Сборник лучших английских сказок. Уровень 1. Группа авторов

      5) Retell the fairy-tale.

      The Three Cows

      There was a farmer, and he had three cows, fine fat cows. One was called Facey, the other Diamond, and the third Beauty. One morning he went into his cowshed[70], and there he found Facey so thin that the wind would have blown her away. Her skin hung loose[71] about her, all her flesh was gone, and she stared out of her great eyes as though she’d seen a ghost; and what was more, the fireplace in the kitchen was one great pile of wood-ash. Well, he was bothered with it; he could not see how all this could happen.

      Next morning his wife went out to the shed, and saw that Diamond became as thin as Facey – nothing but a bag of bones, all the flesh gone, and half a rick[72] of wood was gone, too; but the fireplace was full of white wood ashes. The farmer decided to watch the third night; so he hid in a closet next to the kitchen, and he left the door slightly open, that he might see what happened.

      Tick, tick, went the clock, and the farmer was nearly tired of waiting; he had to bite his little finger to keep himself awake, when suddenly the door of his house opened, and in rushed[73] maybe a thousand pixies, laughing and dancing and pulling Beauty’s rope till they had brought the cow into the middle of the kitchen.

      Tick, tick, went the clock, but he did not hear it now. He was staring at the pixies and his last beautiful cow. He saw them throw her down, fall on her, and kill her; and then with their knives they ripped her open, and cut off all the meat. Then out ran some of the little people and brought in firewood and made a roaring fire on the hearth[74], and there they cooked the flesh of the cow – they baked and they boiled, they stewed and they fried.

      ‘Take care,’ cried one, who seemed to be the king, ‘let no bone be broken.’

      Well, when they had all eaten, they began playing games with the bones, tossing them one to another. One little leg-bone fell close to the closet door, and the farmer was so afraid that the pixies should come there and find him in their search for the bone, that he put out his hand and picked it up. Then he saw the king stand on the table and say, ‘Gather the bones!’

      Round and round flew the imps, picking up the bones. ‘Arrange them,’ said the king; and they placed them all in their proper positions in the hide[75] of the cow. Then they folded the skin over them, and the king struck the pile of bone and skin with his rod. Whisht! Up sprang the cow and lowed dismally[76]. It was alive again; but alas! as the pixies dragged it back to the cowshed, it halted[77], because a bone was missing. The cock crew[78], away they flew, and the farmer went trembling to bed.

      1) True or false?

      1. The farmer had three cows.

      2. The first cow who became thin was Diamond.

      3. In the morning the fireplace was full of white wood ashes.

      4. The farmer decided to watch the third night.

      5. The farmer hid in a cowshed.

      6. When the door of his house opened, three witches rushed in.

      7. The last cow started to halt.