The Greyhound

After H.Griffiths

continued from No. 17

Chapter 7

Every day Jamie went to the cellar to feed Silver and take him for a walk. They went to the park, and walked under the trees, and sat on the grass.
Jamie tried not to think about the dark cellar. But he had to take Silver there and leave him alone every night. One evening when Jamie was going home Silver left his bed and ran after Jamie. Jamie had to tie Silver to a nail in the wall. The dog understood that he could not run after Jamie.
Jamie brought some old clothes which his mother was going to throw away. Now Silver had a warm bed. When Jamie came to the cellar, he lit candles, and it was not dark in the cellar. They could see each other and the dog’s eyes were shining with happiness.
Silver’s home looked cosy and comfortable now. The problem was that the dog was always hungry. The money that Jamie had each week was not enough to feed the dog properly. So Jamie tried to find a job. He went to a newspaper office to get work as a newspaper boy. But the man in the office said that Jamie was too young and too small to carry so many newspapers. Jamie needed money very much. Where could he get any money? This question was always on his mind.
He was not able to solve that problem, and like a bolt from the blue another problem felt on his head. One afternoon Hilliard came to Jamie in the schoolyard and said, “Jamie, don’t forget you must give me back five pounds.”
Jamie was shocked. He did not know what to answer.
“I didn’t give you the money forever, kid. You must do your best to give me the money back very soon or… you’ll be sorry!” said Hilliard.
Jamie knew that Hilliard could easily make Jamie sorry. Jamie was already sorry that he had taken those five pounds. Of course, he would give the money back! But he had no money at the moment and he did not know where he could get it. Hilliard helped Jamie to buy Silver. Jamie was deeply grateful for it. But now Hilliard made Jamie feel very angry.
Jamie did not say anything. Hilliard turned his back on Jamie. Then he joined his gang and they proudly left the schoolyard.
Poor Jamie had so many problems now! Jamie did not have lunch. He was always hungry. He saved the lunch money for Silver. But it was not enough. Silver was hungry. They both were hungry! He needed money to keep his dog and now he needed money to give back to Hilliard. Things looked awful. Jamie got into a difficult, hopeless situation from which there was no escape.
Cora knew that Jamie did not have lunch because she never saw him in the lunchroom. She had no idea why he did not go there and often asked Jamie if he was not hungry. He usually answered that he did not like the school lunches. She did not believe him and promised to tell their mother about everything. But Jamie asked Cora not to tell anything to their mother. Cora wanted to help her brother very much. But how could she help him if she did not know what was the matter with him?
But soon something happened that made Jamie tell Cora everything. One morning Jamie was playing football and fell down. He hurt his foot. At first the pain was not very bad and Jamie went home. But when he came home his foot began to hurt him so much that he could not walk. His mother told him to go to bed.
“You mustn’t get up, Jamie. You can’t go out this evening. I’ll send for a doctor,” said Mrs. Vincent.
The doctor came and examined Jamie’s foot. Then he prescribed some pills and ointment and told Jamie to stay in bed for a few days.
“There is nothing to do. I have to tell Cora everything. Only she can help me. She’ll go to the cellar and feed Silver,” Jamie thought. “But where is she now? Why isn’t she at home? Where has she gone? When will she come back?” Jamie was rather concerned about Silver. He was impatiently waiting for Cora. He listened attentively to every sound behind the door.
Finally he heard her coming. It was a quarter to nine. Jamie told her everything. When he finished, she said, “I’m sorry I didn’t know it before. Why didn’t you tell me? You know, Jamie, I’m always ready to help you. But I can’t go there now because it’s too late.”
“You’ll go there tomorrow. Please go there early tomorrow, Cora. Poor Silver must be very hungry and he misses me very much, I think,” said Jamie.
“All right, Jamie, I’ll go there early in the morning. I’ll take good care of your dog. I’ll buy food for him and go to the cellar before I go to school,” she said.
Jamie was happy that Cora was ready to help him but was rather unhappy that he did not visit Silver that day. Silver was hungry and alone in the dark cellar. Jamie’s heart was heavy and he could not stop worrying about Silver until Cora came back home tomorrow.

Silver could not understand why Jamie did not come. The boy always came and brought food at the same time. Silver listened to the footsteps in the street. He hoped to hear Jamie’s footsteps but there was not any sound on the cellar steps. Jamie did not appear. Silver began to pull at his string and jump up. Suddenly the nail fell out of the wall and the dog was free. He ran out of the cellar. He knew where to look for Jamie. He remembered the road to the park very well. It was almost midnight. Though it grew dark, there were no clouds in the sky and the full moon was shining brightly on his way. Silver found the park easily. The dog was sure that Jamie was in the park. He ran about the park for a long time but Jamie was nowhere. After a few hours Silver left the park. He ran about the streets blindly and soon he lost his way. He was hungry and tired. He could not find the way either to the park or to the cellar. At last he became so weak that he could hardly walk. He found a dark place near the door of a shop, lay down and fell asleep. Even in his sleep, Silver listened to the footsteps around him but the footsteps he heard were not Jamie’s.

