III. Post-reading

3.1. Feelings.

Strangers in the night knocking on people's doors can be un­welcome guests. Describe how people would normally react when hearing someone banging on their door in the middle of the night, dark and tempestuous. Tell a hair-raising story!

e.g. Dark and tempestuous was the night. I was sitting alone (!) in the hall of my ancient castle (!!) when suddenly ...

3.2. Dreams, dreams, dreams...

If King of Goblins (or Dwarves, or Elves, or Trolls) came and said to you, "Now that you are such a great student of English, I will grant any wish of yours connected with learning. Make your wish quickly!" What would you wish?

3.3. Poetry corner.

Read the following poem written by Walter de la Mare and say if you feel the atmosphere the author creates. By the way, how does he manage to do that?

SOME ONE

Some one came knocking

At my wee, small door;

Some one came knocking,

I'm sure — sure — sure;

I listened, I opened,

I looked to left and right,

But naught there was a-stirring

In the still dark night;

Only the busy beetle

Tap-tapping in the wall,

Only from the forest

The screech-owl's call,

Only the cricket whistling

While the dewdrops fall,"

So I know not who came knocking,

At all, at all, at all.

A TASTE OF HAPPINESS

I. PRE-READING

1.1. SHARE your ideas about meals and moods. Do you think there might be a connection between the two? How strong a con­nection?

1.2. DISCUSS the saying: "We eat to live, not live to eat." Do you think it was invented by the hungry or vice versa?

1.3. SHARE your recollections of the occasion when a delicious (or disgusting) meal helped you feel better (or worse).

II. READING

2.1. Understanding the title.

The title of the story written by Wayne Myers sounds self-con­tradictory: one cannot taste (or smell, or touch) happiness. Does the title suggest we should try to do that?

2.2. Reading for pleasure and enrichment..

Read and answer the following question: Which will be the name of that day in the Walsh family chronicle — Grasshoppers Day, Lost Crops Day, or Unexpected Feast Day? The following words will be useful for better understanding of the events.

Hand-me-down — clothing used by one family member, and then another one

Mite — a little

Tend — to look after

Horde — a large crowd moving in a uncontrolled way noisy and

Spirit from — to remove in a secret or mysterious way

Foam — to make a mass of small bubbles

Mope — to feel sorry for oneself

More than anything else in the world, Anna wanted a new dress. Anna was supposed to be sound asleep, like her sis­ter Kitty beside her. But on long winter nights she often lay awake thinking... or wishing.

If just once she could have something new, not another hand-me-down!

Mary.-their grown-up sister, had once told her, "Wish on a shoot­ing star, and your wish will come true!"

Silently Anna crept out of bed and went to the window. Oh, for a shooting star! She heard Mother's voice from the kitchen below.

"Tom, we need a cash crop this summer. You and Jim work so hard already, I hate to ask."

Anna knew that ever since Pa died and her brother Tom had taken over, things had gone from bad to worse. Two years running, the Missouri River had flooded their fields. Last year it washed away some of their best land. Tom did his best. They had enough to eat, but never any money left for something new-like dress material.

"Ma, we'll plant you some cabbages," Anna heard Tom say. "Anna and Kitty can help you weed and tend them. Cabbages will bring in cash for sure."

As soon as the frost was past, Tom and Jim plowed a piece of ground near the house. Mother Walsh and the girls planted the seeds. Spring rains, sunshine, and endless weeding helped the seeds to sprout and grow, and soon the field was filled with plants.

One day Anna asked her mother if she could go into town with her. She knew that while Ma was buying provisions, she could edge down the counter of O'Neil's General Store to inspect the bolts of dress material. She might find something pretty.

"Ma, did you see this beautiful blue print?"

Frowning, her mother came over and fingered the cloth.

"Anna, you know we don't have any money for new clothes." Anna could feel her cheeks getting hot. Mother Walsh looked away, then back at her daughter.

"Maybe... just maybe, mind you!... if our cabbages do well enough, we might look at material together. But I can't promise."

After that Anna prayed nightly for the cabbages. Hot, steamy weath­er hit south- eastern Dakota Territory and hung on for weeks. The old men who sat in front of O'Neil's store talked about nothing else, until the day someone reported a cloud of grasshoppers over in Dixon County.

At the farm, Anna and Kitty stayed close to the house because of the heat. They pestered Ma for something to do.

"Anna, you take Kitty and play under the apple tree where it's a mite cooler!"

"Come on. Kitty! Let's play make-believe." Anna was tired of her sister, but she knew Mother meant business. While crossing the yard, she checked the cabbages and smiled to herself. Each stalk held a big cabbage wrapped inside its bonnet of blue leaves.

