THE FOX IS DEAD
A fox and a wolf are friends. One day the wolf says to the fox, "I am very hungry. I want to have a rabbit for dinner but rabbits run too quickly. I can never catch them".
"I know how to help you," says the fox. "A fat grey rabbit lives in that small house at the oak-tree. Let us ask magpies to chatter that I am dead. I go home and get into bed. You must hide somewhere in my house. I am sure that the rabbit will come to see if I am dead. Then you will jump and catch him".
"The fox is dead, the fox is dead", chatter the magpies.
The rabbit wants to know if the fox is dead. But he does not want to go into the fox's house. He looks in- through the window, and sees the fox on his bed. His eyes are shut, he looks like a dead fox.
The rabbit thinks, "I must see if the fox is dead or not. If he is not dead, he'll catch me when I go near to him".
He looks at the fox and says, "The magpies chatter that the fox is dead. But he does not look like a dead fox. Dead foxes always open their mouths".
The wily fox hears this, and he thinks, "I'll show the rabbit that I am dead". So he opens his mouth. Now the rabbit sees that the fox is not dead. He jumps up and runs away as fast as he can. The fox and the wolf cannot catch him.
Vocabulary:
fox - лисиця, лис
dead - мертвий
wolf - вовк
hungry - голодний
rabbit - кролик
too quickly - дуже швидко
to catch (caught, caught) - спіймати, зловити
fat - жирний
oak-tree - дуб
Let us ask magpies to chatter that I am dead. - Давай попросимо сорок
розповісти, що я помер, to hide (hid, hidden) - заховатися
I am sure that the rabbit will come. - Я впевнений, що кролик прийде, to look in - заглядати he looks like - він схожий на mouth - рот wily - хитрий
Answer the questions:
1.Who are friends?
2.What does the wolf say to the fox one day?
3.Who lives in a small house at the oak-tree?
4.What do the fox and the wolf want to do?
5.What does the rabbit do?
6.What does the rabbit think?
7.What does he say?
8.What does the wily fox do?
9.Why does the rabbit jump up and run away?
10. Can the fox and the wolf catch him?
THE MAGIC BASKET
A mother and her little son live in a little house. They are very poor. All they have is a grey goat.
One day the mother says, "We have no money, we have no bread.. You must go and sell the goat." The boy takes the goat and goes to the town. He meets a farmer with a large basket in his hands. "Sell me your goat", says the farmer.
"What can you give me for it?" asks the boy.
"I can give you this basket", says the farmer.
"What good is this basket for me?" says the boy. "What can I put in it? I have no bread, I have no eggs, I have no apples!"
"My little girl is ill", says the farmer. "She must drink some milk from a grey goat every day or she will die".
The boy is kind. He is sorry for the little girl. ,He gives his goat to the farmer, takes the basket and goes home.
When he comes home, he puts the basket on the table and shows it to his mother.
The mother looks at the basket and says, "What good is this basket for us, what can we put in it?"
But suddenly the basket says, "I am a magic basket." The basket jumps from the table and runs out of the house. When it comes back to the poor boy's house, it is full of good things. Now the mother and her boy have dinner, j
Every morning the wonderful basket jumps from the table and runs out of the house. And every day it comes back full of good things. Now the mother and her boy have their breakfast, dinner and supper every day.
Vocabulary:
The Magic Basket - чарівний кошик
goat - коза
to sell (sold, sold) - продати
What good is this basket for me? - Навіщо мені кошик?
to die - померти
kind - добрий
He is sorry for the little girl. - Йому шкода маленької дівчинки
to jump - стрибати
full — повний
wonderful - чудовий
Answer the questions:
1.Where do a mother and her little son live?
2.Are they poor?
3.What have they?
4.What does the mother say to her son one day?
5.Where does the boy go with the goat?
6.Whom does he meet?
7.What does the farmer ask the boy to do?
8.Is the boy kind? Is he sorry for the little girl?
9.What does he do when he comes home?
10.What does the basket say? What does it do?
11.What does the basket do every morning?
12.Do the mother and her boy have their breakfast, dinner and supper now every day?
DOLLY AND THE PAIL OF MILK
Dolly worked on a farm. One day her mistress gave her a pail of milk and said to her, 'Dolly, you can have a holiday today. Here is a pail of milk for you."
