Mark twain (1835–1910)

M. Twain is one of America’s most famous authors. He wrote many books including “The adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.

M. Twain was born in 1835 in the state of Missouri, near the Mississippi River. He came from a poor family. His father died when he was 12, so he had to leave school. While he was still a boy, he worked as a riverboat pilot.

The Civil War, which started in 1861, made traveling on the Mississippi impossible. Twain went to Nevada, then to California. Later he left California to travel in Europe. Twain wrote a book about his trips around Europe.

But the most important influence on Twain and his books was the Mississippi River. One of Twain’s books is called “Life on the Mississippi”.

In fact, even the name Mark Twain comes from the Mississippi. M. Twain’s real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. On the river Samuel Clemens often heard the boatmen shout “Mark twain!” This meant the water was twelve feet deep. When Samuel Clemens began to write he chose for himself the name Mark Twain.

“PUNCH, BROTHERS, PUNCH”

Will the reader please look at the following verses, and see if he can discover anything harmful in them?

“Conductor, when you receive a fare,

Punch in the presence of the passanjare!

A blue trip slip for an eight-cent fare,

A buff trip slip for a six-cent fare,

A pink trip slip for a tree-cent fare,

Punch in the presence of the passanjare!”

I came across these verses in a newspaper, not long ago, and read them a couple of times. They took instant possession of me. All through breakfast they went waltzing through my brain; and when, at last, I finished my breakfast, I could not tell whether I had eaten or not. My head kept humming. “A blue trip slip for an eight-cent fare, a buff trip slip for a six-cent fare,” and so on and so on.

The day’s work was ruined. I tried to read, but there was nothing visisble upon the page except: “Punch! Punch in the presence of the passanjare!”

Two days later I went to keep an appointment with a friend of mine. He stared at me. But asked no questions. We started for a walk.

My friend talked and talked, I said nothing: I heard nothing. At last he said: “Mark, are you sick? I never saw a man look so worn and absent-minded. Say something, do!”

I said without enthusiasm: “Punch, brothers, punch with care! Punch in the presence of the passanjare!”

My friend’s face lighted with interest. He said: “Why, what a charming verse it is! It is almost music. I have nearly caught the rhymes myself. Say them over just once more, and then I”ll have them, sure.” I said them over. Then my friend said them. The next time and the next he got them right.

Now a great burden seemed to fall from my shoulders. That torturing verse departed out of my brain, and a sense of rest and peace descended upon me.

As I parted with my friend, I said: “Haven’t we had a good time! But now I remember, you haven’t said a word for two hours.”

My friend looked at me sadly, drew a deep sigh, and said: “Punch, brothers, punch with care! Punch in the presence of the passanjare!” A pang shot through me as I said to myself: Poor fellow, poor fellow! He has got it now.”

I did not see my friend for two or three days after that. Then, on Tuesday evening, he came to see me. He was pale and worn. He lifted his eyes to my face and said: “Ah, Mark, those heartless rhymes have haunted me like a nightmare day and night, hour after hour, to this very moment.”

My friend’s hopeless eyes rested upon mine, and then he said impressively: “Mark, you do not say anything. You do not offer me any hope. Something tells me that my tongue is doomed to repeat for ever these heartless rhymes. There, there, it is coming on me again: “A blue trip slip for an eight-cent fare, a buff trip slip for a …”

Thus murmuring fainter and fainter, my friend sank into a peaceful trance.

How did I finally save him from the asylum? I took him to a neighbouring university and made him discharge the burden of his persecuting rhymes into the eager ears of poor unthinking students.

How is it with them now? The result is too sad to tell.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Answer the questions.

1. By what writer is this story?

2. Where did Mark Twain come across these verses?

3. How many times did he read them?

4. Did he forget them?

5. What was he thinking about while having breakfast?

6. Could he read and work that day?

7. With whom did he go to keep an appointment?

8. Who talked during their walk?

9. What did his friend ask him to do?

10. What was Mark Twain’s answer?

11. Did his friend like the verses?

12. What did he ask Mark Twain to do?

13. How many times did he repeat the verses?

14. Why did Mark Twain feel a sense of rest and peace?

15. What did he say to his friend? Did he answer him?

16. When did Mark Twain see his friend again?

17. What did he look like? Did he say anything about those rhymes?

18. How did Mark Twain save him from the asylum?

2. Fill in the blanks with necessary articles.

1. Once … great American novelist Mark Twain came across some … verses in … newspaper.

2. … verses were about … conductor who is to punch … blue trip slip for … eight-cent fare in … presence of the passenger in … tram.

3. He read … verses … couple of times and remembered them.

4. Having breakfast, working or walking he was thinking about …rhymes.

5. … day’s work was ruined; he could not read as he did not see anything upon … page except … verses.

6. In some days he went to keep …appointment with … friends of his.

7. His friend said: “I never saw … man look so absent-minded. Are you sick, Mark?”

8. … answer was: “Punch in … presence of … passanjare!”

9. “What … charming verse it is! Say it again,” said his friend.

10. He said … verses once then … next time and … next he got them right.

11. …a great burden fell from Mark Twain’s shoulders, but his poor friend began to repeat … rhymes.

12. To save him from … asylum Mark Twain took him to … neighbouring university where he discharged … burden of … rhymes into …ears of … unthinking students.

13. “… result is too bad to tell,” concluded … story Mark Twain.

3. Make up your own sentences with the following words and word combinations.

1. to punch 6. burden

2. to be ruined 7. sense of rest and peace

3. to keep an appointment 8. to drew a deep sigh

4. to look absent-minded 9. to discharge

5. charming verse

4. Think of a conversation between Mark Twain and his friend and the students of the university.

5. Try to retell the content of the story.