Сергей Матвеев - Принцесса Кентербери и другие английские легенды / Princess of Canterbury (сборник)

Then they all wondered, and the harper told them how he had seen the princess lying drowned on the bank near the bonny mill-dams o’ Binnorie, and how he had afterwards made this harp out of her hair and breastbone. Just then the harp began singing again, and this was what it sang out loud and clear:

And the harp snapped and broke, and never sang more. But later this story became a ballad called “The Twa Sisters [36]”. It goes like this:

1. Выберите правильный вариант:

1. This is the tale of a man saved by his father.

2. This is the tale of a man drowned by his brother.

3. This is the tale of a girl drowned by her sister.

4. This is the tale of a girl saved by her sister.

2. Where does murdered girl’s body float?

1. The murdered girl’s body floats far away.

2. The murdered girl’s body floats nowhere.

3. The murdered girl’s body does not float.

4. The murdered girl’s body floats ashore.

3. What is a harp?

1. a musical instrument played using a keyboard

2. a popular musical instrument that makes sound by the playing of its six strings

3. a multi-string musical instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard

4. a musical instrument in the brass family

4. Why did the elder sister refuse to pull her younger sister out again?

1. Because she wanted to drown her younger sister.

2. Because she could not swim.

3. Because she wanted to teach her swim.

4. Because the younger sister was very heavy.

5. What is a Court?

1. a governmental institution

2. the retinue and larger household and entourage of a high nobleman

3. the place in which tennis matches are played

4. an indoor plaza

6. What is the elder sister’s motive?

1. jealousy

2. greediness

3. cowardice

4. laziness

7. Выберите правильный вариант:

1. The elder sister’s affections are greatly encouraged by the young man.

2. The elder sister’s affections are not encouraged by the young man.

3. The elder sister’s affections are not seen by the young man.

4. The elder sister’s affections make the young man satisfied.

8. What does it mean, “ Lay the bent to the bonnie broom”?

1. clean the house

2. cut some bushes

3. make a powerful talisman

4. destroy evil amulets

9. What is “twa”?

1. 3

2. 4

3. 6

4. 2

10. Выберите нужный глагол:

Fair and beautiful she looked as she _____________ there.

1. lay

2. lain

3. lie

4. lied

11. Выберите нужные глаголы:

The harp _____________ itself and _____________ about the murder.

1. dances, plays

2. plays, sings

3. sings, plays

4. talks, says

12. Выберите нужный предлог:

And when they got _____________ the river’s bank the youngest got _____________ a stone to watch _____________ the coming _____________ the boats.

1. of, for, upon, at

2. on, in, between, for

3. into, of, at, by

4. to, upon, for, of

13. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. How many persons are mentioned in the story?

2. What is the name of the wooer?

3. What have you learned about the jealousy?

4. What do you like and what don’t you like in the story?

5. What would you do if you were [41]the main character of the story?

6. What is the end of the story?

7. Retell the story.

14. Заполните таблицу:

1. This is the tale of a girl drowned by her sister.

2. The murdered girl’s body floats ashore.

3. a multi-string musical instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard

4. Because she wanted to drown her younger sister.

5. the retinue and larger household and entourage of a high nobleman

6. jealousy

7. The elder sister’s affections are not encouraged by the young man.

8. make a powerful talisman

9. 2

10. lay: Fair and beautiful she looked as she lay there.

11. plays, sings: The harp plays itself and sings about the murder.

12. And when they got to the river’s bank the youngest got upon a stone to watch for the coming of the boats.

14.

In the days of the great King Arthur [43]there lived a magician called Merlin. [44]He was the most wonderful magician in the world. This famous magician, who could take any form he wanted, was once travelling about as a poor beggar. One day he got very tired and stopped to rest at the house of a farmer. He knocked at the door and begged for some food.

The countryman invited him to come in, and his wife, who was a very kind woman, soon brought him some milk in a wooden bowl, and some brown bread on a plate.

Merlin was much pleased with the kindness of the farmer and his wife, but he noticed that though everything was tidy and comfortable in the house, they both looked unhappy. He asked them why they were so sad, and learned that they were unhappy because they had no children.

The poor woman said, with tears in her eyes, “I should be the happiest woman in the world if I had a son. Even if he was no bigger than my husband’s thumb, I would be pleased.”

Merlin was so much amused with the idea of a boy [45]no bigger than a man’s thumb, that he decided to carry out the poor woman’s wish. [46]Some time after, the farmer’s wife had a son, who was not bigger than his father’s thumb.

The queen of the fairies wished to see the little boy. She came in at the window while the happy mother was sitting up in the bed looking at the boy. The queen kissed the child, gave it the name of Tom Thumb, and sent for some of the fairies. She gave orders to the fairies to dress the little boy, and the fairies dressed him very well.

Tom did not grow any bigger than his father’s thumb, which was an ordinary finger. But as he got older, he became very cunning and full of tricks. When he was old enough to play with other boys and had lost all his own cherry-stones [47]for playing the games he usually crept into the bags of his friends and filled his pockets. No one noticed him. Then he joined in the game again.

One day as he was getting out of a bag of cherry-stones, the boy to whom it belonged saw him. “Ah, ah! You little thief!” said the boy, “you’ve stolen my cherry-stones. I’ve caught you at last.” And the boy gave the bag such a shake that poor little Tom’s legs and body were badly hurt, and Tom screamed with pain, [48]and promised never to steal again.

A short time afterwards his mother was making a batter pudding, Tommy wanted to see how it was made and climbed up to the edge of the bowl. But his foot slipped, and he fell into the batter. His mother didn’t notice him, and put the batter into the pudding-bag. Then she put it in the pot to boil.

The batter filled Tom’s mouth, and he could not cry. But when he felt the hot water, he began to struggle so much in the pot that his mother thought that the pudding was magic. So she pulled it out of the pot and threw it outside the door. A poor worker, who was passing by, lifted up the pudding, and walked off. As Tom had now cleared his mouth of the batter, he began to scream. The worker was so frightened that he threw down the pudding and ran away. The pudding was broken to pieces, Tom crept out with the batter all over him, and walked home. His mother put him into a teacup, and soon washed off the batter. After that she kissed him, and put him to bed.