TALE 1
NAME: ________________________ CYCLE: _______________
TEACHERS: ____________________ DATE: ________________
TOPIC: SCHEDULE: ___________
The Bears' Feast
A man had come to town with two tame bears. They were very clever bears, and could climb posts and trees, dance and turn summersets and do a great many other tricks besides.
One day the man was taken ill and had to stay in the house all day. He thought the bears were locked up in the barn. But the bears decided they would go for a walk by themselves. They managed to get away without being seen and started in the direction of the schoolhouse.
The children were at recess when they suddenly saw the bears. They were frightened and ran screaming into the school-house.
The bears were very tame and kind and wanted to make friends with the children, so they followed them.
The children jumped on the desks screaming and crying and the teachers were frightened too.
When the bears saw that they could not make friends or play they began quietly walking about the school-room.
Finally they came to the dressing-room where all the dinner-pails and baskets were hanging
Smelling the food, they managed to knock some of the baskets down and then such a feast as they had!
They sat on their haunches and ate sandwiches and fruit and drank milk out of the bottles just as the children would do. When they had eaten enough they quietly left the school-house and trotted down the road toward home.
After the bears were gone the children became calm again and returned to their lessons.
The man and the bears disappeared the next day and were never seen again.
Reading comprehension
* Read the following questions about the text and answer them properly:
1) Who arrive to town and what did he bring with him?
2) What kind of animal were the bears?
3) Why did the man have to stay at home?
4) Where were the bears?
5) Who saw the beats and how did they feel then?
6) What did the bears want to do with the children?
7) What other places did the bears visit?
8) Who did the bears spend the afternoon?
9) Why did the boys misunderstand the bears’ intentions?
10) What did the bears did after the feast they had?
TALE 2
NAME: ________________________ CYCLE: _______________
TEACHERS: ____________________ DATE: ________________
TOPIC: SCHEDULE: ___________
The Bees, the Drones, and the Wasp
Some working bees had made their comb in the hollow trunk of an oak.
The drones said, "We made that comb. It belongs to us."
"You did not make that comb," replied the workers. "You know very well that you did not. We made it."
The drones answered, "That comb belongs to us and we are going to have it."
So the workers took the case to Judge Wasp that he might decide the matter.
The workers and the drones settled down before him. "You workers and drones," said he, "are so much alike in shape and color that it is hard to tell which has been seen in the tree. But I think the matter can be justly decided. Each party may go to a hive in which there is no honey, and build up a new comb. The one that makes comb and honey like that found in the tree is the owner of the tree comb."
"All right," said the workers, "we will do it;" but the drones said, "We will have nothing to do with such a plan."
So Judge Wasp said, "It is plain to see which of you made the comb. It belongs to the workers."
The drones buzzed away very angry, but they were not able to harm the workers or the judge, and the workers went back to their tree.
Reading comprehension
* Read the following questions about the text and answer them properly:
1) Who made a comb in the hollow of a trunk?
2) What kind of tree was is it?
3) Who asked the comb for themselves?
4) Did the workers and the drones work the problem out?
5) Where do they go to solve their problem?
6) What did the judge ask them to do?
7) Did they both agree with the wasp verdicts?
8) What was the final judge sentence?
9) Where did the drones go?
10) Why did the drones go away?
TALE 3
NAME: ________________________ CYCLE: _______________
TEACHERS: ____________________ DATE: ________________
TOPIC: SCHEDULE: ___________
The Believing Husbands
ONCE upon a time there dwelt in the land of Erin a young man who was seeking a wife, and of all the maidens round about none pleased him as well as the only daughter of a farmer. The girl was willing and the father was willing, and very soon they were married and went to live at the farm. By and bye the season came when they must cut the peats and pile them up to dry, so that they might have fires in the winter. So on a fine day the girl and her husband, and the father and his wife all went out upon the moor.
They worked hard for many hours, and at length grew hungry, so the young woman was sent home to bring them food, and also to give the horses their dinner. When she went into the stables, she suddenly saw the heavy pack-saddle of the speckled mare just over her head, and she jumped and said to herself,
"Suppose that pack-saddle were to fall and kill me, how dreadful it would be!' and she sat down just under the pack-saddle she was so much afraid of, and began to cry.
Now the others out on the moor grew hungrier and hungrier.
"What can have become of her?" asked they, and at length the mother declared that she would wait no longer, and must go and see what had happened.
As the bride was nowhere in the kitchen or the dairy, the old woman went into the stable, where she found her daughter weeping bitterly.
"What is the matter, my dove?" and the girl answered, between her sobs,
"When I came in and saw the pack-saddle over my head, I thought how dreadful it would be if it fell and killed me," and she cried louder than before.
The old woman struck her hands-together: "Ah, to think of it! If that were to be, what should I do?" and she sat down by her daughter, and they both wrung their hands and let their tears flow.
"Something strange must have occurred," exclaimed the old farmer on the moor, who by this time was not only hungry, but cross. "I must go after them.' And he went and found them in the stable.
"What is the matter?" asked he.
"Oh!" replied his wife, "when our daughter came home, did she not see the pack-saddle over her head, and she thought how dreadful it would be if it were to fall and kill her."
"Ah, to think of it!' exclaimed he, striking his hands together, and he sat down beside them and wept too.
As soon as night fell the young man returned full of hunger, and there they were, all crying together in the stable.
"What is the matter?" asked he.
"When thy wife came home," answered the farmer, "she saw the pack-saddle over her head, and she thought how dreadful it would be if it were to fall and kill her."
"Well, but it didn't fall," replied the young man, and he went off to the kitchen to get some supper, leaving them to cry as long as they liked.
The next morning he got up with the sun, and said to the old man and to the old woman and to his wife "Farewell : my foot shall not return to the house till I have found other three people as silly as you," and he walked away till he came to the town, and seeing the door of a cottage standing open wide, he entered. No man was present, but only some women spinning at their wheels.
"You do not belong to this town," said he.
"You speak truth," they answered, "nor you either?"
"I do not," replied he, "but is it a good place to live in?"
The women looked at each other.
"The men of the town are so silly that we can make them believe anything we please," said they.
"Well, here is a gold ring," replied he, "and I will give it to the one amongst you who can make her husband believe the most impossible thing," and he left them.
As soon as the first husband came home his wife said to him,
"Thou art sick!"
"Am I?" asked he.
"Yes, thou art," she answered; "take off thy clothes and lie down."
So he did, and when he was in his bed his wife went to him and said,
"Thou art dead."
"Oh, am I?' asked he.
"Thou art," said she; "shut thine eyes and stir neither hand nor foot."
And dead he felt sure he was.
Soon the second man came home, and his wife said to him:
"You are not my husband!"
"Oh, am I not?" asked he.
"No, it is not you," answered she, so he went away and slept in the wood.