When Cora went to the cellar in the morning she did not find Silver there. She was surprised and upset. At first she did not know what to do. “Where can he be?” she thought. “Did he go to look for Jamie? London is a big city. It won’t be easy to find the dog.” Suddenly an idea came to her, “I can go to the police and ask them to look for Silver.” She left the cellar for the police station.
A grey-haired policeman sat behind the desk. Cora explained why she was there and the policeman asked her to describe the dog.
“Well, he’s a greyhound and his name’s Silver,” she said. “He’s light grey, almost white, and one of his ears is brown, the other’s black.”
“Where did you lose him?” asked the policeman.
“I don’t know. It’s my brother’s dog. My brother loves him very much and he can’t be happy without Silver. Please, find him!” said Cora.
“Mm … It’s your brother’s dog. We’ll try to help you,” said the policeman. He took a book on his desk and wrote down everything she told him. Then he asked her name and address. He closed the book and said with a smile, “We’ll do our best, young lady. I’m sure we’ll find him soon.”
Cora ran to school. All morning she thought about Jamie and Silver, “Poor Jamie! Will he see his dog again?”
A policeman found Silver. Silver looked at the policeman with suspicion and distrust. At first he tried to run away but he was too tired and weak to get up. The policeman began to pat Silver. When the policeman called the dog by his name, Silver was not afraid of him any more. The policeman pulled at the dog’s string and Silver got up and obediently did as he was told. Soon they arrived at the police station and there the dog received a plate full of food and some water. He was very hungry and ate it up quickly. Then they took him to the yard and tied him to the wall. Now the dog was sated. He lay down and fell asleep.
Cora went to the police station just after her lessons. The policeman showed her the dog they had found. It was a warm afternoon and the sun shone down on the yard. The dog was fast asleep. When he opened his eyes he saw a policeman and a girl he did not know. He wanted to see Jamie, only Jamie. Silver got up and began to pull at the string and bark loudly.
“What’s the matter, boy? Don’t you want to go home?” asked the policeman.
“Come on, Silver! Come on!” said Cora.
The dog came to Cora and sniffed her clothes. Cora patted Silver and he licked her hand. Cora pulled at the string and commanded the dog to come. Silver obeyed without hesitation because the girl smelled and spoke very much like Jamie.
Cora and Silver went back to the cellar. It took them almost an hour. Silver pulled at the string and looked from right to left. He was eager to see Jamie. But there was no Jamie anywhere, even when they came to the cellar. Cora found another nail in the wall and tied Silver to it. “Silver,” said she, “Jamie will come here in a few days. I’ll take care of you till Jamie gets better. He will recover soon. He really feels sad because he can’t be with you.” Silver licked Cora’s legs as if he understood everything. But he did understand every word. He understood everything indeed!
Cora patted Silver, left his food and went home. Silver listened to her footsteps in the street. Now he was alone again. He ate his food and lay on his bed. He looked into the darkness of the cellar. His heart was with Jamie. When could he come?
Jamie was in bed for two days. When he got up his foot hurt him a little but he could walk. He wanted to see his dog very much, so he told his mother that he was much better and asked her to let him go to school.
After the lessons, Jamie went to the cellar as quickly as he could. Silver was so happy when he heard Jamie’s footsteps. He barked loudly and, when Jamie came to Silver, he licked Jamie’s hands, and legs, and even his clothes. Jamie laughed. He was so happy to see his dog. He kissed the dog, and patted him, and said the dog’s name again and again. Then he untied Silver and took him out for a walk. As usual, they walked in the park, and rested on the green grass, and watched other children with their dogs. Jamie almost forgot all his troubles. He forgot about Hilliard and his money. It was not important now. He could think only about his dog. He had such a wonderful dog!
“How beautiful and clever my dog is!” Jamie exclaimed. Silver looked at his master. His eyes were shining with happiness. Jamie smiled and his eyes were shining with happiness too.
Two hours later when he came home, his mother was surprised to see his happy eyes and a smile on his face. She liked to see her son happy.
“How bright his face is! He hasn’t been happy because I did not let him keep a dog. Now, time has passed and he is happy again,” she thought.
After a cup of hot milk Jamie was going to do his homework. He took his textbooks and notebooks out of the bag and something fell down on the floor. He picked it up. It was a note from Hilliard. He wanted his money back right away.
“Why did I take those five pounds from him?” thought Jamie. “It was a terrible mistake! Where can I get the money? I may find a job during the summer holidays. If I have a job, I’ll be able to give the money back to Hilliard. Then he’ll leave me alone. I wish I could find a job!”
There were only two weeks until the summer holidays. Jamie tried not to meet Hilliard either at school or in the schoolyard. Sometimes Jamie met him in the classroom and he was afraid even to look at him. But Hilliard often reminded Jamie of his debt. Many times Jamie found little notes from Hilliard in his desk and in his bag.
“Oh, how I hate him! If only I had a job!” thought Jamie.

