brick wall как об стенку горохом
19) It’s still all up in the air вилами по воде писано
20) To go to the end of the earth to get something достать из-под земли
21) Rolling in money денег куры не клюют
22) To know like the palm of one’s hand знать, как свои пять пальцев
23) As thick as thieves водой не разольёшь
24) To put a spoke in someone’s wheel вставлять палки в колёса

Автор Бондаренко Роман