When the third man arrived his wife gave him his supper, and after that he went to bed, just as usual. The next morning a boy knocked at the door, bidding him attend the burial of the man who was dead, and he was just going to get up when his wife stopped him.
"Time enough," said she, and he lay still till he heard the funeral passing the window.
"Now rise, and be quick," called the wife, and the man jumped out of bed in a great hurry, and began to look about him.
"Why, where are my clothes?" asked he.
"Silly that you are, they are on your back, of course," answered the woman.
"Are they?" said he.
"They are," said she, "and make haste lest the burying be ended before you get there."
Then off he went, running hard, and when the mourners saw a man coming towards them with nothing on but his nightshirt, they forgot in their fright what they were there for, and fled to hide themselves. And the naked man stood alone at the head of the coffin.
Very soon a man came out of the wood and spoke to him.
"Do you know me?"
"Not I," answered the naked man. "I do not know you."
"But why are you naked?" asked the first man.
"Am I naked? My wife told me that I had all my clothes on," answered he.
"And my wife told me that I myself was dead," said the man in the coffin.
But at the sound of his voice the two men were so terrified that they ran straight home, and the man in the coffin got up and followed them, and it was his wife that gained the gold ring, as he had been sillier than the other two.
Reading comprehension
* Read the following questions about the text and answer them properly:
1) What was the dwelt looking for?
2) Did the girl agree with his proposal?
3) What were doing for hours? What did they do then?
4) Why didn’t the girl come back?
5) What did her parents do then?
6) Why did he say good bye to his family?
7) What was the bet about? What will be the prize?
8) How were the men tricks?
9) What did the two men believe?
10) Who won the golden ring?
TALE 4
NAME: ________________________ CYCLE: _______________
TEACHERS: ____________________ DATE: ________________
TOPIC: SCHEDULE: ___________
Bertie's Corn-popper
Bertie had the desire of his heart,--a corn-popper! He had wanted it for a long time,--three weeks, at least. Mamma brought it when she came home from the city, and gave it to him for his very own. A bushel of corn, ready popped, would not have been half so good. There was all the delight of popping in store for the long winter evenings.
Bertie could hardly wait to eat his supper before he tried his corn-popper. It proved to be a very good one. He popped corn that evening, and the next, and the next. He fed all the family, gave some to all his playmates, and carried a bag of pop-corn to school for his teacher.
Trip, the shaggy, little, yellow dog, came in for a share, and Mintie too. Who or what was Mintie?
Mintie was a bantam biddy, very small, white as snow, and very pretty. She had been left an orphan chick, and for a while kept in the house, near the kitchen fire. She had been Bertie's especial charge, and he fed and tended her faithfully.
As she grew older she would rove about with the larger hens, but was very tame, and always liked the house. She would come in very often. When Bertie happened to pop corn in the daytime she was pretty apt to be around, and pick up the kernels he threw to her.
One night he left his corn-popper on the kitchen table. It was open, and two or three small kernels were still in it.
Early next morning, long before Bertie was dressed, Mintie came into the kitchen. She flew up on the table, and helped herself to the corn in the popper. The girl was busy getting breakfast, and did not mind much about her. Presently she went down cellar, and Mintie had the room to herself.
When Bertie came down to breakfast there was a white egg in the corn-popper! It was so small that it looked almost like a bird's; but it was Mintie's first egg.
Bertie clapped his hands; he was very much pleased.
"Mamma! mamma!" he shouted. "See this pretty egg! Mintie put it into my popper, and must have meant to give it to me."
And mamma said, "Very likely she did."
Reading comprehension
* Read the following questions about the text and answer them properly:
1) What was Bertie’s heart desire?
2) Who gave him what he wants when she came from the city?
3) What time of the day did Bertie tried his gift?
4) Who or what was Mintie?
5) What was left in the coffee table?
6) What was still in there?
7) Why was Bertie so excited?
8) Why did she think so about Mintie?
9) Was she right?
10) Did the mother tell her daughter the truth? Why?
TALE 5
NAME: ________________________ CYCLE: _______________
TEACHERS: ____________________ DATE: ________________
TOPIC: SCHEDULE: ___________
Billy Beg and His Bull
Once upon a time, there was a king and a queen, and they had one son, whose name was Billy. And Billy had a bull he was very fond of, and the bull was just as fond of him. And when the queen came to die, she put it as her last request to the king, that come what might, come what may, he'd not part Billy and the bull. And the king promised that, come what might, come what may, he would not. Then the good queen died, and was buried.
After a time, the king married again, and the new queen could not abide Billy; no more could she stand the bull, seeing him and Billy so thick. So she asked the king to have the bull killed. But the king said he had promised, come what might, come what may, he'd not part Billy Beg and his bull, so he could not.
Then the queen sent for the Hen-Wife, and asked what she should do. "What will you give me," said the Hen-Wife, "and I'll very soon part them?"
"Anything at all," said the queen.
"Then do you take to your bed, very sick with a complaint," said the Hen-Wife, "and I'll do the rest."
So the queen took to her bed, very sick with a complaint, and the king came to see what could be done for her. "I shall never be better of this," she said, "till I have the medicine the Hen-Wife ordered."
"What is that?" said the king.
"A mouthful of the blood of Billy Beg's bull."
"I can't give you that," said the king, and went away, sorrowful.
Then the queen got sicker and sicker, and each time the king asked what would cure her she said, "A mouthful of the blood of Billy Beg's bull." And at last it looked as if she were going to die. So the king finally set a day for the bull to be killed. At that the queen was so happy that she laid plans to get up and see the grand sight. All the people were to be at the killing, and it was to be a great affair.
When Billy Beg heard all this, he was very sorrowful, and the bull noticed his looks. "What are you doitherin' about?" said the bull to him. So Billy told him. "Don't fret yourself about me," said the bull, "it's not I that'll be killed!"
The day came, when Billy Beg's bull was to be killed; all the people were there, and the queen, and Billy. And the bull was led out, to be seen. When he was led past Billy he bent his head. "Jump on my back, Billy, my boy," says he, "till I see what kind of a horseman you are!" Billy jumped on his back, and with that the bull leaped nine miles high and nine miles broad and came down with Billy sticking between his horns. Then away he rushed, over the head of the queen, killing her dead, where you wouldn't know day by night or night by day, over high hills, low hills, sheep walks and bullock traces, the Cove o' Cork, and old Tom Fox with his bugle horn.
When at last he stopped he said, "Now, Billy, my boy, you and I must undergo great scenery; there's a mighty great bull of the forest I must fight, here, and he'll be hard to fight, but I'll be able for him. But first we must have dinner. Put your hand in my left ear and pull out the napkin you'll find there, and when you've spread it, it will be covered with eating and drinking fit for a king."
So Billy put his hand in the bull's left ear, and drew out the napkin, and spread it; and, sure enough, it was spread with all kinds of eating and drinking, fit for a king. And Billy Beg ate well.
