English tales

~ William Somerset Maugham

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4.What didn't the King of Siam like to do with presents оп his birthday?

5.What bird did the Princess September find dead in the golden cage?

DOWN:

6. Were there апу tears about the dead green parrot?

7. Did the elder sisters grow Ьеаиtiful?

8. Did the nightingale want to sit in the cage?

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9. Who was giving presents to the children оп his own birthday?

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190

CHARLES DICKENS

(1812-1870)

Выдающийся английский писатель Чарльз Дик­ кенс не раз обращался к жанру сказки: «Christmas

Tales» (1843-1845), книга «Holiday Romance» (1868).

Характерные черты творчества Диккенса особен­

но ясно проявились В «Рождественских расска­

зах». Традиционный жанр святочного рассказа со

всеми утвердившимися его атрибутами - пере­

плетение реальности с фантастикой, достовернос­

ти с вымыслом, появление духов и волшебников, обязательное завершение счастливой развязкой - Диккенс наполнил новым содержанием. Он защи­ щает обездоленных и угнетенных, прославляет до­ брое и отзывчивое человеческое сердце.

:Книга «Holiday Romance» включает четыре ис­

тории, якобы рассказанные детьми в возрасте от 6 до 8 лет. Один из этих рассказов - «Магическая

рыбья ко<?ть» - рассказан семилетней мисс Али­

сой РеЙнбёд.

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~ Charles Dickens

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ТНЕ MAGIC FISH-BONE

МАГИЧЕСКАЯ РЫБЬЯ КОСТЬ

There was once а king, and he had а queen. The king was, in his private profession, under government. They had 19 children.

One day the king was going to the office and stopped at the fishmonger's to Ьиу some fish. Не bought fish and sent it home. There was an old lady

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~_________Ch a_rl_e_s_D_i_C_k_e_n_s___________~

in the shop. She was the good Fairy Grandmarina. She asked the king to tell the beautiful Alicia to dry, to гиЬ and to polish the fish-bone оп her plate and to take care of it as а present from the good Fairy. The message was: ТНЕ МAGIC FISH-BONE WILL РRОVШЕ ALICIA'S WISH ONLY ONCE АТ ТНЕ RIGHT TIME.

With these words Grandmarina vanished. The King told princess Alicia about the magic fish-bone.

Charles Dickens

The princess was а very clever girl and understood that she could use the fish-bone only once. Many troubles сате to the king's family: the queen had fallen ill, one о! the young princes cut his hand, the ЬаЬу fell under the grate. And each time princess Alicia helped the members о! her family. 8he understood the secret о! the magic fish-bone. One day the king сате home low-spirited and said he had по money and there was по way о! getting any money. Alicia said it was the right time for asking help о! others. 80 she took out о! her pocket the magic fish-bone and gave it one lit-

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Charles Dickens

tle kiss and wished it was quarter-day. And immediately it was quarter-day; and the king's quarter's salary сате down the chimney; dressed in silver and gold Grandmarina сате in а carriage and kissed her god-daughter princess Alicia. And the queen сате in most splendidly dressed; and the seventeen young princes and princesses and the ЬаЬу сате in newly fitted out fromtop to toe; and Alicia appeared dressed

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Charles Dickens

like а little bride with а wreath of orange-flowers and а silver уеН. The kitchen dresser was changed into а wardrobe, made of beautiful woods and gold and looking-glass, which was full of dresses of аН sorts exactly fitting her.

Then Grandmarina found Prince Certainpersonio. In the church were prince's relations and friends, and

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____________c_h_a_r_l_e_s Dic_k_e_n_s ~

the Princess Alicia's relations and friends"and the seventeen princess and princesses, and the ЬаЬу. The marriage was beautiful beyond expression.

At the end Grandmarina turned to Certainpersonio and Alicia and said, «Му dears, уои wiH have thir- ty-five children, and they wiH аН Ье good and Ьеаu­ tiful. Seventeen of your children will Ье boys, and eighteen wiH Ье girls. The hair of the whole of your children will curl naturally. They will never have the measles, and will have recovered from the whoo- ping-cough before being born». Happyend!

VOCABULARY

private [~praIVIt] - тайный, секретный

живала

the fishmonger's [fIS mЛIJgЭ"z] - рыбный магазин

лять

to vanish [~vrenrJ] - исчезать

а grate [greIt] - здесь: каминная решетка

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to curl [k3'-:l] - виться, закручиваться

the measles [mi:zlz] - корь

the whooping-cough ["wu:pI1Jk~t] - коклюIiI

STEPl

Read the text and tell your friend about the magic fish-bone. Use the pictures:

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Charles Dickens

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