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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