But just as he finished he heard a great roar, and out of the forest came a mighty bull, snorting and running.
And the two bulls at it and fought. They knocked the hard ground into soft, the soft into hard, the rocks into spring wells, and the spring wells into rocks. It was a terrible fight. But in the end, Billy Beg's bull was too much for the other bull, and he killed him, and drank his blood.
Then Billy jumped on the bull's back, and the bull off and away, where you wouldn't know day from night or night from day, over high hills, low hills, sheep walks and bullock traces, the Cove o' Cork, and old Tom Fox with his bugle horn. And when he stopped he told Billy to put his hand in his left ear and pull out the napkin, because he'd to fight another great bull of the forest. So Billy pulled out the napkin and spread it, and it was covered with all kinds of eating and drinking, fit for a king.
And, sure enough, just as Billy finished eating, there was a frightful roar, and a mighty great bull, greater than the first, rushed out of the forest. And the two bulls at it and fought. It was a terrible fight! They knocked the hard ground into soft, the soft into hard, the rocks into spring wells, and the spring wells into rocks. But in the end, Billy Beg's bull killed the other bull, and drank his blood.
Then he off and away, with Billy.
But when he came down, he told Billy Beg that he was to fight another bull, the brother of the other two, and that this time the other bull would be too much for him, and would kill him and drink his blood.
"When I am dead, Billy, my boy," he said, "put your hand in my left ear and draw out the napkin, and you'll never want for eating or drinking; and put your hand in my right ear, and you'll find a stick there, that will turn into a sword if you wave it three times round your head, and give you the strength of a thousand men beside your own. Keep that; then cut a strip of my hide, for a belt, for when you buckle it on, there's nothing can kill you."
Billy Beg was very sad to hear that his friend must die. And very soon he heard a more dreadful roar than ever he heard, and a tremendous bull rushed out of the forest. Then came the worst fight of all. In the end, the other bull was too much for Billy Beg's bull, and he killed him and drank his blood.
Billy Beg sat down and cried for three days and three nights. After that he was hungry; so he put his hand in the bull's left ear, and drew out the napkin, and ate all kinds of eating and drinking. Then he put his hand in the right ear and pulled out the stick which was to turn into a sword if waved round his head three times, and to give him the strength of a thousand men beside his own. And he cut a strip of the hide for a belt, and started off on his adventures.
Presently he came to a fine place; an old gentleman lived there. So Billy went up and knocked, and the old gentleman came to the door.
"Are you wanting a boy?" says Billy.
"I am wanting a herd-boy," says the gentleman, "to take my six cows, six horses, six donkeys, and six goats to pasture every morning, and bring them back at night. Maybe you'd do."
"What are the wages?" says Billy.
"Oh, well," says the gentleman, "it's no use to talk of that now; there's three giants live in the wood by the pasture, and every day they drink up all the milk and kill the boy that looks after the cattle; so we'll wait to talk about wages till we see if you come back alive."
"All right," says Billy, and he entered service with the old gentleman.
The first day, he drove the six cows, six horses, six donkeys, and six goats to pasture, and sat down by them. About noon he heard a kind of roaring from the wood; and out rushed a giant with two heads, spitting fire out of his two mouths.
"Oh! my fine fellow," says he to Billy, "you are too big for one swallow and not big enough for two; how would you like to die, then? By a cut with the sword, a blow with the fist or a swing by the back?"
"That is as may be," says Billy, "but I'll fight you." And he buckled on his hide belt and swung his stick three times round his head, to give him the strength of a thousand men besides his own, and went for the giant. And at the first grapple Billy Beg lifted the giant up and sunk him in the ground, to his armpits.
"Oh, mercy! mercy! Spare my life!" cried the giant.
"I think not," said Billy; and he cut off his heads.
That night, when the cows and the goats were driven home, they gave so much milk that all the dishes in the house were filled and the milk ran over and made a little brook in the yard.
"This is very queer," said the old gentleman; "they never gave any milk before. Did you see nothing in the pasture?"
"Nothing worse than myself," said Billy. And next morning he drove the six cows, six horses, six donkeys, and six goats to pasture again.
Just before noon he heard a terrific roar; and out of the wood came a giant with six heads.
"You killed my brother," he roared, fire coming out of his six mouths, "and I'll very soon have your blood! Will you die by a cut of the sword, or a swing by the back?"
"I'll fight you," said Billy. And buckling on his belt and swinging his stick three times round his head, he ran in and grappled the giant. At the first hold, he sunk the giant up to the shoulders in the ground.
"Mercy, mercy, kind gentleman!" cried the giant. "Spare my life!"
"I think not," said Billy, and cut off his heads.
That night the cattle gave so much milk that it ran out of the house and made a stream, and turned a mill wheel which had not been turned for seven years!
"It's certainly very queer," said the old gentleman; "did you see nothing in the pasture, Billy?"
"Nothing worse than myself," said Billy.
And the next morning the gentleman said, "Billy, do you know, I only heard one of the giants roaring in the night, and the night before only two. What can ail them, at all?"
"Oh, maybe they are sick or something," says Billy; and with that he drove the six cows, six horses, six donkeys, and six goats to pasture.
At about ten o'clock there was a roar like a dozen bulls, and the brother of the two giants came out of the wood, with twelve heads on him, and fire spouting from every one of them.
"I'll have you, my fine boy," cries he; "how will you die, then?"
"We'll see," says Billy; "come on!"
And swinging his stick round his head, he made for the giant, and drove him up to his twelve necks in the ground. All twelve of the heads began begging for mercy, but Billy soon out them short. Then he drove the beasts home.
And that night the milk overflowed the mill- stream and made a lake, nine miles long, nine miles broad, and nine miles deep; and there are salmon and whitefish there to this day.
"You are a fine boy," said the gentleman, "and I'll give you wages."
So Billy was herd.
The next day, his master told him to look after the house while he went up to the king's town, to see a great sight. "What will it be?" said Billy. "The king's daughter is to be eaten by a fiery dragon," said his master, "unless the champion fighter they've been feed- ing for six weeks on purpose kills the dragon." "Oh," said Billy.
After he was left alone, there were people passing on horses and afoot, in coaches and chaises, in carriages and in wheelbarrows, all going to see the great sight. And all asked Billy why he was not on his way. But Billy said he didn't care about going.
When the last passer-by was out of sight, Billy ran and dressed himself in his master's best suit of clothes, took the brown mare from the stable, and was off to the king's town.
When he came there, he saw a big round place with great high seats built up around it, and all the people sitting there. Down in the midst was the champion, walking up and down proudly, with two men behind him to carry his heavy sword. And up in the centre of the seats was the princess, with her maidens; she was looking very pretty, but nervous.
