Once upon a time there were two girls: Luxury and Misery. Luxury was short and thick. She had fair hair and green eyes and hippocratic fingers. She wore a white dress and red shoes. Luxury always laughed. Besides, she was very lazy. She laid on the sofa all day, eating sweets and doing nothing more. She lived in luxury houses of London only. She had many jewelry and elegant dresses. And Luxury behaved herself like a baby as well. She liked toys and that's why she had many of them. The toys were completely various: thousands of china dolls, many toy railways, guns, tops and so on. Luxury was absent-minded and didn't care about the future cause she was firmly convinced in it. Moreover, she had many friends but she didn't know that they just pretended. Actually, they weren't her friends.
- And what can you say about Misery? - asks the reader.
Well, Misery was an exact antithesis to Luxury. She was thin and tall. She had black hair and brown eyes with no expression in them. She had an only one black dress. She had no shoes that's why her legs were covered with corns. In addition, she had no gloves, and her hands were horny cause she worked hard in order that she could pay for her dinner. Misery had no toys and moreover she didn't know what the toys are. Besides, she didn't have friends. She had been an exile since her childhood. She didn't even know how to make friends. Except that, Misery didn't have a constant home. She lived in poor houses estates of London, and of course, Misery didn't have many jewelry cause she was poor like a church mouse. Once upon a time, at Christmas Eve , Misery was walking along the street when she saw a light at the window and heard voices. She thought: « Today is Christmas Eve and I see that meet is roasting in the oven. May be, these people will treat me a little?» Misery mustered up and knocked the door.
-What do you want? - asked Vanity — Luxury's mother.
- I... - Misery became confused a little; she always blushed when she asked for food.
- I'm waiting, - said Vanity, crossing hands on a breast.- Say what do you want or go away. I'm losing my patience.
- I have nothing to eat,- said Misery. - Could you...
- Don't continue,- exclaimed Vanity. - I realized. Come with me.
To be honest, Vanity thought that if she fed this little girl she would live in Heaven after death, that's why she said
« Come with me». A minute ago, Misery was sitting at the table, eating delicious lamb roast and drinking mulled wine.
--Thank you so much! - exclaimed Misery.- You're so kind!- she shook Vanity's hand but Vanity wiped it with a napkin contemptuously. - What's your name? - asked Luxury drawlly.
- I'm Misery,- replied a poor girl.
- I'm Luxury — said her vis-a-vis. - Misery, where do you live?
- I live everywhere,- she answered.
- How now? - surprised Vanity.
- I have no constant home, - explained the guest.
- May be, you have friends and you live with them? - supposed Vice — Luxury's farther.
- I have no friends , - replied Misery.
- How awful! - exclaimed Irony.- She doesn't have friends! All started to laugh.
-Do you like toys? - asked Luxury in order to change the topic of a conversation.
- I do not know what it is, - signed the poor girl.
- Walk with me, I'll show you, - said Luxury.
To tell the truth, Luxury was pretty greedy she thought if she shared toys with Misery, she would live in Heaven after death, that's why she said: « Walk with me».
- How beautiful they are! - exclaimed Misery, looking at Luxury's toys. - Let's play hide-and-seek,-suggested Luxury.
- OK-agreed Misery. Luxury hid and Misery started looking for her. After a while, Luxury got out of a wardrobe silently, and ran to the wall shouting: « I won!» The girl was in a hurry and she didn't notice a china doll on her way. It smashed to pieces loudly.
- What's the matter?- asked Vanity coming into the room.
- She broke my doll! - cried Luxury, pointing at Misery.
- No , I didn't!- exclaimed Misery.
- But she did! - insisted Luxury. - She's a liar!
- No this isn't true! I'm not like that! Luxury broke the doll accidentally when she was running to the wall. She did it by herself, I swear!
Girls shouted so loud that the rest guests started сonjecturing about what's happening upstairs.
-What's the matter? - asked Vice, coming into the room. - What a hell are you shouting? - exclaimed he, looking at his daughter.
- She broke my doll! - cried Luxury once again.
- I tried to come her down,- signed Vanity,- but she doesn't hear me.- I wash my hands. -she came back to the dining-room.
- Misery,- said Vice.- Dear, I need to talk to you. - As for you, Luxury, - he turned to his daughter,- you're going to bed immediately!
-But Daddy,- retorted Luxury.
- I said immediately. - repeated Vice icily. When Luxury went out he said:
- Why are you crying, my precious? - Vice kissed Misery. At the first sight , he was a picture of innocence but actually he thought: « If I kissed her, I would live in Heaven after death».- that's why he kissed Misery. The girl came down and asked: -
-Why are you kissing me?
- Don't you like it? Misery couldn't say a word: she was shocked by such behaviour.
-Please, don't kiss me, - asked she finally.- I'm not for sale.
- Everything is for sale, -said Vice smiling. Misery broke loose from his grip and ran out of Luxury's house. Everybody burst out laughing at her back.
Misery was walking down the streets and thought: « Why are they so cruel?» Her dress was too bad to wear. She had no shoes. Her corns ached beyond all bearing and she felt cold as well. She had no home. She was so unhappy! Misery came to the square and stopped. It was over for her and the girl started to cry. She cried again and again and again an again. She had been crying until she fell into oblivion. Next morning townfolk saw a beautiful icy fountain at the square. Unfortunately, it melt when spring came. No-one had heard anything about Misery since that time...