TEXTS FOR READING

Russian Tales

Умение изложить русские народные сказки на английском языке поможет учащимся ознакомить иностранцев с нашей страной, её культурой. Образ Емели даёт представление об особенностях русского характера. Задания к текстам сказок помогают усвоить лексику, развивают навыки чтения.
Every child in this country knows these tales from his or her early childhood. They are buried deeply in our minds, and so many wonderful painters, musicians, craftsmen have been inspired by them!

BY THE PIKE’S WISH

In a small village there lived three brothers. The two elder brothers were married. They were merchants. The youngest brother was a fool named Emelya. One day the elder brothers went to the market far away and asked him to take care of their wives. Emelya stayed home and slept on the warm stove.

The next morning his sisters-in-law asked him to bring some water from the river. He mumbled, “Leave me in peace. I want to sleep. Go yourself.” The women persuaded him kindly and promised him a new red jacket and a new red hat. They knew that Emelya liked red outfits. He jumped from the stove and went to the river. He took some water in his pails, then saw a pike in the ice-hole and caught it. “A pike pie will be delicious,” he thought. But the pike begged him in a human voice, “Let me go free, Emelya. I will grant you anything you wish. You just need to say, ‘By the pike’s wish, at my command,’ and everything will be done.”

Emelya set it free and said in a loud voice: “By the pike’s wish, at my command, pails, go home by yourselves.” His sisters-in-law were very surprised to see pails full of water travelling home by themselves. And Emelya jumped onto the stove and went back to sleep.

Another day the two women planned to bake pancakes, but there was not enough firewood. They persuaded him to go to the forest and promised to make him pancakes, which he liked a lot. Emelya went to the yard, sat down in a sledge and whispered, “By the pike’s wish, at my command, sledge, go to the forest.” His sledge almost flew there! There, Emelya let the axe do its job. Unfortunately on the way back he had to go through the town, and many people were hit by his flying sledge.

After he returned home, he jumped again onto the stove and fell asleep. The Tsar heard about the incident in the town and sent his officer to find Emelya and bring him to the palace. The officer found Emelya’s house, entered and shouted, “Emelya, come here. You must go with me to the Tsar’s palace!” From the stove Emelya mumbled, “Why? I am warm here. Leave me in peace.” When the officer dragged him down, Emelya became angry and shouted, “By the pike’s wish, at my command, cudgel, come and greet the Tsar’s officer.” The cudgel appeared and beat the officer hard.

Then the Tsar sent another officer to Emelya. This officer was smarter; he brought raisins, prunes, and gingerbread and came to persuade Emelya to come to the Tsar’s palace. Emelya finished eating the sweets and finally agreed to go to the palace. He took his old jacket with a fancy pattern and said in loud voice, “By the pike’s wish, at my command, stove, go straight to the Tsar’s palace!”.

When Emelya, riding on the stove, appeared in the Tsar’s courtyard, everybody was watching from the steps, anxious to see him. It happened that the tsar’s daughter was among them. When Emelya saw her, he liked her and whispered, “By the pike’s wish, at my command, I want this beautiful girl to fall in love with me.” And he told the stove to take him back home.

The Tsar’s daughter longed for him and asked her father to let her marry him. The Tsar became sad, but there was nothing that could be done, so he sent another officer to bring Emelya to the palace again. The officer bought a lot of sweets and came to Emelya’s house. When Emelya finished all the treats, he got tired and fell asleep. The officer brought him to the Tsar. Then he and the princess were placed in a big barrel and were thrown into the sea.

When Emelya awoke, he found himself in the barrel with a beautiful girl. Sobbing, she explained what had happened to them. Emelya said, “By the pike’s wish, at my command, I want the waves to roll the barrel to shore.” In a moment they were saved and found themselves on a beautiful island.

“My sweetheart, Emelya, where will we live? Could you build a small hut for us?” asked the princess. Emelya agreed and said loudly, “At the pike’s wish, by my command, build me here the best palace in the world!” Immediately, a wonderful marble palace with many servants appeared.