The fight was about to begin when Billy got there, and the herald was crying out how the champion would fight the dragon for the princess's sake, when suddenly there was heard a fearsome great roaring, and the people shouted, "Here he is now, the dragon!"
The dragon had more heads than the biggest of the giants, and fire and smoke came from every one of them. And when the champion saw the creature, he never waited even to take his sword,--he turned and ran; and he never stopped till he came to a deep well, where he jumped in and hid himself, up to the neck.
When the princess saw that her champion was gone, she began wringing her hands, and crying, "Oh, please, kind gentlemen, fight the dragon, some of you, and keep me from being eaten! Will no one fight the dragon for me?" But no one stepped up, at all. And the dragon made to eat the princess.
Just then, out stepped Billy from the crowd, with his fine suit of clothes and his hide belt on him. "I'll fight the beast," he says, and swinging his stick three times round his head, to give him the strength of a thousand men besides his own, he walked up to the dragon, with easy gait. The princess and all the people were looking, you may be sure, and the dragon raged at Billy with all his mouths, and they at it and fought. It was a terrible fight, but in the end Billy Beg had the dragon down, and he cut off his heads with the sword.
There was great shouting, then, and crying that the strange champion must come to the king to be made prince, and to the princess, to be seen. But in the midst of the hullabaloo Billy Begs slips on the brown mare and is off and away before anyone has seen his face. But, quick as he was, he was not so quick but that the princess caught hold of him as he jumped on his horse, and he got away with one shoe left in her hand. And home he rode, to his master's house, and had his old clothes on and the mare in the stable before his master came back.
When his master came back, he had a great tale for Billy, how the princess's champion had run from the dragon, and a strange knight had come out of the clouds and killed the dragon, and before anyone could stop him had disappeared in the sky. "Wasn't it wonderful?" said the old gentleman to Billy. "I should say so," said Billy to him.
Soon there was proclamation made that the man who killed the dragon was to be found, and to be made son of the king and husband of the princess; for that, everyone should come up to the king's town and try on the shoe which the princess had pulled from off the foot of the strange champion, that he whom it fitted should be known to be the man. On the day set, there was passing of coaches and chaises, of carriages and wheelbarrows, people on horseback and afoot, and Billy's master was the first to go.While Billy was watching, at last came along a raggedy man.
"Will you change clothes with me, and I'll give you boot?" said Billy to him.
"Shame to you to mock a poor raggedy man!" said the raggedy man to Billy.
"It's no mock," said Billy, and he changed clothes with the raggedy man, and gave him boot.
When Billy came to the king's town, in his dreadful old clothes, no one knew him for the champion at all, and none would let him come forward to try the shoe. But after all had tried, Billy spoke up that he wanted to try. They laughed at him, and pushed him back, with his rags. But the princess would have it that he should try. "I like his face," said she; "let him try, now."
So up stepped Billy, and put on the shoe, and it fitted him like his own skin.
Then Billy confessed that it was he that killed the dragon. And that he was a king's son. And they put a velvet suit on him, and hung a gold chain round his neck, and everyone said a finer-looking boy they'd never seen.
So Billy married the princess, and was the prince of that place.
Reading comprehension
* Read the following questions about the text and answer them properly:
1) What did the king and queen’s son have?
2) What happen with the king’s wife?
3) What did prince step mother ask the king to do?
4) Why was the prince very sorrowful?
5) What did the prince and the bull do before the match?
6) After which event did the bull tell the prince about the second match?
7) Against who did the prince accepted to fight?
8) Who will be proclaiming as the princess husband?
9) Who did the prince change clothes with?
10) What did the prince expected to get changing clothes?
TALE 6
NAME: ________________________ CYCLE: _______________
TEACHERS: ____________________ DATE: ________________
TOPIC: SCHEDULE: ___________
The Billy Goat and the King
ONCE there lived a certain king who understood the language of all birds and beasts and insects. This knowledge had of course been given him by a fairy godmother; but it was rather a troublesome present, for he knew that if he were ever to reveal anything he had thus learned he would turn into a stone. How he managed to avoid doing so long before this story opens I cannot say, but he had safely grown up to manhood, and married a wife, and was as happy as monarchs generally are.
This king, I must tell you, was a Hindu; and when a Hindu eats his food he has a nice little place on the ground freshly plastered with mud, and he sits in the middle of it with very few clothes on-which is quite a different way from ours.
Well, one day the king was eating his dinner in just such a nice, clean, mud-plastered spot, and his wife was sitting opposite to wait upon him and keep him company. As he ate he dropped some grains of rice upon the ground, and a little ant, who was running about seeking a living, seized upon one of the grains and bore it off towards his hole. Just outside the king's circle this ant met another ant, and the king heard the second one say,
`Oh, dear friend, do give me that grain of rice, and get another one for yourself. You see my boots are so dirty that, if I were to go upon the king's eating place, I should defile it, and I can't do that, it would be so very rude.'
But the owner of the grain of rice only replied,
`If you want rice go and get it. No one will notice your dirty boots; and you don't suppose that I am going to carry rice for all our kindred?'
Then the king laughed.
The queen looked at herself up and down, but she could not see or feel anything in her appearance to make the king laugh, so she said,
`What are you laughing at?'
`Did I laugh?' replied the king.
`Of course you did,' retorted the queen; `and if you think that I am ridiculous I wish you would say so, instead of behaving in that stupid way! What are you laughing at?'
`I'm not laughing at anything,' answered the king.
`Very well, but you did laugh, and I want to know why.'
`Well, I'm afraid I can't tell you,' said the king.
`You must tell me,' replied the queen impatiently. `If you laugh when there's nothing to laugh at you must be ill or mad. What is the matter?'
Still the king refused to say, and still the queen declared that she must and would know. For days the quarrel went on, and the queen gave her husband no rest, until at last the poor man was almost out of his wits, and thought that, as life had become for him hardly worth living while this went on, he might as well tell her the secret and take the consequences.
`But,' thought he, `if I am to become a stone, I am not going to lie, if I can help it, on some dusty highway, to be kicked here and there by man and beast, flung at dogs, be used as the plaything of naughty children, and become generally restless and miserable. I will be a stone at the bottom of the cool river, and roll gently about there until I find some secure resting-place where I can stay for ever.'
So he told his wife that if she would ride with him to the middle of the river he would tell her what he had laughed at. She thought he was joking, and laughingly agreed; their horses were ordered and they set out.
On the way they came to a fine well beneath the shade of some lofty, wide-spreading trees, and the king proposed that they should get off and rest a little, drink some of the cool water, and then pass on. To this the queen consented; so they dismounted and sat down in the shade by the well-side to rest.
It happened that an old goat and his wife were browsing in the neighbourhood, and, as the king and queen sat there, the nanny goat came to the well's brink and peering over saw some lovely green leaves that sprang in tender shoots out of the side of the well.
`Oh!' cried she to her husband, 'come quickly and look. Here are some leaves which make my mouth water; come and get them for me!'