"Thank you," said Dolly. She was very glad to have a holiday. Then she asked, "May I sell the milk?"
"Yes, you may sell it, it is your milk", answered the mistress.
So Dolly put the pail of milk on her head and walked to town. She was happy. She had a lot of plans in her head.
"I shall sell the milk," she thought, "and I shall buy some eggs with the money. Then I shall take one of my mistress's hens and put it on the eggs. 1 shall soon have a lot of chicks. My chicks soon will be big and fat, and I shall sell them. I shall buy a pretty new dress with the money. I shall buy a nice red dress and a pair of red shoes. I shall be very beautiful in my new dress."
Dolly was very happy and she began to run and jump. And the pall of milk fell to the ground.
Dolly sat down on the grass and cried. She had no milk, no eggs, no chicks, no money, no pretty red dress and no red shoes.
Vocabulary:
Dolly and the Pail of Milk - Доллі та відро молока
mistress - хазяйка
to sell (sold, sold) - продавати, продати
with the money - на ці гроші
hen - курка
chick - курча
to fall (fell, fallen) - впасти
to cry - плакати
Answer the questions:
1.Where did Dolly work?
2.What did her mistress give her one day?
3.Was Dolly very glad? Why?
4.Where did she go?
5.What were Dolly's plans?
6.What did she begin to do?
7.What happened?
8.Why did Dolly cry?
WHY THE SUN AND THE MOON LIVE IN THE SKY
Many, many years ago the Sun and the Moon lived together on the earth. Water was their best friend, and they often came to see him. But Water never went to see the Sun and the Moon in their house.
"Why don't you come to see us?" the Sun once asked him.
"I have too many friends," Water answered, "they will come with me. I'm afraid there will be no place for them in your house,".
"But I shall build a new big house," the Sun said.
And the Sun built a very big house and then asked Water to come to him. Water came with all the fish and water animals.
"May I come in with all my people?" Water asked.
"Yes, come in," the Sun said.
Very soon Water in the house was knee-deep for the Sun,
Then in a minute Water was up to the Sun's head, and came higher and higher with all the fish and water animals. At. last Water was so high in the house that the Sun and the Moon went on to the roof and sat there. But soon Water came up on to the roof. What could the Sun and the Moon do? Where could they sit? And they went up to the sky. They liked the place and began to live there.
Vocabulary:
together - разом
earth - земля
was knee-deep for the Sun - була Сонцю до колін
in a minute - через хвилину
roof - покрівля, дах
Answer the questions:
1.Where did the Sun and the Moon live together many years ago?
2.Why did Water never come to see the Sun and the Moon?
3.What did the Sun build?
4.The Sun asked Water to come to him, didn't he?
5.Water came to the Sun with all the fish and water animals, didn't he?
6.What happened then?
7.Where did the Sun and the Moon go up to?
8.Where did they begin to live?
KING MIDAS
Midas was a very rich king but he was not happy. Every day he counted his gold and wished for more.
King Midas had a little daughter Marygold. He loved her very much and wished to make her the richest princess.
But Marygold loved the sun and flowers more than all the gold in her Father's house.
One day a man came into the king's room. The king looked at him and asked, "Who are you?"
"I am Mercury - one of the gods. You have much gold, king Midas," said Mercury.
"I have not so much as I wish," said the king.
"Are you not happy, king Midas?" asked Mercury.
I want that everything I touch will turn to gold," answered the king.
"Then” said Mercury, "wait for the morning and you will have the golden touch."
Next morning, when king Midas began to dress, his clothes became gold. The chairs, the tables, everything he touched turned to gold. The bread became gold too when he touched it, and the water in his glass. Suddenly the door opened and Marygold came in. She had a rose in her hand. "Oh, my roses, my roses!" she cried. "They all are hard!"
"They are golden roses," said the king. "Are they not beautiful?"
"No, no," cried Marygold, "I do not like them."
"Well, well," said the king, "do not cry, eat your breakfast now." Marygold saw that the king looked very unhappy and she kissed him. But when she touched him, her hands and her feet became gold and hard. She was no longer a little girl but a gold doll. Suddenly someone said, "Are you happy now, king Midas?"
The king looked up and saw Mercury.
"I am the most unhappy man," he cried.
"You have the golden touch," said Mercury,
"Oh, give me back my little girl," said the king, "and I shall give you all the gold I have."
