Kitabı oku: «Сборник лучших английских сказок. Уровень 1», sayfa 3

1. На свою беду он узнал, что обещания надо выполнять.

2. У дудочника был пронзительный взгляд и пёстрая куртка.

3. Всё то время, что дети были в доме, она пряталась в кладовой.

4. Мэр разрешил провести дудочника внутрь.

5. Вокруг амбара росли дубы и широко раскинувшиеся буки.

6. В порту живёт много бродяг.

7. Эта дудка стоит десять фунтов.

5) Retell the fairy-tale.

Princess of Canterbury

There lived formerly in the County of Cumberland a nobleman who had three sons, two of whom were clever, but the third one a natural fool, named Jack, who was a shepherd. The King of Canterbury had a beautiful daughter, who was also very clever. The King proclaimed that whoever³⁰ should answer three questions put to him by the princess should marry her, and take the crown when her father dies. Soon news of it reached the ears of³¹ the nobleman’s sons, and the two clever ones desided to have a trial³². They didn’t want their idiot brother to go with them, but they could not get rid of him. They had not gone far, before Jack shrieked with laughter, saying ‘I’ve found an egg.’ ‘Put it in your pocket,’ said the brothers. A little while afterwards, again he laughted because he found a crooked hazel stick, which he also put in his pocket; and a third time he again laughed because he found a nut. That also was put with his other treasures.

When they arrived at the palace, they were immediately shown into a room where the princess and her suite³³ were sitting. Jack, who never stood on ceremony, cried, ‘What a troop³⁴ of fair ladies we’ve got here!’

‘Yes,’ said the princess, ‘we are fair ladies, for we carry fire in our bosoms³⁵.’

‘Do you?’ said Jack. ‘Then roast me an egg,’ pulling out³⁶ the egg from his pocket.

‘How will you get it out again?’ said the princess.

‘With a crooked stick,’ replied Jack, producing³⁷ the hazel.

‘Where did that come from?’ said the princess.

‘From a nut,’ answered Jack, pulling out the nut from his pocket. ‘I’ve answered the three questions, and now I’ll have the lady.’ ‘No, no,’ said the king, ‘not so fast. You have still a test to go through. You must come here in a week’s time and watch for one whole night with the princess, my daughter. If you can manage to keep awake the whole night long you shall marry her next day.’

‘But if I can’t?’ said Jack.

‘Then off goes your head,’ said the king. ‘But you need not try unless you like.’

Well, Jack went back home for a week, and thought over³⁸ whether he should try to win the princess. At last he made up his mind. ‘Well,’ said Jack, ‘I’ll have a try; so now for the king’s daughter, or a headless shepherd!’

He took his bottle and bag and went to the court. In his way he had to cross a river and he saw several pretty fish swimming there, so he caught some and put them into his pocket. When he reached the palace he knocked at the gate loudly with his crook. He was immediately led to the hall where the king’s daughter sat ready to see her lovers. He was placed in a luxurious³⁹ chair, and rich wines and spices were set before him, and all sorts of delicate meats. Jack, unused to such feast, ate and drank, so that he was nearly dozing⁴⁰ before midnight.

‘Oh, shepherd,’ said the lady, ‘I have caught you napping⁴¹!’

‘No, my lady, I was fishing.’

‘Fishing,’ said the princess in the astonishment: ‘But, shepherd, there is no fish-pond in the hall.’

‘I have been fishing in my pocket, and have just caught one.’

‘Oh!’ said she, ‘let me see it.’

The shepherd pulled the fish out of his pocket and showed it her, and she said it was the finest she ever saw.

About half an hour afterwards, she said, ‘Shepherd, do you think you could get me one more?’

He replied, ‘I may, when I have baited⁴² my hook’; and after a little while he brought out another, which was finer than the first, and the princess was so delighted that she gave him leave to go to sleep, and promised to excuse him to her father.

In the morning the princess told the king, to his great astonishment, that Jack must not be beheaded, for he had been fishing in the hall all night; but when he heard how Jack had caught such beautiful fish out of his pocket, he asked him to catch one in his own. Jack readily undertook the task, and told to the king to lie down. Than Jack pretended to fish in his pocket, having another fish concealed⁴³ ready in his hand, and pricking⁴⁴ him with a needle, he held up the fish, and showed it to the king.

His majesty was surprised, and the princess and Jack were married the same day, and lived for many years in happiness and prosperity⁴⁵.

EXERCISES

1) True or false?

1. A nobleman had two sons.

2. On his way to princess Jack found an egg, a stick and a nut.

3. After answering the three questions Jack was married to the princess immediately.

4. Jack said that he was hunting in his pocket.

5. Jack was a shepherd.