Then the billy goat sauntered up and looked over, and after that he eyed his wife a little crossly.
`You expect me to get you those leaves, do you? I suppose you don't consider how in the world I am to reach them? You don't seem to think at all; if you did you would know that if I tried to reach those leaves I should fall into the well and be drowned!'
`Oh,' cried the nanny goat, `why should you fall in? Do try and get them!'
`I am not going to be so silly,' replied the billy goat.
But the nanny goat still wept and entreated.
Look here,' said her husband, I there are plenty of fools in the world, but I am not one of them. This silly king here, because he can't cure his wife of asking questions, is going to throw his life away. But I know how to cure you of your follies, and I'm going to.'
And with that he butted the nanny goat so severely that in two minutes she was submissively feeding somewhere else, and had made up her mind that the leaves in the well were not worth having.
Then the king, who had understood every word, laughed once more.
The queen looked at him suspiciously, but the king got up and walked across to where she sat.
`Are you still determined to find out what I was laughing at the other day?' he asked.
`Quite,' answered the queen angrily.
`Because,' said the king, tapping his leg with his riding whip, `I've made up my mind not to tell you, and moreover, I have made up my mind to stop you mentioning the subject any more.'
`What do you mean?' asked the queen nervously.
Well,' replied the king, `I notice that if that goat is displeased with his wife, he just butts her, and that seems to settle the question-'
`Do you mean to say you would beat me?' cried the queen.
`I should be extremely sorry to have to do so,' replied the king; `but I have to persuade you to go home quietly, and to ask no more silly questions when I say I cannot answer them. Of course, if you will persist, why-'
And the queen went home, and so did the king; and it is said that they are both happier and wiser than ever before.
Reading comprehension
* Read the following questions about the text and answer them properly:
1) What was the king able to do?
2) Who gave this gift to the king?
3) What would happen if the king ever reveals his secret to anyone?
4) Whose conversation did the king listen to once?
5) What did his wife want him to do?
6) What did he ask his wife to do? Why?
7) What did the goat recommend the king to do with his wife?
8) Was the king please to beat her wife?
9) Did the wife was beat by the king?
10) What did they queen have to do to avoid the beating?
TALE 7
NAME: ________________________ CYCLE: _______________
TEACHERS: ____________________ DATE: ________________
TOPIC: SCHEDULE: ___________
The Bird 'Grip'
IT happened once that a king, who had a great kingdom and three sons, became blind, and no human skill or art could restore to him his sight. At last there came to the palace an old woman, who told him that in the whole world there was only one thing that could give him back his sight, and that was to get the bird Grip; his song would open the king's eyes.
When the king's eldest son heard this he offered to bring the bird Grip, which was kept in a cage by a king in another country, and carefully guarded as his greatest treasure. The blind king was greatly rejoiced at his son's resolve, fitted him out in the best way he could, and let him go, When the prince had ridden some distance he came to an inn, in which there were many guests, all of whom were merry, and drank and sang and played at dice. This joyous life pleased the prince so well that he stayed in the inn, took part in the playing and drinking, and forgot both his blind father and the bird Grip,
Meanwhile the king waited with both hope and anxiety for his son's return, but as time went on and nothing was heard of him; the second prince asked leave to go in search of his brother, as well as to bring the bird Grip. The king granted his request, and fitted him out in the finest fashion. But when the prince came to the inn and found his brother among his merry companions, he also remained there, and forgot both the bird Grip and his blind father.
When the king noticed that neither of his sons returned, although a long time had passed since the second one set out, he was greatly distressed, for not only had he lost all hope of getting back his sight, but he had also lost his two eldest sons. The youngest now came to him, and offered to go in search of his brothers and to bring the bird Grip; he was quite certain that he would succeed in this. The king was unwilling to risk his third son on such an errand, but he begged so long that his father had at last to consent. This prince also was fitted out in the finest manner, like his brothers, and so rode away.
He also turned into the same inn as his brothers, and when these saw him they assailed him with many entreaties to remain with them and share their merry life. But he answered that now, when he had found them, his next task was to get the bird Grip, for which his blind father was longing, and so he had not a single hour to spare with them in the inn. He then said farewell to his brothers, and rode on to find another inn in which to pass the night. When he had ridden a long way, and it began to grow dark, he came to a house which lay deep in the forest. Here he was received in a very friendly manner by the host, who put his horse into the stable, and led the prince himself into the guestchamber, where he ordered a maid-servant to lay the cloth and set down the supper. It was now dark, and while the girl was laying the cloth and setting down the dishes, and the prince had begun to appease his hunger, he heard the most piteous shrieks and cries from the next room. He sprang up from the table and asked the girl what these cries were, and whether he had fallen into a den of robbers. The girl answered that these shrieks were heard every night, but it was no living being who uttered them: it was a dead man, whose life the host had taken because he could not pay for the meals he had had in the inn. The host further refused to bury the dead man, as he had left nothing to pay the expenses of the funeral, and every night he went and scourged the dead body of his victim.
When she had said this she lifted the cover off one of the dishes, and the prince saw that there lay on it a knife and an axe. He understood then that the host meant to ask him by this what kind of death he preferred to die, unless he was willing to ransom his life with his money. He then summoned the host, gave him a large sum for his own life, and paid the dead man's debt as well, besides paying him for burying the body, which the murderer now promised to attend to.
The prince, however, felt that his life was not safe in this murderer's den, and asked the maid to help him to escape that night. She replied that the attempt to do so might cost her her own life, as the key of the stable in which the prince's horse stood lay under the host's pillow; but, as she herself was a prisoner there, she would help him to escape if he would take her along with him. He promised to do so, and they succeeded in getting away from the inn, and rode on until they came to another far away from it, where the prince got a good place for the girl before proceeding on his journey.
As he now rode all alone through a forest there met him a fox, who greeted him in a friendly fashion, and asked him where he was going, and on what errand he was bent. The prince answered that his errand was too important to be confided to everyone that he met.
"You are right in that," said the fox, "for it relates to the bird Grip, which you want to take and bring home to your blind father; I could help you in this, but in that case you must follow my counsel."
The prince thought that this was a good offer, especially as the fox was ready to go with him and show him the way to the castle, where the bird Grip sat in his cage, and so he promised to obey the fox's instructions. When they had traversed the forest together they saw the castle at some distance. Then the fox gave the prince three grains of gold, one of which he was to throw into the guard-room, another into the room where the bird Grip sat, and the third into its cage. He could then take the bird, but he must beware of stroking it; otherwise it would go ill with him.
The prince took the grains of gold, and promised to follow the fox's directions faithfully. When he came to the guard-room of the castle he threw one of the grains in there, and the guards at once fell asleep. The same thing happened with those who kept watch in the room beside the bird Grip, and when he threw the third grain into its cage the bird also fell asleep. When the prince got the beautiful bird into his hand he could not resist the temptation to stroke it, whereupon it awoke and began to scream. At this the whole castle woke up, and the prince was taken prisoner.
