Mikhail Bulgakov. The Fateful Eggs -
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snorted and Pankrat appeared in the lighted doorway wearing long striped
underpants tied at the ankles. His eyes glared wildly at the scientist and
he whimpered softly with sleep.
"I must apologise for waking you up, Pankrat," said the
Professor, peering at him over his spectacles. "But please don't go
into my laboratory this morning, dear chap. I've left some work there that
must on no account be moved. Understand?"
"Grrr, yessir," Pankrat replied, not understanding a thing.
He staggered a bit and growled.
"Now listen here, Pankrat, you just wake up," the zoologist ordered,
prodding him lightly in the ribs, which produced a look of fright on
Pankrat's face and a glimmer of comprehension in his eyes. "I've locked the
laboratory," Persikov went on, "so you need not clean it until I come back.
Understand?"
"Yessir," Pankrat croaked.
"That's fine then, go back to bed."
Pankrat turned round, disappeared inside and collapsed onto the bed.
The Professor went into the vestibule. Putting on his grey summer coat and
soft hat, he remembered what he had observed in the microscope and stared at
his galoshes for a few seconds, as if seeing them for the first time. Then
he put on the left galosh and tried to put the right one over it, but it
wouldn't go on.
"What an incredible coincidence that he called me away," said the
scientist. "Otherwise I would never have noticed it. But what does it mean?
The devil only knows!.."
The Professor smiled, squinted at his galoshes, took off the left one
and put on the right. "Good heavens! One can't even imagine all the
consequences..." The Professor prodded off the left galosh, which had
irritated him by not going on top of the right, and walked to the front door
wearing one galosh only. He also lost his handkerchief and went out,