As the girls wandered down to the shady side of the barn, Tom passed them on his way to the house.

"What's that dark cloud, Tom?" Mother asked as he came into the kitchen. "Suppose there's a prairie fire?"

"Must be some fool plowin'."

"Plowing in this heat? I don't believe it!"

Moments later Anna flew into the kitchen, Kitty at her heels. They opened their fists.

"Ma! Ma! Look!"

"They're comin' up from the river! Lots and lots of grasshop­pers!"

The grownups rushed outside. Grasshoppers were everywhere. "Anna, run and find Jim!" cried their mother. "It's' hoppers, all right. Oh, Tom, my beautiful cabbages!"

By the time Anna got back with Jim, grasshoppers were ar­riving in hordes. And the cloud, black as thunder, was still a mile downriver.

"Children! Hurry!" Mother Walsh cried. "Get every blanket you can find! We're going to cover the cabbages." Anna couldn't believe her ears.

"Ma, right off the beds?"

"Yes, child, off the beds! Hurry!"

Mother Walsh ran inside and darted out again, arms loaded. She began to lay a bumpy carpet of quilts on top of the cabbages. Back and forth they ran. As the dark cloud neared, they abandoned their colorful, crazy-quilt field. Their frantic mother grabbed and shoved the last child inside.

Hot as it was, Jim ran to shut all the windows. Tom pushed old rags under the doors. Every crack was stuffed with old socks, old pants, anything to keep the grasshoppers out.

Suddenly it was dark. Outside grasshoppers were everywhere. They clung to the windows. No one could see through their squirm­ing bodies. The stifling heat worsened. Anna felt sick. Mother Walsh sat in Pa's rocker. "Lord, deliver us!" she prayed.

Anna and Kitty climbed onto her lap. Jim, big as he was, leaned near her, close to tears. Tom put his hand on her shoulder. No one said a word for a long time.

Well, that's the end of the cabbages, Anna thought, and my new dress, too!

Jim finally broke the silence.

"Ma, they're starting to fly off!"

Millions became thousands, then thousands became hundreds. For the most part they were gone, every green leaf shredded in their path. The family tore outside to inspect the damage. Across the field the many-hued quilts and blankets still showed the bumps of cab­bage plants. Each bump was clearly visible, row after row.

"Ma!" Jim was all smiles. "I think the blankets saved the cab­bages."

Everyone watched Mother Walsh as she came out to the fence. "I don't think so, children... but, we'll see. Tom, take off the covers!"

"Oh.. .oh-oh-oh!"

They groaned as they lifted the blankets. Each quilt hid the same sorry sight.

The bumps were made by the bare stocks of the cabbage plants. Every single cabbage had been eaten down to the stem. The grasshop­pers were gone, and it felt even hotter. The girls moped in the shade of the side porch. The apple tree stood naked, except for a few shredded leaves. Anna kept eyeing the 'hopper-stripped field. She had counted on those cabbages. She and her ma had both counted on them.

"Well, Anna, are you feeling as bad as I do?" Mother Walsh hugged Anna tightly. "You'll get your new dress sometime —

I promise."

Anna couldn't understand it. The cabbages were gone, and the hoped-for cash. Yet Mother was humming one of her gay Irish songs. How could she be happy when things were so bad?

"The way 1 see it," Mother said, answering her thoughts, "is that whenever things get to the worst, it's time to do something special to chase the blues away. Will you help?"

"I don't know what to do."

Anna wondered what could ever make up for all they had lost.

"Tell Jim to fetch a bucket of water. Tell him to pump 'til it comes up cold. Then hurry back and help me."

The message delivered, Anna hurried back', still puzzled.

"Get out the good linen and set the table. Use the pretty little cake plates, the ones from Aunt Emma. And the good glasses."

Mother Walsh disappeared into the pantry as Kitty helped Anna

set the places.

"Where is that boy with the water?" Mother wiped off a jar of grape juice. She held it up to the window, and Anna could see its rich purple glow. She watched Mother pour the thick, foaming liquid into her best pitcher.

Jim delivered a full bucket of water to the little sink. Ma tested its coldness, sipping from the dipper. Then she ladled out just enough to thin the rich juice and make it cold. The smell of grapes filled the

kitchen.

"Come along, children! Jim, see if you can locate Tom. I wish Mary weren't away working. Then she could share our surprise, too."

Tom and Jim came in.

"Ma, is this a party... today?"

Tom grinned a boyish grin.

