Сборник лучших английских сказок. Уровень 1

© С.А. Матвеев, В. В. Ганненко, К. Г. Дмитриева, Д. Л. Абрагин, Е. В. Лаптева, адаптация текста, комментарии и словарь, 2021

© ООО «Издательство, АСТ», 2021

English fairy tales
by Joseph Jacobs

Fairy Ointment^[1]

Dame Goody was a nurse that looked after^[2] sick people, and minded babies. One night she woke up at midnight, and when she went downstairs, she saw a strange squinny-eyed^[3], little ugly old fellow, who asked her to come to his wife who was too ill to mind her baby. Dame Goody didn’t like the look of the old fellow, but business is business; so she popped on^[4] her things, and went down to him. And when she got down to him, he whisked her up on to a large coal-black^[5] horse with fiery eyes, that stood at the door; and soon they were going at a rare pace, Dame Goody holding on to the old fellow like grim death^[6].

They rode, and they rode, till at last^[7] they stopped before a cottage door. So they got down and went in and found the good woman abed with the children playing about; and the babe, a fine bouncing boy, beside her.

Dame Goody took the babe, which was a fine baby boy. The mother, when she handed the baby to Dame Goody to mind, gave her a box of ointment, and told her to stroke the baby’s eyes with it as soon as it opened them. After a while it began to open its eyes. Dame Goody saw that it had squinny eyes just like its father. So she took the box of ointment and stroked its two eyelids with it. But she wondered what it was for, as she had never seen such a thing before. So she looked to see if the others were looking, and, when they were not noticing, she stroked her own right eyelid with the ointment.

No sooner had she done so, than^[8] everything seemed changed about her. The cottage became elegantly furnished. The mother in the bed was a beautiful lady, dressed up in white silk. The little baby was still more beautiful then before, and its clothes were made of a sort of silvery cloth. Its little brothers and sisters around the bed were flat-nosed imps with pointed ears, who made faces at^[9] one another, and scratched their heads. Sometimes they pulled the sick lady’s ears with their long and hairy paws. In fact, they were up to all kinds of mischief; and Dame Goody knew that she was in a house of pixies. But she said nothing to nobody, and as soon as the lady was well enough to mind the baby, she asked the old fellow to take her back home. So he came round to the door with the coal-black horse with eyes of fire, and off they went as fast as before, or perhaps a little faster, till they came to Dame Goody’s cottage, where the squinny-eyed old fellow lifted her down and left her, thanking her civilly, and paying her more than she had ever been paid before for such service.

Next day happened to be market-day, and as Dame Goody had been away from home, she wanted many things in the house, and trudged^[10] off to get them at the market. As she was buying the things she wanted, who should she see but the squinny-eyed old fellow who had taken her on the coal-black horse. And what do you think he was doing? He went about from stall to stall taking things from each, here some fruit, and there some eggs, and so on^[11]; and no one seemed to take any notice.

Now Dame Goody did not think it her business to interfere, but she thought she ought not to let so good a customer pass without speaking. So she went to him and said: ‘Good day, sir, I hope as how your good lady and the little one are as well as – ’

But she couldn’t finish what she was saying, for the funny old fellow started back in surprise, and he says to her:

‘What! Do you see me today?’

‘See you,’ says she, ‘why, of course I do, as plain as the sun in the skies, and what’s more,’ says she, ‘I see you are busy, too, into the bargain.’

‘Ah, you see too much,’ said he; ‘now, with which eye do you see all this?’

‘With the right eye to be sure^[12],’ said she, as proud as can be to find him out.

‘The ointment! The ointment!’ cried the old pixy thief. ‘Don’t meddle^[13] with what don’t concern you:you shall see me no more.’ And with that he struck her on the right eye, and she couldn’t see him any more; and, what was worse, she was blind on the right side from that hour till the day of her death.

EXERCISES

1) True of false?

1. Dame Goody was a doctor.

2. A strange old fellow came to Dame Goody at midnight.

3. The mother gave Dame Goody a box of ointment.

4. Dame Goody stroked baby‘s nose with ointment.

5. Dame Goody knew that she was in a house of pixies.

6. Next day Dame Goody stayed at home.

7. Dame Goody was blind on the left side.

2) Fill in the gaps with the following words:

hold on like grim death; make faces at; look after; and so on; to be sure

1. He stayed a little longer to…children.

2. She always drives the bike and I sit behind her, trying to…

3. This is not his best book,…, but it is still good.

4. My little brothers always… at each other when mom doesn’t look.

5. He took some fruit from one stall, some eggs from another, some bread from the third and…

3) Fill in the gaps using words in brackets.