As he now sat in his prison, and bitterly lamented that his own disobedience had brought himself into trouble, and deprived his father of the chance of recovering his sight, the fox suddenly stood in front -of him. The prince was very pleased to see it again, and received with great meekness all its reproaches, as well as promised to be more obedient in the future, if the fox would only help him out of his fix. The fox said that he had come to assist him, but he could do no more than advise the prince, when he was brought up for trial, to answer "yes" to all the judge's questions, and everything would go well. The prince faithfully followed his instructions, so that when the judge asked him whether he had meant to steal the bird Grip he said "Yes," and when the judge asked him if he was a master-thief he again answered "Yes."
When the king heard that he admitted being a master thief, he said that he would forgive him the attempt to steal the bird if he would go to the next kingdom and carry off the world's most beautiful princess, and bring her to him. To this also the prince said "Yes."
When he left the castle he met the fox, who went along with him to the next kingdom, and, when they came near the castle there, gave him three grains of gold-one to throw into the guard-room, another into the princess's chamber, and the third into her bed. At the same time he strictly warned him not to kiss the princess. The prince went to the castle, and did with the grains of gold as the fox had told him, so that sleep fell upon everyone there; but when he had taken the princess into his arms he forgot the fox's warning, at the sight of her beauty, and kissed her. Then both she and all the others in the castle woke; the prince was taken prisoner, and put into a strong dungeon.
Here the fox again came to him and reproached him with his disobedience, but promised to help him out of this trouble also if he would answer "yes" to everything they asked him at his trial. The prince willingly agreed to this, and admitted to the judge that he had meant to steal the princess, and that he was a master-thief.
When the king learned this he said he would forgive his offence if he would go to the next kingdom and steal the horse with the four golden shoes. To this also the prince said "Yes."
When he had gone a little way from the castle he met the fox, and they continued on their journey together. When they reached the end of it the prince for the third time received three grains of gold from the fox, with directions to throw one into the guard-chamber, another into the stable, and the third into the horse's stall. But the fox told him that above the horse's stall hung a beautiful golden saddle, which he must not touch, if he did not want to bring himself into new troubles worse thin those he had escaped from, for then the fox could help him no longer.
The prince promised to be firm this time. He threw the grains of gold in the proper places, and untied the horse, but with that he caught sight of the golden saddle, and thought that none but it could suit so beautiful a horse, especially as it had golden shoes. But just as he stretched out his hand to take it he received from some invisible being so hard a blow on the arm that it was made quite numb. This recalled to him his promise and his danger, so he led out the horse without looking at the golden saddle again.
The fox was waiting for him outside the castle, and the prince confessed to him that he had very nearly given way to temptation this time as well. "I know that," said the fox, "for it was I who struck you over the arm."
As they now went on together the prince said that he could not forget the beautiful princess, and asked the fox whether he did not think that she ought to ride home to his father's palace on this horse with the golden shoes. The fox agreed that this would be excellent; if the prince would, now go and carry her off he would give him three grains of gold for that purpose. The prince was quite ready, and promised to keep better command of himself this time, and not kiss her.
He got the grains of gold and entered the castle, where he carried off the princess, set her on the beautiful horse, and held on his way. When they came near to the castle where the bird Grip sat in his cage he again asked the fox for three grains of gold. These he got, and with them he was successful in carrying off the bird.
He was now full of joy, for his blind father would now recover his sight, while he himself owned the world's most beautiful princess and the horse with the golden shoes.
The prince and the princess travelled on together with mirth and happiness, and the fox followed them until they came to the forest where the prince first met with him.
"Here our ways part," said the fox. "You have now got all that your heart desired, and you will have a prosperous journey to your father's palace if only you do not ransom anyone's life with money."
The prince thanked the fox for all his help, promised to give heed to his warning, said farewell to him, and rode on, with the princess by his side and the bird Grip on his wrist.
They soon arrived at the inn where the two eldest brothers had stayed, forgetting their errand. But now no merry song or noise of mirth was heard from it. When the prince came nearer he saw two gallows erected, and when he entered the inn along with the princess he saw that all the rooms were hung with black, and that everything inside foreboded sorrow and death. He asked the reason of this, and was told that two princes were to be hanged that day for debt; they had spent all their money in feasting and playing, and were now deeply in debt to the host, and as no one could be found to ransom their lives they were about to be hanged according to the law.
The prince knew that it was his two brothers who had thus forfeited their lives, and it cut him to the heart to think that two princes should suffer such a shameful death; and, as he had sufficient money with him, he paid their debts, and so ransomed their lives.
At first the brothers were grateful for their liberty, but when they saw the youngest brother's treasures they became jealous of his good fortune, and planned how to bring him to destruction, and then take the bird Grip, the princess, and the horse with the golden shoes, and convey them to their blind father. After they had agreed on how to carry out their treachery they enticed the prince to a den of lions and threw him down among them. Then they set the princess on horseback, took the bird Grip, and rode homeward. The princess wept bitterly, but they told her that it would cost her her life if she did not say that the two brothers bad won all the treasures.
When they arrived at their father's palace there was great rejoicing, and everyone praised the two princes for their courage and bravery.
When the king inquired after the youngest brother they answered that he had led such a life in the inn that he had been hanged for debt. The king sorrowed bitterly over this, because the youngest prince was his dearest son, and the joy over the treasures soon died away, for the bird Grip would not sing so that the king might recover his sight, the princess wept night and day, and no one dared to venture so close to the horse as to have a look at his golden shoes.
Now when the youngest prince was thrown down into the lions' den be found the fox sitting there, and the lions, instead of tearing him to pieces, showed him the greatest friendliness: Nor was the fox angry with him for having forgot his last warning. He only said that sons who could so forget their old father and disgrace their royal birth as these had done would not hesitate to betray their brother either. Then he took the prince up out of the lions' den and gave him directions what to do now so as to come by his rights again.
The prince thanked the fox with all his heart for his true friendship, but the fox answered that if he had been of any use to him he would now for his own part ask a service of him. The prince replied that he would do him any service that was in his power.
"I have only one thing to ask of you," said the fox, "and that is, that you should cut off my head with your sword."
The prince was astonished, and said that he could not bring himself to cut the head off his truest friend, and to this he stuck in spite of all the fox's declarations that it was the greatest service he could do him. At this the fox became very sorrowful, and declared that the prince's refusal to grant his request now compelled him to do a deed which he was very unwilling to do-if the prince would not cut off his head, then he must kill the prince himself. Then at last the prince drew his good sword and cut off the fox's head, and the next moment a youth stood before him.
