2.7. The Ox and the Frog

Once Mr Frog and his two 1)_______ (child)

went to a pond to get a drink of water. There, for the

2) ______ (one) time in their lives, they saw an Ox (бык).

"What a big, 3) _____(beauty) animal”, thought Mr Frog. "In the frog world I am big and nice, but this animal makes 4)___(I) feel very little. I will puff myself up (надуюсь) and become as big as that Ox."

Mr Frog took a big breath and asked little frogs, "5)_____(be) I as big and nice as that Ox?" "No, Dad," answered his sons.

Mr Frog puffed himself up again and asked, "And now?" "No, Dad," 6)_______(cry) his sons.

"They must never know that I am small," thought Mr. Frog. "They must think that their father is 7)____ (big) and more beautiful than any other animal."

So Mr Frog took another breath, and then another, and then he burst (лопнул). Poor silly Mr. Frog!

1	2	3	4	5	6	7

2.8 Aesop and the Traveller

Aesop 1) (be) a very clever man who lived hundreds of years ago in Greece. He wrote many

fine 2) (story). He was well-known as a man who was fond of jokes.

One day, as he 3) (enjoy) a walk, he met a traveller, who greeted him and said, "Kind man, can you say how soon I shall get to town?" "Go," Aesop nswered. "I know I must go," protested the traveller, «but I would like you to tell 4)___ (I) how soon I shall get to town."

"Go," Aesop said again 5)______(angry).

"This man must be mad," the traveller 6)______(think)and went on.

After he had gone some distance, Aesop shouted, after him. "You will get to town in two hours." The traveller turned round in surprise. «Why didn't you tell me that before?" he asked. «"How could I have told that before?" answered Aesop. «I did not know how fast you 7)_______(can) walk."

1	2	3	4	5	6	7

2.9. Matryoshka dolls

It may seem strange, but Matryoshka dolls are a relatively (относительно) new phenomenon.

They 1) (one) appeared in 1899 in the town of Sergiev Posad. The idea 2)_______(bring)_; to Russia from Japan by merchants (купцы). But village artists adopted them very 3) _______(quick) and made them into a great variety of shapes. They were designed as toys for 4)_______ (child) Some dolls depicted families in 5)________(nation) costumes, later they became characters from different tales and novels, political figu­res, animals.

Matryoshka is a beautiful 6)_______(Russia) souvenir. This wooden doll 7)_________ (decorate) any place. You can see lots of them in the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad and also buy them in shops.

1	2	3	4	5	6	7