1. One night she… (to be) woke up at midnight, and when she… (to go) downstairs, she… (to see) a strange old fellow.

2. They… (to ride) till at last they… (to stop) before a cottage door.

3. So she… (to take) the box of ointment and… (to stroke) its two eyelids with it.

4. The cottage… (to become) elegantly furnished.

4) Translate the following sentences:

1. Мать была красивой леди, одетой в белый шёлк.

2. Но она ничего никому не сказала.

3. Она поплелась на рынок, чтобы купить нужные вещи.

4. Он ходил от прилавка к прилавку, забирая что-нибудь с каждого.

5. Вот тебе за то, что суёшь нос в не своё дело!

5) Retell the fairy-tale.

The Pied^[14] Piper^[15]

Newtown is a sleepy little town that was once noisy enough, and what made the noise was – rats. They ate their way into every barn^[16], store-room^[17] and a cupboard. Even beer in the barrels was not safe from them.

Why didn’t the good people of the town have cats? Well, they did, and there was a fair fight, but in the end the rats were too many, and the pussies were defeated. Poison, I hear you say? They poisoned so many that it nearly caused a plague. Ratcatchers? Many of them tried their luck but there seemed to be more rats than ever.

The Mayor^[18] and the town council were desperate. As they were sitting one day in the town hall trying to figure up what to do, the town messenger run in. ‘Please your Honour^[19],’ he said, ‘here is one fellow come to town. I don’t know what to think of him.’ ‘Show him in^[20],’ said the Mayor, and he stepped in. He was tall and thin, and had piercing eyes^[21]. His clothes was painted in all colours of the rainbow.

‘I’m called the Pied Piper,’ he said. ‘What will you pay me if I free your town of every single rat?’

Fifty pounds^[22] were promised him (and it meant a lot of money in those days) as soon as not a rat was left in Newtown.

The Piper laid his pipe to his lips and started playing it. Every rat came out from its hole and followed the sound of his pipe.

The Piper went through town to the harbour^[23], and when he was at the water’s edge he stepped into a boat, and all of the rats followed him. On and on he played and played until each rat sank.

The townsfolk had been throwing up their caps and hurrahing^[24], but when the Piper stepped ashore^[25], the Mayor said ‘you see what poor folk we are; how can we manage to pay you fifty pounds? Will you not take twenty?’

‘Fifty pounds was what I was promised,’ said the Piper shortly; ‘and if I were you I‘d pay it quickly. Because I can pipe many kinds of tunes, as folk sometimes find to their cost^[26].’

‘Would you threaten us, tramp^[27]?’ shrieked the Mayor, and at the same time he winked to the council; ‘the rats are all dead and drowned,’ said he; and so ‘You may do your worst, my good man,’ and with that he turned short upon his heel.

‘Very well,’ said the Piper, and he smiled a quiet smile. With that he laid his pipe to his lips again, but now there came another tunes. And as he went down the streets from school-room and playroom, from nursery and workshop, children ran, following the Piper to the cool green forest full of oaks and wide-spreading^[28] beeches. In and out among the oak trees was heard the laughter of the children break and fade as deeper and deeper into the green wood.

All the while^[29], the elders watched and waited. They mocked no longer now. And never saw they the Piper in his pied coat again. The Mayor sent his men to look for the Piper and bring the children back but none could find the lost children.

EXERCISES

1) True or false?

1. Newtown was full of rats.

2. The Mayor and the town council desided to hunt rats.

3. The Piper was tall and thin.

4. Piper’s clothes was all black.

5. The Mayor promised to pay Piper twenty pounds.

6. The Piper led children to the forest.

2) Fill in the gaps using words in brackets.

1. Even beer in the barrels… (to be) not safe from them.

2. The Mayor and the town council… (to be) desperate.

3. They were… (to sit) one day in the town hall… (to try) to figure up what to do.

4. His clothes… (to be painted) in all colours of the rainbow.

5. The Piper… (to lay) his pipe to his lips and started… (to play) it.

6. In and out among the oak trees… (to be heard) the laughter of the children.

3) Write down a plural form:

Example: dog – dogs

cat – ____________________

mouse – ____________________

rat – ____________________

horse – ____________________

pig – ____________________

chicken – ____________________

bird – ____________________

goose – ____________________

fish – ____________________

4) Translate the following sentences:

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 whoever^[30] 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 of^[31] the nobleman’s sons, and the two clever ones desided to have a trial^[32]. 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 suite^[33] were sitting. Jack, who never stood on ceremony, cried, ‘What a troop^[34] of fair ladies we’ve got here!’

