Антоний Погорельский - Черная курица, или Подземные жители / The Black Hen

"Is she asking me to stay?" thought Alyosha. "No, it can't be!"

After supper Alyosha went to the classroom and sat there alone. The guests left at half past ten.Before that Alyosha went downstairs to the bedroom. He got into his bed. The boy put out the light. But he couldn't sleep. Some time later the headmaster entered the bedroom. He had a candle in his hand. He looked at Alyosha and left, closing the door.

Alyosha looked at the moon. All was quiet. Suddenly the boy heard a noise. He looked at the bed of his best friend and saw something strange. "The sheet on the bed is moving!" he thought. And then a voice called him quietly:

"Alyosha! Alyosha!"

Alyosha closed his eyes. He was alone in the bedroom. He was afraid to open his eyes.

"There is somebody under the bed," he thought, "but how can he know my name?"

Alyosha sat up in bed. The sheet started moving again. Somebody called him once more.Suddenly from under the white sheet came… the black hen!

"Oh! It's you, Blacky!" Alyosha cried. "How did you get here?"

Blacky flew up on his bed and said:

"Yes, it's me, Alyosha! You're not afraid of me, are you?"

"No, Blacky, I'm not afraid of you. You are my friend. It's nice to hear your voice. You can speak so well."

"If you are not afraid of me," said the hen, "come with me now. Please, put on your clothes. Quickly!"

"You are funny, Blacky!" said Alyosha. "How can I do that? It's so dark here. I don't see my clothes."

"OK. I have an idea," said the hen.

Then she said something in a strange voice. And suddenly Alyosha saw a lot of very small candles everywhere. The candles were on the floor, on the chairs, at the windows. It was no longerdark in the room. Alyosha put on his clothes. Then Blacky said something again, and the candles disappeared.

"Follow me!" she told him.

drawing room— гостиная.

at all— совсем, вовсе.

at once— сразу же.

at half past ten— в половине одиннадцатого.

The boy put out the light. — Мальчик погасил свет.

once more— еще раз.

no longer— больше не.

1 Say who:

1) wanted to see the inspector of schools.

2) saw the inspector through the window.

3) didn't want to take new pieces of bread from Alyosha.

4) left at half past ten.

5) entered Alyosha's bedroom with a candle in his hand.

6) said something in a strange voice.

7) put on his clothes.

2 Put the sentences in the right order.

1) Alyosha put on his coat and a hat and ran out into the yard.

2) Blacky came up to Alyosha at once.

3) "The sheet on the bed is moving!" thought the boy.

4) The headmaster went out of the house to meet the inspector.

5) Suddenly the boy heard a noise.

6) "Come with me now," said Blacky.

7) After supper Alyosha went to the classroom and sat there alone.

3 Choose right.

1) The headmaster's wife opened / closed the door of the drawing room.

2) The inspector was a tall / small man in a grey suit.

3) Alyosha couldn't stop thinking about the hen / coin.

4) Suddenly from under the sheet / bed came the hen.

4 Fill in the prepositions.

1) Even Alyosha forgot ____ his hen.

2) The headmaster had a candle ____ his hand.

3) Alyosha looked ____ the moon.

4) The candles were ____ the floor and ____ chairs.

5) Alyosha put ____ his clothes and followed Blacky.

5 Fill in the words from the box.

moon grass stars dog

1) Blacky's eyes were like two bright ____.

2) The ____ today is like a big piece of cheese.

3) Blacky followed Alyosha around the yard like a ____.

4) Alyosha's hat was green like ____.

6 Explain why:

1) Alyosha couldn't go to the hen-house before the dinner.

2) the hens didn't want to play with Alyosha.

3) Alyosha couldn't put on his clothes at once.

Alyosha bravely followed the hen. Blacky's eyes were very bright. So they didn't even need a candle. Alyosha and the hen walked through the hall.

"The door is closed, and I haven't got the key," said Alyosha.

The hen said nothing. She flapped her wings, and the door opened. Alyosha and Blacky went to the rooms of the Dutch ladies. One of them had a big grey parrot. The other one had a grey cat. The cat was very clever. She could even give her paw.

Alyosha and Blacky came up to the door of the first room. The hen flapped her wings again, and the door opened. In the room Alyosha saw beautiful old chairs and tables. He wanted to stop and look at the tables.

"We can't stop here," said Blacky.

Alyosha followed the hen into the second room. He saw a beautiful gold cage. There was a big parrot in the cage. He was grey, and his tail was red. Alyosha wanted to come up to the cage at once. But Blacky didn't let him do it.

"Don't touch anything here," she said. "You can wake the old ladies!"

Only then Alyosha saw a bed near the parrot. On the bed there was a lady. Her eyes were closed. She looked very old. In another corner there was another bed with another old lady on it. And near her the boy saw a grey cat. Alyosha came up to her and said:

"Give me your paw. Can you do that for me?"

The cat started mewing loudly. The parrot cried: "Silly boy!" The old ladies opened their eyes and sat up in bed. Blacky ran out of the room. Alyosha followed her. They closed the door behind them. But they could still hear the parrot: "Silly boy! Silly boy!"

