‘I want you to dress every dish without a mite o’ salt.’
‘That’ll be rare nasty,’ says the cook.
‘That doesn’t signify,’ says she.
‘Very well,’ says the cook.
Well, the wedding day came, and they were married. And after they were married, all the company sat down to the dinner. When they began to eat the meat, it was so tasteless they couldn’t eat it. But Cap o’ Rushes’s father tried first one dish and then another, and then he burst out crying.
‘What is the matter (в чем: «что есть» дело)?’ said the master’s son to him (сказал сын хозяина ему).
‘Oh!’ says he, ‘I had a daughter (у меня была дочь). And I asked her how much she loved me (и я спросил ее, насколько она любила меня). And she said: “As much as fresh meat loves salt (настолько, как свежее мясо любит соль).” And I turned her from my door (и я выгнал ее из дома: «я повернул ее от моей двери»), for I thought she didn’t love me (ибо я подумал, что она не любила меня). And now I see she loved me best of all (а теперь я вижу, что она любила меня больше всех). And she may be dead for aught I know (и она, может быть, мертва, насколько: «для что-то» я знаю = не знаю даже, жива она или мертва).’
‘No, father, here she is (нет, отец, она здесь)!’ said Cap o’ Rushes. And she goes up to him (и она подходит к нему) and puts her arms round him