‘Yes,’ said the princess, ‘we are fair ladies, for we carry fire in our bosoms^[35].’

‘Do you?’ said Jack. ‘Then roast me an egg,’ pulling out^[36] the egg from his pocket.

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

‘With a crooked stick,’ replied Jack, producing^[37] 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 over^[38] 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 luxurious^[39] 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 dozing^[40] before midnight.

‘Oh, shepherd,’ said the lady, ‘I have caught you napping^[41]!’

‘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 baited^[42] 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 concealed^[43] ready in his hand, and pricking^[44] 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 prosperity^[45].

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.

6. Jack pulled three fish out of his pocket.

2) Fill in the gaps using words in brackets.

1. The nobleman… (to have) three sons, two of whom… (to be) clever, but the third one… (to be) a fool.

2. ‘Where… (to do) that come from?’… (to say) the princess.

3. He… (to take) his bottle and bag and… (to go) to the court.

4. In his way he had… (to cross) a river and he… (to see) several pretty fish swimming there.

5. Jack… (to catch) some and… (to put) them into his pocket.

6. He was immediately… (to lead) to the hall where the king’s daughter… (to sit) ready to see her lovers.

7. The shepherd… (to pull) the fish out of his pocket and… (to show) it her, and she… (to say) it… (to be) the finest she ever… (to see).

3) Translate the following sentences:

1. У аристократа было три сына: два умных, а третий – дурак.

2. Джек снова засмеялся, когда нашёл изогнутую ореховую палочку.

3. Что за отряд хорошеньких дам у нас тут?

4. Дошли слухи, что кто угодно может попробовать сразиться за женитьбу на принцессе.

5. Джек вытащил из кармана и предъявил принцессе яйцо, изогнутую ореховую палочку и орех.

6. Тот, кто сможет продержаться без сна целую ночь, женится на принцессе.

7. Джек насадил приманку на крючок и поймал рыбку у себя в кармане и в кармане у короля.

4) Match the synonyms. Sometimes there can be more than one synonym to each word:

doze ____________________

tell

hide ____________________

shriek ____________________

say ____________________

show ____________________

nap ____________________

cry ____________________

conceal ____________________

sleep ____________________

produce ____________________

5) Retell the fairy-tale.

Three Feathers

Once upon a time there was a girl who was married to a husband that she never saw. And the way this was, was that he was only at home at night, and would never have any light in the house. The girl thought that was funny, and all her friends told her there must be something wrong with her husband, some great deformity^[46] that made him want not to be seen.

Well, one night when he came home she suddenly lit a candle and saw him. He was handsome enough to make all the women of the world fall in love with him. But scarcely^[47] had she seen him when he began to change into a bird, and then he said: ‘Now you have seen me, you shall see me no more, unless you are willing to serve seven years and a day for me, so that I may become a man once more.’ Then he told her to take three feathers from under his side, and whatever she wished through them would come to pass^[48]. Then he left her at a great house to be laundry-maid^[49] for seven years and a day.

And the girl used to take the feathers and say: ‘By power of my three feathers may the copper^[50] be lit, and the clothes washed, and ironed, and folded, and put away to the missis’s satisfaction.’

And then she had no more care about it. The feathers did the rest^[51], and the lady had never had a better laundress^[52]. Well, one day the butler^[53], who decided to have the pretty laundry-maid for his wife, said to her, he should have spoken before but he did not want to annoy her. ‘Why should it when we work together?’ the girl said. And then he felt free to go on^[54], and explain his master is to pay him seventy pounds, and how would she like him for a husband.

And the girl told him to bring her the money, and he asked his master for it, and brought it to her. But as they were going upstairs, she cried ‘O John, I must go back, sure I’ve left my shutters^[55] undone, and they’ll be slashing and banging all night.’

The butler said, ‘Never you trouble, I’ll put them right’, and he ran back, while she took her feathers, and said: ‘By power of my three feathers may the shutters slash and bang till morning, and John neither be able to fasten^[56] them nor get his fingers free from them.’

And so it was. The butler neither could leave the shutters, nor^[57] keep the shutters from opening as he closed them. And he was angry, but could not help himself, and he did not care to tell of it and get the laugh on him, so no one knew.

Then after a bit the coachman^[58] began to notice her, and she found he had forty pounds with the master, and he said she might have it if she would take him with it.