"Thanks," said he, "for this service, which has freed me from a spell that not even death itself could loosen. I am the dead man who lay unburied in the robber's inn, where you ransomed me and gave me honourable burial, and therefore I have helped you-in your journey."
With this they parted, and the prince, disguising himself as a horse-shoes, went up to his father's palace and offered his services there.
The king's men told him that a horse-shoes was indeed wanted at the palace, but he must be one who could lift up the feet of the horse with the golden shoes, and such a one they had not yet been able to find. The prince asked to see the horse, and as soon as he entered the stable the steed began to neigh in a friendly fashion, and stood as quiet and still as a lamb while the prince lifted up his hoofs, one after the other, and showed the king's men the famous golden shoes.
After this the king's men began to talk about the bird Grip, and how strange it was that he would not sing, however well he was attended to. The horse-shoes then said that he knew the bird very well; he had seen it when it sat in its cage in another king's palace, and if it did not sing now it must be because it did not have all that it wanted. He himself knew so much about the bird's ways that if he only got to see it he could tell at once what it lacked.
The king's men now took counsel whether they ought to take the stranger in before the king, for in his chamber sat the bird Grip along with the weeping princess. It was decided to risk doing so, and the horse-shoes was led into the king's chamber, where he had no sooner called the bird by its name than it
began to sing and the princess to smile. Then the darkness cleared away from the king's eyes, and the more the bird sang the more clearly did he see, till at last in the strange horse-shoer he recognised his youngest son. Then the princess told the king how treacherously his eldest sons had acted, and he had them banished from his kingdom; but the youngest prince married the princess, and got the horse with the golden shoes and half the kingdom from his father, who kept for himself so long as he lived the bird Grip, which now sang with all its heart to the king and all his court.
Reading comprehension
* Read the following questions about the text and answer them properly:
1) What happen with king? Was he sick?
2) What would cure his blindness?
3) What did the two princes decide to do?
4) Which inn did the third son spend the night?
5) Where the third prince did met the fox?
6) What did the fox gave the prince the third time?
7) Why the third prince’s older brother were jealous?
8) What did the fox ask the prince to do with his sword?
9) Who told the prince about the bird cage location?
10) How did the prince manage to get the bird?
TALE 8
NAME: ________________________ CYCLE: _______________
TEACHERS: ____________________ DATE: ________________
TOPIC: SCHEDULE: ___________
The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat
There was once a terrible war between the birds and the beasts. For a long time it was doubtful which would win.
The bat said, "I am not a bird and I am not a beast, so I shall fight on neither side."
At last the beasts seemed to be gaining the victory. The bat flew to them and said, "I am a beast. Look at my body and you will see that I am. I shall fight on your side."
New flocks of birds came to help their relatives, and the battle soon turned against the beasts.
Then the bat skulked over to the other side. "I am a bird," said he. "I can prove it by my wings," and he fought with the birds.
At last the war was over. The bat was hated by beasts and birds. Both made war upon him. He was obliged to slink off and hide in dark places during the day, never showing his face until dusk.
Reading comprehension
* Read the following questions about the text and answer them properly:
1) Which animals were in war?
2) Who realize not to fight in either side?
3) Why did the bat change its mind?
4) What did the bat do when the birds’ supplies arrive?
5) At the en d of the war, what was the bat position?
6) What did the birds and beast force the bat to do?
7) Why did the bat just only show him at night?
8) Was that the best solution to his problem?
9) Why did everyone hate the bat?
10) What would you do in bat situation?
TALE 9
NAME: ________________________ CYCLE: _______________
TEACHERS: ____________________ DATE: ________________
TOPIC: SCHEDULE: ___________
The Biter Bit
ONCE UPON A TIME there lived a man called Simon, who was very rich, but at the same time stingy and miserly. He had a housekeeper named Nina, a clever capable woman, and as she did her work carefully and conscientiously, her master had the greatest respect for her.
Simon had been one of the gayest and most active youths of the neighborhood, but as he grew old and still he found it difficult to walk, and his faithful servant urged him to get a horse, to save his poor old bones. At last Simon gave way to his housekeeper and betook himself to the market where he had seen a mule, which he thought would just suit him and which he bought for seven gold pieces.
Now, three merry rascals hanging about the market place much preferred living on other people's goods to working for their own living. As soon as they saw that Simon had bought a mule, one of them said:
`My friends, this mule must be ours before we are many hours older.'
`But how shall we manage it s'' asked one of them.
`We must all three station ourselves along the old man's homeward way, and must each in his turn declare the mule a donkey. If we only stick to it the mule will soon be ours.'
This proposal quite satisfied the others, and they separated as agreed. Now when Simon came by, the first rogue said to him:
`God bless you, my fine gentleman:
`Thanks for your courtesy,' said Simon.
`Where have you-been?' asked the thief.
`To the market,' was the reply.
`And what did you buy there?' continued the rogue.
`This mule.'
`Which mule?'
`The one I'm sitting upon, to be sure,' replied Simon.
`Are you in earnest or only joking?'
`What do you mean?'
`It seems to me you have a donkey, not a mule.'
`A donkey? What rubbish!' screamed Simon, and without another word he rode on his way. After a few hundred yards he met the second rogue, who addressed him:
`Good day, dear sir, where are you coming from?'
`From the market,' answered Simon.
`Did things go cheap?' asked the other.
`I bought this mule on which you see me.'
`Is it possible you bought that beast for a mule?'
`Why certainly.'
`But, good heavens, it is nothing but a donkey!'
`A donkey,' repeated Simon. `You don't mean to say so. If a single other person tells me that, I shall make him a present of the wretched animal.' With these words he continued his way, and very soon met the third knave, who said to hire:
`God bless you, sir. Are you by any chance coming from the market?'
`Yes, I am,' replied Simon.
`And what bargain did you drive there?' asked the cunning fellow.
`I bought this mule I am riding.'
`A mule! Do you wish to make a fool of me?'
`I'm speaking in sober earnest,' said Simon. `It would not occur to me to make a joke of it.'
`Oh, my poor friend,' cried the rascal, `don't you see that it is a donkey and not a mule? You have been taken in by some wretched cheats.'
`You are the third person in the last two hours who has told me the same thing,' said Simon, `but I couldn't believe it.' Dismounting, he spoke, `Take the animal, I make you a present of it'
The rascal took the beast, thanked him kindly, and rode on to join his comrades, while Simon went home on foot.
As soon as the old man reached home, he told his housekeeper how he had bought a mule, that turned out to be a donkey-at least, so he had been assured by several people he had met on the road, and in disgust he had at last given it away.
`Oh, you simpleton!' cried Nina. `Didn't you see they were only playing you a trick? Really, I thought you had more gumption than that. They wouldn't have fooled me in that way.'
`Never mind,' replied Simon, `I will play them one worth two of that. Depend upon it they will not be content with the donkey, but they will try to get something more, or I am much mistaken.'