"Well," said Mercury, "Let it be a lesson to you. I take the golden touch back."
And Mercury took the golden touch back.
King Midas kissed Marygold and went to play with her in the garden. And they became very happy ever since.
Vocabulary:
king - король
rich - багатий gold - золото to wish - бажати, хотіти princess - принцеса
I am Mercury - one of the gods. - Я - Меркурій - один Із богів. І want that everything I touch will turn to gold. - Я хочу, щоб усе, чого я
доторкнусь, перетворювалось у золото.
hard – твердий
doll - лялька
someone ~ хтось
Answer the questions:
1.Was Midas a very rich king?
2.Why was he unhappy?
3.What did his daughter Marygold love?
4.Who came to king Midas one day?
5.What did king Midas ask Mercury for?
6.What happened with his daughter?
7.Why was king Midas very unhappy?
8.Was it a good lesson for him?
9.Did Mercury help him or not?
THE TWO FRIENDS
Once there lived two girls, who were friends. They loved each other dearly. They bought the same dresses, they ate the same food, they went together to bring water from the river. People always saw them together and said, "What good friends they are!"
But one day a young man said, "You say those two girls are good friends. I am not sure about that, I shall try to find it out."
The next day the young man stopped the two girls in the street.
"Good morning," he said. "I want to speak to one of you."
"No, you can't do that, we are friends, and you must speak to the two of us together."
"I don't want to speak to the two of you. I shall speak to only one of you. Then the one to whom Ї speak can tell what I say to the other."
And he whispered to one of the girls: "You, you, you, you. Do you hear me?"
The girl answered, "Yes." The young man went away.
"What did he say to you, my dear?" the second girl asked.
"Oh, he said nothing to me," said the first girl. "He whispered you, you, you, you..."
"What about me, me, me, me…" the second girl asked.
"But it was not about you. It was only you."
"But you said yes to him! You don't want to tell me everything!"
"I tell you that it was only you"
"So, and what about me?"
"Oh, you silly girl! I tell you he said only you"
"So you don't want to tell me anything, and I am your friend! No, I was your friend, but I am not any more!
"Well, I don't want to have such a silly friend!"
"You are a liar!"
"I'm not. But you are very, very silly!"
Then one girl went to the right and the other went to the left. They did not even say good-bye to each other.
That was the unhappy end of their long friendship.
Vocabulary:
dearly - дуже
I shall try to find it out. - Я спробую це з'ясувати.
to whisper - прошепотіти
to hear (heard, heard) - чути
silly - дурна
...but I am not any more - [тут) ... але тепер я більше тобі не подруга
to the right (left) - направо (наліво)
friendship - дружба
to quarrel - сперечатися
Answer the questions:
1.Two girls were very good friends, weren't they?
2.What did the young man say to one of the girls?
3.Why did the two girls quarrel?
4.Have you a friend? Do you quarrel sometimes or not?
THE FROG AND HIS WIVES
Once there lived a Frog who had two wives. His first wife lived in Ndumbi and the second wife lived in Ndala. He himself lived in a little place between Ndumbi and Ndala. He went sometimes to Ndumbi and sometimes to Ndala to see his wives.
Once a little frog came to him and said, "Come to Ndumbi, please! Your first wife has a nice pudding for you. Come at once while the pudding is hot!"
The Frog was very happy, because he liked puddings very much. He was ready to go when another little frog came up to him and said, "Please, come to Ndala! Your second wife has a nice pudding for you. Come at once while the pudding is hot!"
The Frog sat down and began to think:
"If I go to my first wife for the pudding, my second wife will be sorry and angry. If I go to my second wife for the pudding, my first wife will be sorry and angry, too. Where shall I go - to Ndumbi or to Ndala?"
He sat and thought for a long time. And he stayed at home and began to cry:
"Oh! Where shall I go, where shall I go?"
Now, when you hear frogs' Gaou, gaou, gaou, you will understand that it means: "Where shall I go? Where shall I go? Go, go, go?"
How bad it is to have two wives who make puddings at the same
time!
Vocabulary:
wife (wives) - дружина (дружини)
for a long time - довгий час
gaou, gaou, gaou [gou] - ква, ква, кВа
that it means - що це означає
Answer the questions:
1.How many wives had a Frog?
2.Where did he live?
3.Where did his wives live?
4.Who came to him one day?
5.What did a little frog say to him?