So after the laundry-maid had his money in her apron^[59] as they went together, she stopped, exclaiming: ‘My clothes are left outside, I must run back and bring them in.’ ‘Stop for me while I go; it is a cold frosty night,’ said William, ‘you’d be catching your death.’ So the girl waited long enough to take her feathers out and say, ‘By power of my three feathers may the clothes slash and blow about till morning, and may William neither be able to take his hand from them nor gather them up^[60].’ And then she was away to bed and to sleep.

The coachman did not want to be laughed at, and he said nothing. So after a while, the footman^[61] comes to her and said: ‘I have been with my master for years and have saved up^[62] a good bit, and you have been three years here, and must have saved up as well. Let us put it together, and make us a home or else stay on at service as you wish.’ Well, she got him to bring the savings to her as the others had, and then she pretended she was faint, and said to him: ‘James, I don’t feel well, run down for me and fetch me up a drop of brandy.’ Now no sooner had he started than she said: ‘By power of my three feathers may there be slashing and spilling, and James neither be able to pour the brandy straight nor take his hand from it until morning.’

And so it was. James could not get his glass filled, and there was slashing and spilling, and also down came the master to know what it meant! So James told him he could not make it out, but he could not get the drop of brandy the laundry-maid had asked for, and his hand would shake and spill everything.

When the master got back to his wife he said: ‘What has come over^[63] the men, they were all right until that laundry-maid came. Something is up now. They have all drawn out^[64] their pay, and yet they don’t leave, and what can it be anyway?’

But his wife said she could not hear of the laundry-maid being blamed, for she was the best servant she had and worth all the rest put together.

So it went on until one day as the girl stood in the hall door, the coachman happened to say to the footman: ‘Do you know how that girl served me, James?’ And then William told about the clothes. The butler put in, ‘That was nothing to what she served me,’ and he told of the shutters clapping all night.

Just then the master came through the hall, and the girl said: ‘By power of my three feathers may there be slashing and striving^[65] between master and men, and may all get splashed in the pond.’

And so it was, the men argued which had suffered the most by her, and when the master came up all would be heard at once and none listened to him, and they had shoved^[66] one another into the pond.

When the girl thought they had had enough she took the spell off, and the master asked her what had begun the fight, for he had not heard in the confusion^[67].

And the girl said: ‘They were ready to fall on^[68] anyone; they’d have beat me if you had not come by.’

So it went on, and through her feathers she made the best laundress ever known. But to make a long story short, when the seven years and a day were up, the bird-husband, who had known her doings all along, came after her, restored to his own shape again. And he told her mistress he had come to take her from being a servant, and that she should have servants under her. But he did not tell of the feathers.

And then he bade^[69] her give the men back their savings.

‘That was a rare game you had with them,’ said he, ‘but now you are going where there is plenty, leave them each their own.’ So she did; and they went to their castle, where they lived happy ever after.

EXERCISES

1) True or false?

1. The girl’s husband had a deformity.

2. After the girl saw her husband, he changed into a bird.

3. The girl had to work for ten years as a laundry-maid.

4. The girl’s husband gave her three magic feathers.

5. The butler, the coachman and the cook wanted to marry the girl.

2) Fill in the gaps using words in brackets.

1. The girl… (to think) that was funny, and all her friends… (to tell) her there must be something wrong with her husband.

2. One night when he… (to come) home she suddenly… (to lit) a candle and… (to see) him.

3. And the girl… (to tell) him to bring her the money, and he… (to ask) his master for it, and… (to bring) it to her.

4. The men… (to argue) which… (to suffer) the most by her.

5. When the girl… (to think) they… (to have) enough she… (to take) the spell off.

6. The bird-husband… (to come) after her and… (to restore) to his own shape again.

7. They… (to go) to their castle, where they… (to live) happy ever after.

3) Translate the following sentences using ‘neither… nor…’ construction:

1. Дворецкий не мог ни оставить жалюзи, ни сделать так, чтобы они не открывались.

2. Пусть Уильям не сможет ни оторвать руки от одежды, ни подобрать её.

3. Пусть Джеймс не сможет ни налить бренди, ни убрать руку с бутылки.

4. Я не могу ни прочесть этот текст, ни перевести его.

4) Translate the following sentences:

1. Что бы прачка ни загадала на перья, всё исполнялось.

2. Прачка попросила дворецкого закрепить жалюзи.

3. Она положила в фартук деньги, которые она получила от кучера.

4. Лакей скопил десять фунтов.

5. Дворецкий, лакей и кучер стали бороться и столкнули друг друга в пруд.

6. Господин закричал: «Что на вас нашло?»

7. В этой неразберихе они были готовы наброситься на кого угодно.

5) Retell the fairy-tale.