Miss Day-After-Tomorrow and the Game of Time

By Adina Rosetti
Translation: Adina Stanciu

(Excerpt)

Miss Day-After-Tomorrow’s Farce

Well, yes, one day, Miss Day-After-Tomorrow was getting bored. She went to the tower where lived the Wizard of Time, the one who watches over everything and who takes care of turning every Day the pointers of the giant clock from the top of the tower. (Since the beginning of Time, the Wizard never failed, not even a single time. And Time has always passed the same way. Not too fast and not too slow.)
– Come on, uncle, pleaseeeee, said Miss Day-After-Tomorrow, fawning. Make Time pass faster! I am tired of being so young and of living in the Future! I want to grow up and run into the Present, just to see what is happening there!
Even though she was his favourite niece and he enjoyed fulfilling her wishes, this time the old Wizard replied:
– This is impossible, my child! Everything has its own Time!
– But I want it, I want it, I want it! the little one yelled, stomping her feet like the spoiled girl she was. However, the Wizard did not pay attention to her anymore, as he did not like spoiled children one bit. Therefore, Miss Day-After-Tomorrow burst into tears and started running all across the three kingdoms.
Meanwhile, in the marshes of the smelly swamp, the Witch NeverNever was waiting for her moment of revenge. However, she did not dare to go out of her swamp, because there was always someone on guard at the borders of the three kingdoms. Therefore, most of the times she was happy mixing weeds in a cauldron and muttering words known only to her. Suddenly, she saw something like a coloured stain approaching her. That was Miss Day-After-Tomorrow hopping around in the mud, dirting her beautiful silk dress.
– What are you doing here, my child? The Witch NeverNever asked, with a sweet voice.
– Oh, my uncle is so obnoxious! He won’t let me play with Time!
– But who is your uncle? Is he perhaps His Majesty, the Wizard of Time? Is he the one with a long, down-to-the ground, white beard, who lives at the top of the tower?
Witch NeverNever was feeling in the wind the air the moment of revenge and she could hardly stop herself from giggling with excitement.
– Yes, yes, that it is exactly him!, Day-After-Tomorrow said, continuing to whine. I want to grow up faster and he won’t let me fast forward Time. He said ” Everything has its own Time!,” what a bunch of nonsense!
”Yeah, this is exactly what he told me before he drove me away! Now it is payback time!,“ the Witch whispered, smiling to herself.
– Look, Miss, there is no need for you to cry! Take this broth (and the Witch slipped a little bottle full of a gray-green liquor into her pocket) and every night pour a little bit in your uncle’s tea. That will make him fall asleep and then you will be able to cling yourself to those pointers of the giant clock. In this way you can move the Time back and forth, just as you please!
Day-After-Tomorrow left happy and hopeful, while the Witch remained in front of the pot with weeds, grinning and whispering her venomous words:

It will never rain with pink butterflies
The vacation will never come by train from France
Children will never grow wings
Time will never pass again as it should pass!

Said and done! Miss Day-After-Tomorrow listened to the malicious advice of Witch NeverNever without thinking even for a moment that she was doing a bad thing. Under the influence of the potion, The Wizard of Time fell asleep immediately, while she clinged by the pointers of the giant clock. Although the pointers were stiff and full of weeds and cobwebs, she managed to move them and to push them forward.

后天小姐与时间的游戏
作者：Adina Rosetti
翻译：Adina Stanciu
节选
后天小姐的闹剧
嗯，是的，有一天，后天小姐觉得特别无聊。她前往那座生活着时间巫师的塔楼。巫师监视着世界上的所有事物，每天定时搬动塔顶上巨钟的指针。 （从时间伊始，巫师就没有出过差错，一次也没有。而时间，总是以一成不变的方式流逝。不会太快也不会太慢。）
-来嘛，巫师叔叔，拜托啦。后天小姐讨好地说，让时间过得更快一些吧！我已经厌倦了永远这么年轻，只能生活在未来的日子！我想长大并进入当下，只是为了看看那里发生了什么！
尽管她是巫师最喜欢的侄女，而巫师也喜欢满足她的愿望，但这次老巫师回答说：
这是不可能的，我的孩子！一切事物都有自己的时间节奏！
– 但是我就要，我就要，我就要嘛！小小的人儿喊道，像个被宠坏的女孩儿一样跺着脚。然而，巫师不再理会她，因为他一点也不喜欢被宠坏的孩子。因此，后天小姐泪流满面，开始在三个王国中到处奔跑。
与此同时，在臭臭的沼泽中，永不永远巫婆正在等待她的复仇时机的到来。然而，她不敢离开她的沼泽地，因为在三个王国的边界总是有人守卫。因此在大多数时候，她都在混合杂草，并且用只有她明白的语言嘀咕。突然间，她看到了一团彩色团块在向她靠近。那是后天小姐，在泥地里跳来跳去，弄脏了她美丽的丝绸连衣裙。
你在这做什么，我的孩子？永不永远巫婆用甜美的声音问道。
哦-，我的叔叔太讨厌了！他不会让我和时间玩耍！
-但是谁是你的叔叔？也许是那位至高无上的时间巫师吗？是一个住在塔顶，有着拖着地的白胡子的老人吗？
永不永远巫婆感受到复仇的机会正迎着风向她吹来，那一刻，她几乎不能停止兴奋地咯咯地笑。
-是的，是的，这正是他！后天小姐说道，继续抱怨着。我想要长得更快一些，可他不让我加速时间。他说“一切都有自己的时间！”真是一堆废话！ “是的，他在赶我走之前也是这么告诉我的！现在该让他尝尝被报复的滋味了！“女巫低声说，对自己微笑。
-看啊，小姐，你没有必要哭！拿着这个汤（女巫把一个装满灰绿色酒的小瓶子塞进后天小姐的口袋里），每晚都在你叔叔的茶里倒一点。这将使他入睡，然后你就能够紧紧抓住那些巨钟的指针。这样，您可以随心所欲地来回移动时间了！
后天小姐快乐又充满希望地离开了，而女巫则直直地站在堆放着杂草的锅前，咧嘴笑着，低声说出她有毒的咒语：
粉红色的蝴蝶飞舞时不会下雨
假期永远不会从法国乘火车来
孩子永远不会长出翅膀
时间永远不会再流逝因为一切即将消失！
咒语说完了！ 后天小姐听了永不永远巫婆的恶毒建议，她甚至完全不知道她做了一件坏事。在她触碰时钟指针时，时间巫师因为魔药的原因酣然入睡。虽然指针老旧，还布满了杂草和蜘蛛网，但她还是设法移动了它们并推动着它们前进。