"That's bad," said the hen. "I'm afraid the knights are not sleeping now."

"What knights?" asked Alyosha.

"Please don't ask me any questions," said Blacky. "We must go now. Follow me. Don't be afraid."

They went downstairs and walked along the corridors. Some of them were very long, low and narrow. Then they came into a large hall. The hall had no windows, but there were three wonderful large lamps. Alyosha saw many portraits of the knights on the walls.

"Alyosha! Please, be quiet," said Blacky.

At the end of the hall there was a large door. Alyosha and the hen came up to the door. Suddenly two knights jumped off the wall and went to Blacky. At that moment the hen started growing. She became very big and tall. She was bigger and taller than the knights. Blacky started fighting with the knights. The hen was brave. But the knights were strong too. Alyosha didn't see the end of the fight because he fainted.

When he opened his eyes, it was morning. He was in bed. There was no Blacky and the knights. Alyosha thought about last night: "Was it real? Or was it a dream?"

The boy put on his clothes and went upstairs to have breakfast. He wanted to play in the yard after breakfast, but there was too much snow. So he didn't go out.

After dinner the headmaster's wife told her husband: "I can't find the black hen anywhere. But don't worry. We never get eggs from this hen. I think we can eat her for dinner some time."

Alyosha became very sad. In the afternoon he stayed in the classroom again. He couldn't stop thinking about last night. He wanted to see the hen.

"She is not in the hen-house. But I may see her this night again," he thought.

The time came to go to bed. Alyosha quickly took off his clothes and got into his bed. He looked at the other bed …. and the white sheet started moving again. And again the boy heard a voice: "Alyosha! Alyosha!" Then Blacky came out from under the bed and flew up on Alyosha's bed. He was very happy to see the hen.

"O! Hello, Blacky!" he cried. "Are you OK?"

"Yes," said the hen. "But I could be dead because of you."

"What do you mean?" asked Alyosha.

"You're a good boy," said Blacky, "but you didn't listen to me yesterday. It's bad. I told you not to touch anything. But you talked to the cat. The cat woke the parrot. The parrot woke the old ladies. The old ladies woke the knights. The knights started fighting with me."

"I'm sorry, dear Blacky," said Alyosha. "I promise to listen to you.

Always! Please, take me with you again."

"OK," said the hen.

She flapped her wings— Она захлопала крыльями.

because he fainted— потому что он потерял сознание.

because of you— из-за тебя.

1 Answer the questions.

1) Where did Blacky take Alyosha?

2) What did the cat do?

3) Who started fighting with Blacky? Why?

4) When did Alyosha see Blacky again?

5) What did Alyosha promise her?

2 Put the sentences in the right order.

1) Alyosha and Blacky went to the rooms of the Dutch ladies.

2) In the second room the boy saw a beautiful gold cage with a parrot and a cat.

3) Alyosha didn't see the end of the fight because he fainted.

4) The old ladies opened their eyes and sat up in bed.

5) Two knights jumped off the wall and started fighting with Blacky.

6) In the first room Alyosha saw beautiful old chairs and tables.

7) The cat started mewing loudly.

3 Choose right.

1) Blacky flapped her wings, and the door closed / opened.

2) Alyosha put on / took off his clothes and went upstairs to have breakfast.

3) Alyosha touched / talked to the cat.

4) The old ladies woke / woke up the knights.

4 Complete the sentences.

1) "The door is closed, and I haven't got the ____," said Alyosha.

2) There was a big ____ in the cage.

3) "I'm afraid the ____ are not sleeping now," said Blacky.

4) "Was it real? Or was it a ____?" thought Alyosha.

5) "We never get ____ from the black hen," said the headmaster's wife.

5 Fill in the prepositions.

1) The hen said something ____ a strange voice.

2) Alyosha didn't listen ____ to Blacky and talked to the cat.

3) Alyosha saw many portraits of the knights ____ the walls.

4) It was time to go ____ bed.

5) Blacky could be dead ____ Alyosha.

6 Say why:

1) Alyosha and Blacky didn't need a candle in dark rooms and corridors.

2) The headmaster's wife wanted to eat the black hen for dinner.

3) Blacky took the boy with him again.

The black hen said some words. There were small candles everywhere again. Alyosha put on his clothes and followed Blacky. They went to the rooms of the old ladies again.

In the first room Alyosha saw the old tables and chairs again. There were many pictures on the walls too. But the people and animals in the pictures looked very strange.

"Their faces are so funny! Why are they doing it?" thought Alyosha. "I see. They're trying to make me do something silly."The boy turned away from them. In the second room he saw the old Dutch ladies again. They were in bed. The parrot and the cat looked at the boy, but Alyosha didn't stop. Then he saw two beautiful dolls on a table. He wanted to touch them. He remembered Blacky's words. So he didn't stop, but he smiled. The dolls jumped off the table at once and ran after him. Blacky turned and looked at Alyosha. She was angry. The boy ran up to the hen. The dolls followed them to the doors. Then they went back to their places.