"Yes, Tom. We've stored enough food in the root cellar and pantry to carry us through the winter, cabbages or no cabbages. But, for today, I figure we all need a little taste of happiness." As they sat down, Anna saw Mother uncover a plate of sugar cookies spirited from some secret hiding place. Anna ate her cookie slowly, savoring the sweet, lemony treat. Kitty gobbled hers down. Then she drank deeply of the cool juice and came up for air with a purple face.

"Kitty's got a mustache! Kitty's got a mustache!" Jim began to tease her, but Mother raised her hand, and he stopped. Anna felt better. She looked around at the others, eating and laughing. Then at Mother, who smiled back at her.

"Anna, that's the last we'll see of 'hoppers for years. Next spring let's try watermelons. They're always a good cash crop."

Now I know why she was humming before, thought Anna. Ma knew just how to get us over being sad!

2.3. True of false?

1. Mother wouldn't buy a new dress for Anna because she didn't deserve one.

2. Everybody on the farm did their share of work.

3. Anna was a greedy person thoughtful only of her own needs.

4. The hordes of grasshoppers were a real disaster for the family.

5. Mother Walsh used every trick she knew to save the harvest.

6. The disaster was really great, but it wasn't the end of the world.

7. Anna continued hoping against hope for a new dress.

2.4. Points of view.

Remember the exact verbs introducing the following state­ments.

Choose from: smile, warn, pray, moan, wonder, explain, argue, order, shout.

1. Anna: "I wish to have something of my own, something new."

2. Mother: "We don't have any money for new clothes."

3. Anna: "Our cabbages are gone and so is my new dress."

4. Anna: "How can Mum be happy when things are so bad?"

5. Mother: "Whenever things come to their worst it's time to do something special to chase the blues away."

2.5. Verbs in focus.

Match the verb on the left with their synonyms on the right. Use the left side words to fill in the gaps in the sentences below.

1	take over	A	rush out
2	hang on	B	depend on
3	dart out	C	compensate for
4	keep out	D	recover from
5	count on	E	accept responsibility for
6	make up for	F	make stay outside
7	get over	G	hold on; last

1. This beautiful autumn is ... the wet summer.

2. The cat... the door and was gone.

3. It'll take him ages ... the break up with his girlfriend.

4. He is not the person ... because he never keeps his word.

5. A cold can be cured in seven days, but left to itself it will ... for a week.

6. Warm clothes help ... the cold.

7. Large companies are ... smaller firms by buying their shares.

2.6. Storing vocabulary.

Paraphrase the following sentences.

1. Keep the tray away from sun rays until the seeds begin to produce shoots.

2. She sipped her wine, enjoying every drop.

3. He moved carefully, up the stairs, avoiding the ones that creaked.

4. The evening was absolutely spoilt as more people were leav­ing the party. Her hair turned a deep golden shade in the rays of the sun.

5. Let's go out and have a fancy dinner to raise our spirits.

6. The kids have been nagging at me to buy them new trainers.

Choose from the following: creep, from bad to worse, sprout, pester, hue, chase the blues away, savour.

2.7. Insect idioms in focus.

Pay attention to some of the tiniest creatures living in idiomatic English. Think of mini-stories to illustrate the correct meaning of the phrases.

1. Have ants in one's pants.

A. be unable to sit still

B. be itchy and screechy

C. be bitten by ants

2. Be fit as a flea.

A. healthy and vigorous

B. tiny

C. be a good jumper

3. Have butterflies in one's stomach.

A. suffer from indigestion

B. have eaten too much

C. be nervous

4. Be as mad as a hornet.

A. be furious

B. be weird

C. be slightly angry

5. Have a bee in one's bonnet.

A. have a strange ornament on one's hat

B. constantly talk about something you consider impor­tant

C. have a insect on one's hat

6. Be a fly on the wall.

A. be able to see everything without being noticed

B. be annoying

C. be an extra person in the company

2.8. None or neither?

Both Kitty and Anna caught some grasshoppers in the yard, but neither of them understood what it meant (2 people only). None of the other members of the family knew either (three or more people). Now, practice a little.

1. The teacher asked all the pupils one after another, but... knew the answer.

2. I didn't buy anything because ... of the dresses were what I wanted!

3. Cars can be parked on ... side of the street in downtown.

4. In fact, ... of my parents agreed with my career choice but I persevered.

5. I feared I'd made many mistakes, but there turned out to be .... Great!

6. After leaving school, he maintained contact with ... of his two best friends.

7. The place looked deserted. We could see signs of life on ... riverbank.

2.9. More grammar.

Ann dreamed, "If only I could have a new dress!" What do you think the other members of the family dreamed about?

e.g. Mother Walsh dreamed, "If only grasshoppers didn't cornel"