Кот в сапогах/ The Cat in Boots
Helpful Words & Notes
He kept a long way ahead of the King's carriage. — Он намного опережал карету короля.
mowers — косари
with one voice — в один голос
for yourself — сами
The crops of hay are high every year. — Этот луг каждый год дает много сена.
far ahead — далеко впереди
reapers — жнецы
At this the King was pleased with the Marquis more than ever. — Услышав это, король еще больше порадовался за маркиза.
I'm going to the castle at once to get everything ready for you. — Я немедленно отправляюсь в замок, чтобы всё подготовить к вашему приезду.
in the meantime — за это время
Exercises
1. Say what:
1) the Cat in Boots did to keep ahead of the King's carriage.
2) the Cat asked the mowers and reapers to do.
3) the King thought about the meadow and the wheat field.
4) places "belonged" to the Marquis of Carabas.
5) other place the King wanted to visit too.
2. Correct the statements.
1) The Cat in Boots and the miller's son ran far ahead of the King.
2) The crops of hay on the meadow were low every year.
3) The King drove past schools and shops.
4) The Cat asked the King to wait for five minutes.
5) The princess was fond of birds.
3. Choose right.
1) The Cat talked to the mowers in a kind/firm voice.
2) The mowers trembled with fear/cold.
3) The Cat came to a potato/wheat field.
4. Use the synonyms from the text.
1) The miller's son got into the carriage.
2) The Cat in Boots came back to the King's carriage.
3) The Marquis of Carabas asked the King to visit his castle.
4) The princess liked white roses.
5. Fill in the prepositions from the box.
up in of with past
1) The King's carriage drove ___ many more meadows and fields.
2) The Cat came ___ to the King.
3) The Cat and his master thanked the King ___ one voice.
4) The castle was ___ the park.
5) The crop ___wheat was high.
6. Fill in the right form of the verb to be.
1) Whose mill ___ this?
2) Whose partridges ___ those?
3) Whose hay ___ this?
4) Whose coins ___ those?
7. Describe the King's journey. Say what he saw and heard in all those places.
8. The princess was fond of white roses. Say what you and your friends are fond of.
9. Choose a place from the list (a field, a meadow, a park, a garden). Draw a picture of that place with some people and animals. Tell a story about them.
Chapter 5
The Cat in Boots ran to the castle. It stood in the middle of a big park. There were wonderful flowers everywhere in the park.
The castle itself was a beautiful high building with small towers. The roofs were red. The walls of the castle were made of white stone. The windows were narrow but high. The rooms on the ground floor had the highest windows. And through the glass visitors could see elegant green curtains.
The castle belonged to a giant. He was the richest giant in the country. All the fields, meadows and woods around the castle were part of his lands. Many people worked for him.
The Cat already knew a lot about the Giant. He was a cruel man. Everyone was terribly afraid of him.
The Cat put on a brave face and went to the castle with his boots on. Soon he arrived at the gate. He asked a servant to speak to the Giant.
"I am a traveller," he said, "I was not far from here. I couldn't go so near the castle of such a noble gentleman without meeting him."
The Giant heard this message and agreed to see the visitor. He was going to have dinner, so he was in a good mood.
"Please sit down and have dinner with me," he said to the Cat.
"Thank you, sir," said the Cat. "But first I hope you can answer a question. They say that you can change yourself into any animal. A lion, for example, or an elephant."
"That's true," said the Giant. "And I can prove it just now. Look! Whom do you see now?"
And the Giant changed himself into a big lion.
The Cat was terribly frightened. He even climbed up the curtain. Of course, it wasn't easy to climb in boots. But the lion was so big! How can you be brave and keep still near such an awful animal?
A few moments later the lion changed back into the Giant. The Cat came down.
"I'm so sorry, sir. I was very frightened," he said. "But do you know what I think? It was easy for such a big gentleman as you to change yourself into a large animal. But I'm afraid even you can't become a small animal, such as a rat or a mouse. It's just impossible."
"Impossible!" cried the Giant, very angry. "See how it's impossible!"
At the same moment he changed himself into a mouse. The mouse began to run about the floor.
It was part of the Cat's plan. He jumped on the mouse at once and ate it. So that was the end to the Giant.
Helpful Words & Notes
the ground floor — первый этаж (the ground floor — дословно этаж на земле; так называют нижний этаж в Великобритании; the first floor — это наш второй этаж, и т. д.; в Америке этажи, как правило, называются так же, как и у нас).
a lot = much.
The Cat put on a brave face and went to the castle with his boots on. — Кот сделал вид, что ему не страшно, и, не снимая сапог, отправился в замок.
I couldn't go so near the castle of such a noble gentleman without meeting him. — Я не мог пройти мимо замка такого благородного господина, не встретившись с ним.
in a good mood — в хорошем настроении.
They say — Говорят.
change yourself into — превращаться в (Обратите внимание на то, что местоимение должно употребляться в том же числе и лице, что и подлежащее: you — yourself, he — himself.)
That's true — Всё верно.
keep still — не шевелиться, не двигаться.
ate — форма прошедшего времени глагола eat.
Exercises
1. Say who:
• arrived at the gate of the Giant's castle with his boots on.
• gave the Cat's message to the Giant.
• invited the Cat to dinner.
• changed himself into a lion.
• climbed up the curtain.
• began to run about the floor.
• jumped on the mouse and ate it.
2. Answer the questions.
1) What did the Giant's castle look like?
2) What did the Cat know about the Giant?
3) Why did the Giant agree to see the unusual visitor?
4) Why did the Cat climb up the curtain?
5) What made the Giant angry?
6) What happened to the Giant?
3. Choose right.
1) The walls of the castle were made of ___.
a) black stone
b) white glass
c) white stone
2) The rooms on the ___ had
the highest windows.
