Hoffmann's Tales

Swanilda & Franz (Love Story)

I

Once upon a time there was a very small town where the tiniest of tiny people lived. The houses, the shops, the trees in the town were very small, too. The whole town and its people could be put in a casket. But no one could guess that those tiny people led an interesting and varied life as ordinary people did. They could laugh and cry; they could be sad and happy; they could fall in love and marry; more then that their life was full of miracles which didn’t exist in real life.

The most beautiful girl of the town was a girl called Swanilda. She was no bigger than a pea but she had a kind heart and was always ready to help people. Everyone in the town liked Swanilda very much.

There was a young man called Franz. Swanilda and Franz loved each other and wanted to marry. Swanilda would never deceive Franz, and she was sure that Franz would never deceive her.

Once, just at Christmas time, Swanilda was terribly ill. There was no medicine for her in the local chemist’s. It was Franz who rode over hills and mountains to the next town in the dead of night. He drove the horses on through the storm and plodded through the deep snow. He did his best to get the medicine. When he returned, Swanilda’s father said to Franz: “Thank you, son.” Swanilda was so happy that she got better very soon.

Life for the townspeople went on as usual…

It was almost evening. The Sun was taking his last look round the town. The centre square was drenched in warm sunlight and a single ray of sunshine was counting the houses as though it wanted to check if they were all there.

There were a lot of shops around the square: the baker’s, the butcher’s, the greengrocer’s, the fishmonger’s, the flower shop, the china shop and the draper’s. There were also the church, The Rose Inn, and the town hall. The checking was over. Everything was all right. Not a single house was missing.

At the corner of the square there was a very strange house. It was scowling black and unpleasant. It was full of fear. The sun tried to make the house laugh or at least smile, and tickled it but in vain. Nothing could change its scowling look. It went on showing anger. It was Dr Coppelius’s house. Dr Coppelius was a magician. Strange things happened inside the house. Sometimes thunder claps, sometimes a terrible hammering, sometimes a hissing noise were heard from that awful black house.

The Sun said to himself: “Let it be so!”, and run over the branches of old chestnut-trees which surround the square. Then the Sun threw a handful of sparkling stars into the fountain in the middle of the square, and they were swimming as if they were real fish but not simple fish. They looked like “goldfish”.

Marie, the baker’s daughter, was sitting near the fountain. She saw the “goldfish” and wanted to catch them.

“I’ll catch you, I’ll catch you,” Marie made a loud joyful cry and tried to take them up out of the water. But the “goldfish” slipped out of her hands. They shown brightly and soon disappeared.

“Let me! Let me!” cried Anka, the potter’s daughter as she came up to the fountain. Some other girls – Teresa, the burgomaster’s daughter; Rose, the greengrocer’s daughter; Helena, the weaver’s daughter rushed up to the fountain. They all were eager to catch at least a tiny gold star but not one of them could do it. Helena was carrying a jug. She scooped up the water with her jug but all the “goldfish” remained in the fountain. The Sun was playing tricks with the girls. It was nice to play with the Sun itself. The girls were very happy. Though Helena didn’t manage to catch a fish, she was full of happiness and began to sing and dance. She was dancing around and around. The jug with the water was dancing with her. They were almost flying but Helena didn’t spill a single drop.

Teresa had some good news and she was going to tell the girls her secret. Teresa was second after her father, the burgomaster, who was informed first about new things or events.

When the girls heard the news, they were so excited that they jumped for joy. The news would be official only tomorrow and so far it was the girls’ secret.

“We should tell Swanilda as soon as possible,” said Marie. “She and Franz will be as pleased as Thomas and I.” Tomas and Marie were going to marry, too.

“But where is she?” asked Helena.

“I haven’t seen her today,” said Rose.

All the girls looked at Swanilda’s house. But her door and her window were closed.

The Sun looked at her window, too. He wanted to say “Good Night” as usual. He did it every evening. He had been doing it since Swanilda was a little girl. But that evening there was no sign of Swanilda – her window and her door stayed closed.

