Indian Tales
A RICH FRIEND
A man learned that his best friend suddenly became rich. He went to his
friend’s place to tell him how glad he was to hear about his good fortune. But the rich
man pretended that he did not know that man.
“Who are you and why did you come here?” he asked
“Don’t you know me? I’m your old friend. I heard that you became blind. So I’ve
come to see you,” answered his friend.
Speaking Activity
Retell the tale and express your own point of view on the
story. The questions below may help you.
1. The man was glad that his best friend became rich, wasn’t he?
2. Did the man come to congratulate his best friend on his good fortune?
3. Why did the rich man pretend that he did not know that man? Did the rich man think that
his friend came for some money?
4. Do you think that the man’s answer was witty?
5. Do you agree with the saying “They are rich who have true friends”? What is its
Russian equivalent?
A WISE MAN AND A RAJAH
A wise man heard that the Rajah liked to talk to wise people. So the
man came to the capital and went right to the Rajah’s palace. But the wise man was not
rich and his clothes were old and cheap. The Rajah looked at the man’s clothes and did
not like them. So the Rajah did not want to talk to him and did not invite the man in.
Next day the wise man went to his old friend and borrowed some new clothes from him. Then
he again went to the palace. The Rajah met the man at the door, looked at him from head to
toe and said that he was happy to see him. Then the Rajah took the man to a large room
where they sat down to a rich dinner.
At dinner the Rajah saw that the wise man did not eat but put pieces of food into the
pockets of his new coat. The Rajah was surprised.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“You see,” the wise man answered, “yesterday I came in old clothes and you did not
want to talk to me. Today I came in new clothes and you asked me to dinner. So I
understand that this food is not for me but for my new clothes, and I feed them.
a Rajah раджа (владетель индийской
провинции, пользовавшийся правами царя)
Speaking Activity
Retell the tale and express your own point of view on the story. The
questions below may help you.
1. Did then Rajah really like to talk to wise people or did he like to
look at people in beautiful clothes?
2. Did the Rajah invite the wise man or his clothes to have dinner?
3. Did the man’s answer prove that he was wise indeed?
4. What can you say about people who treat you according to your clothes?
5. Can you give an explanation of the following saying: “You are judged first by
appearances, but by your mind later on”? What is its Russian equivalent?
A WISE JUDGE
Somebody stole one hundred rupees from the house of one man. The
man went to the judge. The judge called all the people who lived in the house and gave
them each a stick. All the sticks were twenty centimeters long. The judge said: These
sticks will help me to find the man who took the money. Tomorrow his stick will grow five
centimeters longer.”
When the thief came home he cut off one end of his stick. Next morning the judge looked at
the sticks and saw that one of them was five centimeters shorter. In this way he found the
thief.
a rupee (rupees) рупия (денежная единица
Индии)
Speaking Activity
Retell the tale and express your own point of view on the story. The
questions below may help you.
1. Was the man who stole the money under suspicion before they went to
the judge?
2. How did the thief show his guilt?
3. Did the judge make a wise decision?
4. Can you give an explanation of the following proverb: “He that commits a fault thinks
everyone speaks of it”? What is its Russian equivalent?
5. Have you ever seen anyone who showed his guilt through his behavior or words?
Grammar and Vocabulary Exercises
I. Use the words to join the two sentences (one line) together:
but, where, that, who, and.
1. But the rich man pretended ______ he did not know that man.
2. At dinner the Rajah saw that the wise man did not eat ______ put pieces of food into
the pockets of his new coat.
3. Then the Rajah took the man to a large room ______ they sat down to a rich dinner.
4. Next day the wise man went to his old friend ______ borrowed some new clothes from him.
5. The judge called all the people ______ lived in the house and gave them each a stick.
II. Fill in the correct preposition where necessary.
to (6) about in
(2) from (2) at
(4)
of (4) into for
(2) off (-) (2)
1. He went ____ his friend’s place to tell him how glad he was to
hear ____ his good fortune.
2. So the Rajah did not want to talk ____ him and did not invite the man ____.
3. _______ next day the wise man went ________ his old friend and borrowed some new
clothes _______ him.
4. The Rajah met the man ____ the door, looked ____ him ____ head ____ toe and said that
he was happy to see him.
5. Then the Rajah took the man ____ a large room where they sat down ____ a rich dinner.
6. ____ dinner the Rajah saw that the wise man did not eat but put pieces ____ food ____
the pockets ____ his new coat.
7. Today I came ____ new clothes and you asked me to dinner.
8. So I understand that this food is not ____ me but ____ my new clothes, and I feed them.
9. When the thief came home he cut ____ one end ____ his stick.
10. ____ next morning the judge looked ____ the sticks and saw that one ____ them was five
centimeters shorter.
III. Choose the correct item.
1. But the rich man __________ that he did not know him.
a) borrowed
b) pretended
c) surprised
2. The wise man’s clothes were old and _________.
a) expensive
b) cheap
c) blind
3. The Rajah met the man at the door, looked at him from _______.
a) back to foot
b) face to finger
c) head to toe
4. He went to his friend’s place to tell him how glad he was to hear
about his good _______.
a) fortune
b) failure
c) clothes
5. In this way he found the _______.
a) stick
b) judge
c) thief
Pronunciation Task
If a sound of one word is pronounced incorrectly, this word simply may
turn into another word.
For example: if we pronounce an unvoiced “t” instead of
voiced “d”, we will have “foot” instead of “food”; if we
pronounce a short “I” instead of “I:”, we will have “dip”
instead of “deep”; and if we pronounce two sounds incorrectly, we will have “red”
instead of “rat”.
Read and translate the text below. There are eleven mistakes in
it. Find the wrong words and change them. Now read the text again but make sure you give
each word its correct pronunciation.
The Rajah met the men at the door, looked at him from hat to toe and
set that he was happy to see him. Ten the Rajah took the men to a large room where they
sat down to a rich dinner.
At dinner the Rajah saw that the wise men did not it but put pieces of foot into the
pockets of his new coat. The Rajah was surprised.
The wise man understood that this foot was not for him but for his new clots, and he fat
them.
Answers:
Grammar and Vocabulary Exercises
I. 1. that; 2. but; 3. where; 4. and; 5. who
II. 1. to, about; 2. to, in; 3. (-), to, from; 4. at, at, from, to; 5. to, to; 6.
at, of, into, of; 7. in; 8. for, for; 9. off, of; 10. (-), at, of
III. 1. b; 2. a; 3. c; 4. a; 5. c
Pronunciation Task
1. man; 2. head; 3. said; 4. then; 5. man; 6. man; 7. eat; 8. food; 9.
food; 10. clothes; 11. fed
Compiled by Tatyana Ivanova
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