Then the princess asked him, “My dear Emelya, could you be more handsome?” Instantly he turned into a handsome and intelligent young man. They lived happily for a while as rulers of the island.

One day the Tsar came to the island and saw an amazing palace. When Emelya greeted him, the Tsar did not recognize him. Inside the Tsar found his own daughter and she told him everything that happened to her and Emelya. The Tsar wept and asked their forgiveness. Then they held a great wedding ceremony and invited Emelya’s brothers. After that everybody lived in peace and love.

Activity A. Match word expressions in Column A with their Russian equivalents in Column B.

Activity B. Re-read the tale. Answer the questions using some word expressions from Activity A.

1. What did Emelya do when his brothers went to the market?

2. Who asked Emelya to bring some water?

3. What did he see in the ice-hole?

4. How did the pike beg Emelya?

5. What did the pike promise?

6. What were the magic words?

7. What did Emelya do with the pike?

8. Why did the women ask Emelya to go to the forest?

9. Where did Emelya sit down when he whispered his command to go to the forest?

10. How did Emelya cut the wood?

Activity C. Re-read the tale. Complete the sentences using some word expressions from Activity A.

1. He took his ____________ off and said in loud voice, “By the pike’s wish, at my command, stove, go straight to the Tsar’s palace!”.

2. When Emelya, _____________, appeared in the Tsar’s courtyard, everybody was watching from the steps, anxious to see him.

3. When Emelya ____________, he got tired and fell asleep.

4. Then he and the princess ___________ and ______________.

5. Immediately, _______________ appeared.

6. Instantly he _______________.

7. They lived happily for a while ____________.

8. Then _______________ and invited Emelya’s brothers.

Keys:

A. slept on the warm stove – спал на тёплой печи; sisters-in-law asked him to bring some water – невестки попросили его принести воды; saw a pike in the ice-hole – увидел щуку в проруби; begged him in a human voice – умоляла его человеческим голосом; grant you anything you wish – дам тебе всё, что ни пожелаешь; by the pike’s wish, at my command – по щучьему велению, по моему хотению; set it free – отпустил ее на волю; pails full of water – наполненные водою ведра; not enough firewood – не хватило хвороста; sat down in a sledge – сел в сани; let the axe do its job – позволил топору самому делать работу; leave me in peace – оставьте меня в покое; cudgel, come and greet the Tsar’s officer – дубинка, иди, поздоровайся с царским офицером; old jacket with a fancy pattern – старый сюртук с узорами; riding on the stove – верхом на печи; I want this beautiful girl to fall in love with me – хочу, чтобы эта красавица влюбилась в меня; finished all the treats – съел всё угощение; were placed in a big barrel – были заключены в большую бочку; were thrown into the sea – были брошены в море; I want the waves to roll the barrel to shore – хочу, чтобы волны выкатили бочку на берег; a wonderful marble palace with many servants – чудесный мраморный дворец с множеством слуг; turned into a handsome and intelligent young man – превратился в красивого и умного молодца; as rulers of the island – в качестве правителей этого острова; wept and asked their forgiveness – рыдал и умолял их о прощении; they held a great wedding ceremony – устроили свадебный пир на весь мир.

B: 1. Emelya stayed home and slept on the warm stove. 2. His sisters-in-law asked him to bring some water from the river. 3. He saw a pike in the ice-hole. 4. The pike begged him in a human voice. 5. The pike promised to grant Emelya anything he wished. 6. The magic words were ‘By the pike’s wish, at my command’. 7. Emelya set the pike free. 8. They asked him to go to the forest and bring some firewood. 9. He sat down in a sledge. 10. Emelya let the axe do its job.

C: 1. old jacket with a fancy pattern; 2. riding on the stove; 3. finished all the treats; 4. were placed in a big barrel and were thrown into the sea; 5. a wonderful marble palace with many servants; 6. turned into a handsome and intelligent young man; 7. as rulers of the island; 8. they held a great wedding ceremony.

Submitted by Irina Ishkhneli,
School No. 1738