“Where are you, the prettiest girl in the town?” asked the Sun. “It’s a pity I haven’t seen you! There is nothing to do. I’ve got a long journey and now I must go. I hope I’ll see you tomorrow.” He slipped down from Swanilda’s house, skimmed over the chestnut-trees, stood for a moment on the hill above the town, turned the castle windows to gold and disappeared.

At once a great shadow lowered on the square. It spread over the baker’s, the china shop, the greengrocer’s, the church, the Rose Inn … all the houses in town.

Where did that great shadow hide all day? Where did it come from? The light walls of the houses became dark grey, almost black but the walls of the black house, Dr Coppelius’s house, became darker than dark. It was high time for miracles.

ACTIVITIES AND EXERCISES

I. Comprehension Check

Are the sentences true (+) or false (-)? If the sentence is false, correct the mistake. Read chapter I again to check your answers.

1. The whole town and its people could be put in a casket. T/F

2. The most beautiful girl of the town was a girl called Helena. T/F

3. There weren’t many shops around the square. T/F

4. At the corner of the square there was a four bedroom house. T/F

5. The sun threw a handful of sparkling buttons into the fountain. T/F

6. The girls were playing tricks with the Sun. T/F

.7. Helena scooped up the water with her jug but all the “goldfish” remained in the fountain. T/F

8. Teresa was second after her father, the burgomaster, who was informed first about new things or events. T/F

9. But that evening there was no sign of Swanilda – her window and her door stayed opened. T/F

10. The light walls of the houses became dark grey, almost black but the black house, Dr Coppelius’s house became light. T/F

Answers:

True: 1, 7, 8;

False: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10

II. Grammar

Put “a/an”, or “the”, or (-) into the gaps.

1. There was no _______ medicine for her in the local chemist’s.

2. He drove the horses on through _______ storm and plodded through _______ deep snow.

3. _______ Sun was taking his last look round the town.

4. The centre square was drenched in ______ warm sunlight and _______ single ray of _______ sunshine was counting the houses.

5. Though Helena didn’t manage to catch _______ fish, she was full of _______ happiness and began to sing and dance.

6. Marie made ________ loud joyful cry and tried to take them up out of ______ water.

7. At once ______ great shadow lowered on ______ square.

8. It spread over _______ baker’s, _______ china shop, _______ greengrocer’s, and all _______ houses in _______ town.

9. The walls of the black house, Dr Coppelius’s house, became darker than _____________ dark.

10. It was _______ high time for miracles.

Answers: 1. –; 2. the, the; 3. the; 4. –, a, –; 5. a, –; 6. a, the; 7. a, the; 8. the, the, the, the, –; 9. –; 10. –

III. Pronunciation Task

“’s” = possession. It sounds [s], [z], or [iz]. Put the verbs below into correct column. Then practice pronunciation of these words.

Swanilda’s, baker’s, butcher’s, wife’s, Tomas’s, greengrocer’s, fishmonger’s, draper’s, potter’s, burgomaster’s, weaver’s, Coppelius’s.

[s]	[z]	[iz]
_______________	_______________	_______________
_______________	_______________	_______________
_______________	_______________	_______________
_______________	_______________	_______________
_______________	_______________	_______________

Answers:

[s] – wife’s;

[iz] – Tomas’s, Coppelius’s;

[z] – all the rest words

IV. Vocabulary

What are the names of the shops?

1

’

s

2

’

s

3

’

s

4

’

s

5

’

s

1. A shop that sells bread, cakes, etc.;

2. A shop that sells cloth, curtains, etc.;

3 A shop that sells meat;

4. A shop that sells fish;

5. A shop that sells fruit and vegetables.

Read the text again and find these words.

Answers: 1. baker’s; 2. draper’s; 3. butcher’s; 4. fishmonger’s; 5. greengrocer’s

V. Speaking

Draw a plan of the square.

There were a lot of shops around it: the baker’s, the butcher’s, the greengrocer’s, the fishmonger’s, the flower shop, the china shop and the draper’s.

There were also the church, The Rose Inn, and the town hall. There was a fountain with goldfish.

a) describe the square.

b) describe Dr. Coppelius’s house.

The words below will help you.

Useful language
a	b
to the right of to the left of in the middle of next to near in front of opposite behind	strange scowling unpleasant full of fear mysterious showing anger frightful darker than dark

to be continued