Хильда: Хильда встречает Альфура

Little girl!

ˈlɪtəl gərl!

Who's there?

huz ðɛr?

I'm one of the little people who trashed your house.

əm wən əv ðə ˈlɪtəl ˈpipəl hu træʃt jʊr haʊs.

Get out!

gɪt aʊt!

Oh! The trashing wasn't done by me personally. I'm more of a writer than a fighter.

oʊ! ðə ˈtræʃɪŋ ˈwəzənt dən baɪ mi ˈpərsənəli. əm mɔr əv ə ˈraɪtər ðən ə ˈfaɪtər.

Did you read my note?

dɪd ju rɛd maɪ noʊt?

Indeed.

ˌɪnˈdid.

Wait. Am I dreaming? You sound like you're just a voice inside my head.

weɪt. æm aɪ ˈdrimɪŋ? ju saʊnd laɪk jʊr ʤɪst ə vɔɪs ˌɪnˈsaɪd maɪ hɛd.

Not at all!

nɑt æt ɔl!

So, why won't you show yourself?

soʊ, waɪ woʊnt ju ʃoʊ ˈjɔrsɛlf?

Oh, my people take the business of who sees them and who doesn't very seriously, which means, of course, that there's a lot of paperwork involved.

oʊ, maɪ ˈpipəl teɪk ðə ˈbɪznɪs əv hu siz ðɛm ənd hu ˈdəzənt ˈvɛri ˈsɪriəsli, wɪʧ minz, əv kɔrs, ðət ðɛrz ə lɔt əv ˈpeɪpərˌwərk ˌɪnˈvɑlvd.

What kind of paperwork?

wət kaɪnd əv ˈpeɪpərˌwərk?

If you'll just go over to your desk, please. I took the liberty of filling out the relevant papers for you. I think you'll find the forgery quite impressive.

ɪf jul ʤɪst goʊ ˈoʊvər tɪ jʊr dɛsk, pliz. aɪ tʊk ðə ˈlɪbərˌti əv ˈfɪlɪŋ aʊt ðə ˈrɛləvənt ˈpeɪpərz fər ju. aɪ θɪŋk jul faɪnd ðə ˈfɔrʤəri kwaɪt ˌɪmˈprɛsɪv.

Indeed.

ˌɪnˈdid.

Now, if you'll sign this last page yourself, we'll be all set.

naʊ, ɪf jul saɪn ðɪs læst peɪʤ ˈjɔrsɛlf, wɪl bi ɔl sɛt.

This had better not be some kind of trick. There. Now, where are you?

ðɪs hæd ˈbɛtər nɑt bi səm kaɪnd əv trɪk. ðɛr. naʊ, wɛr ər ju?

Look in the mirror.

lʊk ɪn ðə ˈmɪrər.

I don’t…

aɪ don’t……

Your ear. Coo-ee!

jʊr ɪr. coo-ee!

You're very, very small.

jʊr ˈvɛri, ˈvɛri smɔl.

I'm on the tall side for an elf, actually. So, my name is Alfur.

əm ɔn ðə tɔl saɪd fər ən ɛlf, ˈæˌkʧuəli. soʊ, maɪ neɪm ɪz alfur.

It's nice to finally see you, Alfur.

ɪts nis tɪ ˈfaɪnəli si ju, alfur.

It's nice to be seen. Now, if you'll come outside with me, there's something I want to show you.

ɪts nis tɪ bi sin. naʊ, ɪf jul kəm ˈaʊtˈsaɪd wɪθ mi, ðɛrz ˈsəmθɪŋ aɪ wɔnt tɪ ʃoʊ ju.

Wow! This is amazing!

waʊ! ðɪs ɪz əˈmeɪzɪŋ!

Careful there, Twig! Have these been here all the time, and I just couldn't see them?

ˈkɛrfəl ðɛr, twɪg! hæv ðiz bɪn hir ɔl ðə taɪm, ənd aɪ ʤɪst ˈkʊdənt si ðɛm?

Correct. Careful with that! Somebody lives there, you know.

kərˈɛkt. ˈkɛrfəl wɪθ ðət! ˈsəmˌbɑdi lɪvz ðɛr, ju noʊ.

Whoops.

wups.

Yeah, whoops, indeed. Look. Behavior like that will not endear you to elfkind.

jæ, wups, ˌɪnˈdid. lʊk. bɪˈheɪvjər laɪk ðət wɪl nɑt ɛnˈdir ju tɪ elfkind.

Sorry about that. How many houses are there? How far does this go?

ˈsɑri əˈbaʊt ðət. haʊ ˈmɛni ˈhaʊsɪz ər ðɛr? haʊ fɑr dɪz ðɪs goʊ?

I dare say as far as the eye can see. There's 15 counties in this valley alone, and your house is smack in the middle of my one.

aɪ dɛr seɪ ɛz fɑr ɛz ðə aɪ kən si. ðɛrz 15 ˈkaʊntiz ɪn ðɪs ˈvæli əˈloʊn, ənd jʊr haʊs ɪz smæk ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl əv maɪ wən.

But why get mad now? My great-granddad built that house. I've lived here all my life, and there hasn't been any bother.

bət waɪ gɪt mæd naʊ? maɪ great-granddad bɪlt ðət haʊs. aɪv lɪvd hir ɔl maɪ laɪf, ənd ðɛr ˈhæzənt bɪn ˈɛni ˈbɑðər.

It's the new prime minister. He promised to get rid of you if he was elected, and now that he has been, he has to see to it that he does.

ɪts ðə nu praɪm ˈmɪnɪstər. hi ˈprɑməst tɪ gɪt rɪd əv ju ɪf hi wɑz ɪˈlɛktɪd, ənd naʊ ðət hi həz bɪn, hi həz tɪ si tɪ ɪt ðət hi dɪz.

But that's not fair! We're allowed to live here as much as you are.

bət ðæts nɑt fɛr! wɪr əˈlaʊd tɪ lɪv hir ɛz məʧ ɛz ju ər.

Don't shout at me! I agree!

doʊnt ʃaʊt æt mi! aɪ əˈgri!