…like a bolt from the blue another problem felt on his head ещё одна проблема свалилась как гром среди ясного неба (как снег на голову)

ACTIVITIES AND EXERCISES

I. Comprehension task

Read the sentences below and put them in the order in which they occur in the chapter.

A /__ Suddenly the nail fell out of the wall and the dog was free. He ran out of the cellar.

B /__ One morning Jamie was playing football and fell down.

C /__ He went to a newspaper office to get work as a newspaper boy.

D /__ Cora explained why she was there and the policeman asked her to describe the dog.

E /__ Silver obeyed without hesitation because the girl smelled and spoke very much like Jamie.

F /__ Jamie tried not to meet Hilliard either at school or in the schoolyard.

G /__ Jamie was happy that Cora was ready to help him but was rather unhappy that he did not visit Silver that day.

H /__ When Cora went to the cellar she did not find Silver there.

I /__ One afternoon Hilliard came to Jamie in the schoolyard and said, “Vincent, don’t forget you must give me back five pounds.”

J /__ Two hours later when he came home his mother was surprised to see his happy eyes and a smile on his face.

Answers: 1. C; 2. I; 3. B; 4. G; 5. A; 6. H; 7. D; 8. E; 9. J; 10. F

II. Grammar

We often use the following structure: verb + somebody + to infinitive (or infinitive without “to”).

1. Choose the right form of the verb.

1. Every day Jamie went to the cellar feed/to feed Silver and take him for a walk.

2. He went to a newspaper office get/to get work as a newspaper boy.

3. He hasn’t been happy because I did not let him keep/to keep a dog.

4. Hilliard helped Jamie buy/to buy Silver.

5. The doctor told Jamie stay/to stay in bed for a few days.

6. The policeman asked Cora describe/to describe the dog.

7. But now Hilliard made Jamie feel/to feel very angry.

8. Jamie knew that Hilliard could easily make Jamie be/to be sorry.

9. But soon something happened that made Jamie tell/to tell Cora everything.

10. But Jamie asked Cora not tell/to tell anything to their mother.

2. Look through the text, find these sentences and check your answers.

Answers: 1. to feed; 2. to get; 3. keep; 4. buy or to buy (both variants are possible); 5. to stay; 6. to describe; 7. feel; 8. be; 9. tell; 10. to tell

III. Pronunciation task

The words below have “ou” that mostly sounds [au].

Use your dictionary to check the pronunciation. Underline the words which are odd-sounding. Practice saying these words.

sound, could, about, proudly, mouth, out, though, cloud, found, around, pound, trouble, greyhound, without, young, loudly

Answers: could, though, trouble, young

IV. Vocabulary

Circle the correct item.

1. The problem was that the dog was always __________.

a) angry
b) hungry
c) grateful

2. The money that Jamie had a week was not enough to feed the dog ___________.

a) proudly
b) attentively
c) properly

3. Then he _____________ some pills and ointment and told Jamie to stay in bed for a few days.

a) examined
b) prescribed
c) described

4. Jamie’s heart was ___________ and he could not stop worrying about Silver until Cora came back home tomorrow.

a) heavy
b) happy
c) ready

5. He ran about the streets ______ and soon he lost his way.

a) brightly
b) easily
c) blindly

6. Silver _____________ without hesitation because the girl smelled and spoke very much like Jamie.

a) obeyed
b) concerned
c) sniffed

7. Two hours later when he came home his mother was ___________ to see his happy eyes and a smile on his face.

a) surprised
b) upset
c) afraid

8. Jamie smiled and his eyes were shining with _____________ too.

a) darkness
b) hesitation
c) happiness

9. The policeman pulled at the dog’s string and Silver got up and _______________ did as he was told.

a) loudly
b) happily
c) obediently

10. Soon they came to the police station and there the dog __________ a plate full of food and some water.

a) recovered
b) received
c) found

Answers: 1. b; 2. c; 3. b; 4. a; 5. c; 6. a; 7. a; 8. c; 9. c; 10. b

V. Speaking

Imagine that you are a police officer questioning Cora about the dog. In pairs make up a dialogue, and then act it out.

Officer: Good morning. Can I help you?
Cora: Good morning, sir. I’ve just come…

to be continued