6.Why was the Frog very happy?
7.What did another little frog tell him?
8.Why did the Frog think for a long time?
9.Why did he cry?
THE FEAST
Once a chief decided to give a feast for his people. He sent his men to every village. They told the people to come to the chief's house and said, "The Chief asks each of the men to bring one bottle of palm wine and pour it into a pot at the door."
The day of the feast came. People put on their best clothes and walked to the chief's house with their families. They stopped at the door of the chief's house and poured their bottles into a very big pot at the door.
There was a man who wanted to go to the feast very much, but he had no palm wine at home. His wife said to him, "You must buy some palm wine."
But the man answered, "What? No, I don't want to buy wine for a feast that is free. No, no!"
He thought a little and then said, "Hundreds of people will bring their wine and pour it into the pot. A bottle of water cannot be bad for so much wine."
And so he went to the feast with a bottle of water. He poured his bottle into the pot as other people did. Then he sat down at the table with all the other people and waited for the glass of palm wine which he liked so much.
The chief said, "Let's drink wine, dear guests!" All the guests took their glasses. But what they drank was not palm wine, but — water! So our man was not the only one who thought: "A bottle of water cannot be bad for so much wine."
Vocabulary:
feast - бенкет
chief - вождь
to decide — вирішити
palm wine - пальмове вино
to pour - лити, наливати
for a feast that is free - для бенкету, який проводиться безплатно
guest - гість
Answer the questions:
1.What did the chief decide to give for his people?
2.Where did he send his people?
3.What did they tell the people?
4.What did the people do when the day of the feast came?
5.What did the man who had no palm wine decide to do?
6.What did the guests drink? Why?
THE HAPPY MAN
Many, many years ago in North Africa there lived a chief: He was very rich and had many wives and children, but he was not happy. He thought: "I have everything, but that does not make me happy. What must I do to be happy? I don't know."
Once he shouted angrily to his servants, "Why can't I be happy? What must I do to be happy?"
One of his servants said, "Oh, my Chief! Look at the sky! How beautiful the moon and the stars are! Look at them, and you will see how good life is. That will make you happier."
"Oh, no, no, no!" the chief answered angrily. "When I look at the moon and the stars I become angry, because I know I cannot get them."
Then another servant said, "Oh, my Chief! What about music? Music makes a man happy. We shall play to you from morning till night, and music will make you happy."
The chief's face became red with anger.
"Oh, no, no, no, no!" he cried. "What a silly idea! Music is fine, but to listen to music from morning till night, day after day? Never! No, never!"
So the servants went away, and the chief sat angrily in his rich room. Then one of the servants came back into the room and made a bow.
"Oh, my Chief," he said, "but I think I can tell you something that will make you very happy."
"What is it?" asked the chief.
"It is very easy to do," said the servant. "You must find a happy man, take off his shirt and put it on. Then his happiness will go into your body and you will be as happy as he!"
"I like your idea," said the chief. He sent his soldiers all over the country to look for a happy man. They went on and on, but it was not easy to find a happy man in the chief's country.
But one day the soldiers found a man in a small village who said, "I'm the happiest man in the world." He was poor, but he always smiled and sang. The soldiers brought him to the chief.
"At last I shall be a happy man!" said the chief and took off his shirt at once. "Bring the man in!"
The door of the chief's room opened. A small, dark man with a happy smile walked in.
"Come here, my friend!" said the chief. "Please take off your shirt!"
The little smiling man came up to the chief. The chief looked at him and saw - what did he see? The happy man, the happiest man in the world, had no shirt!
Vocabulary:
North Africa - Північна Африка
chief - вождь
to shout - кричати
angrily - сердито
servant - слуга
with anger - від гніву
silly - дурний
to make a bow - вклонитися
to take off (took, taken} - зняти (щось із себе)
to put on (put, put) - одягнути (щось на себе)
soldier - солдат
all over the country - по всій країні
to look for - шукати
They went on and on. - Вони все йшли та йшли.
at last - нарешті
smile - посмішко
to advise - радити, давати пораду
Answer the questions:
1.Who lived in North Africa many years ago?
2.Was he rich? Was he happy?
3.Why wasn't the chief happy?
4.What did one of the servants advise him to do?
5.Whom did the soldiers bring to the chief?
6.Had the happy man a shirt?
7.What makes you happy?