Now there lived in the village not far from Simon's house, a peasant who had two goats, so alike it was impossible to distinguish one from the other. Simon bought them both, paid as small a price as he could, arid led them home with him. He told Nina as he was going to invite some friends to dinner, to roast some veal, boil a pair of chickens, make a good savory, and bake the best tart she could make. Then he took one of the goats and tied it to a post in the courtyard where there was grass to eat. But he bound a cord round the neck of the other goat and led it to the market.
Hardly had he arrived when the three rogues who had his mule perceived him, and coming up to him, said, `Welcome, Simon, what brings you here? Are you on the look out for a bargain?'
`I've come to get some provisions,' he answered, `because some friends are coming to dine with me today, and it would give me much pleasure if you were to honor me with your company also:
The accomplices willingly accepted this invitation. After Simon had made all his purchases, he tied them on to the goat's back, and said to it, in the presence of the three cheats:
`Go home now and tell Nina to roast the veal and boil the chickens and tell her to prepare a savory with herbs and bake the best tart she can make. Have you followed me? Then go, and Heaven's blessing go with you.'
As soon as it felt itself free, the laden goat trotted off as quickly as it could, and to this day nobody knows what became of it. Bur Simon, with his three friends and some others he had picked up, returned home.
When he and his guests entered the courtyard, they noticed the goat tied to the post quietly chewing the cud. They were not a little astonished, for of course they thought it was the same goat Simon had sent home laden with provisions. As soon as they reached the house Simon said to the housekeeper:
`Well, Nina, have you done what I told the goat to tell you to do?'
The woman, who at once understood her master, answered, `Certainly I have. The veal is roasted and the chickens boiled.'
`That's right,' said Simon.
When the three rogues saw the cooked meats and the tart in the oven and heard Nina's words, they were nearly beside themselves with amazement. How were they to get the goat into their own possession? At last, toward the end of the meal, one of them said to him:
`My worthy host, you must sell your goat to us.'
Simon replied he was most unwilling to part with the creature, no amount of money would make up to him for its loss. Still, if they were quite set on it, he would let them have the goat for fifty gold pieces.
The knaves paid down the fifty gold pieces at once, and left the house, leading the goat with them. When they reached home, they said to their wives, `You needn't cook the dinner tomorrow till we send the provisions home.'
The following day they went to the market and bought chickens and vegetables. After they had packed them on the back of the goat they told it what dishes they wished their wives to prepare. As soon as the goat felt itself free, it ran as quickly as it could and was very soon lost to sight. As far as is known it was never heard of again.
When the dinner hour approached, all three went home and asked their wives if the goat had returned with the necessary provisions and told what they wished prepared for their meal.
`Oh, you blockheads,' cried their wives, `how could you believe for a moment that a goat would do the work of a servant maid? You have been made to look pretty foolish.'
When the three comrades saw that Simon had turned the tables on them, and had their fifty gold pieces, they flew into such a rage they made up their minds to kill him and seizing their weapons went to his house.
But the sly old man, terrified for fear the three rogues would do him harm, was on his guard, and said to his housekeeper, `Nina, take this bladder, which is filled with blood, and hide it under your cloak. When these thieves come I'll lay all the blame on you and will pretend to be so angry with you that I will run at you with my knife and pierce the bladder with it. You must fall on the ground as if dead, and leave the rest to me:
Hardly had Simon said these words than the three rogues appeared and fell on him to kill him.
`My friends,' called out Simon to them, `I am in no way to blame. Perhaps my housekeeper has done you some injury of which I know nothing.' With these words, he struck Nina with his knife and pierced the bladder filled with blood. Instantly the housekeeper fell down as if dead and the blood streamed all over the ground.
Then Simon cried out in a loud voice, `Unhappy wretch that I am! What have I done? Like a madman I have killed the woman who is the prop and stay of my old age. How could I go on living without her?'
Then he seized a pipe, and when he had blown into it for some time, Nina sprang up alive and well. The rogues were more amazed than ever. They forgot their anger and, buying the pipe for two hundred gold pieces, went joyfully home.
Not long after this one of them quarreled with his wife, and in his rage he thrust his knife into her breast and she fell dead on the ground. Then he took Simon's pipe and blew into it with all his might, in the hope of calling his wife back to life. He blew in vain, for the poor soul was as dead as a doornail.
The same thing happened to the second and to the third rogue so now all three were without wives. Full of wrath they ran to Simon's house, and put him into a sack, meaning to drown him in the neighboring river. On their way there, however, a sudden noise threw them into such panic that they dropped the sack with Simon in it and ran for their lives.
Soon after a shepherd passed by with his flock. While he was following the sheep, pausing here and there by the wayside to browse on the tender grass, he heard a pitiful voice wailing:
`They insist on my taking her and I don't want her, for I am too old and I really can't have her.'
The shepherd was very much startled. At last he perceived the sack in which Simon was hidden, opened it, and discovered Simon repeating his dismal complaint. The shepherd asked him why he had been left there tied up in a sack.
Simon replied that the king of the country had insisted on giving him one of his daughters as a wife, but that he refused the honor because he was too old and too frail. The simpleminded shepherd, who believed his story implicitly, asked him:
`Do you think the king of the country would give his daughter to me?'
`Yes, certainly, I know he would,' answered Simon, `if you were tied up in this sack instead of me.'
Then getting out of the sack, he tied the confiding shepherd up in it instead, and at his request fastened it securely and drove the sheep on himself.
An hour had scarcely passed when the three rogues returned to the place where they had left Simon in the sack. Without opening it, one of them seized it and threw it into the river.
The three rogues set out for home. On their way they noticed a flock of sheep grazing not far from the road. They longed to steal a few of the lambs but they were more than startled to recognize Simon, who they thought had drowned in the river. They asked him how he had managed to get out of the river, to which he replied:
`Get along with you- you are no better than silly donkeys If you had only drowned me in deeper water I would have returned with three times as many sheep.'
When the three rogues heard this, they said to him, `Oh, dear Simon, tie us up in sacks and throw us into the river that we may give up our thieving ways and become the owners of flocks.'
`I am ready,' answered Simon, `to do what you wish. There is nothing in the world I would not do for you.'
So he took three strong sacks and put a man in each of them, fastened them up so tightly they couldn't get out, and then he threw them all into the river. And that was the end of the three rogues. But Simon returned home to his faithful Nina rich in flocks and gold and lived for many a year in health and happiness.
Reading comprehension
* Read the following questions about the text and answer them properly:
1) What was Simon economical situation?
2) Who was Simon’s housekeeper?
3) How was Simon when he was young?
4) What did the rascals want to do with the mule?
5) What did they plan to do?
6) What did Simon do to replay the trick?
7) How much did the knaves pay to him?
8) What did the rouges do to Simon
9) How did Simon manage to elimate them?
10) How did he and Nina live then?
TALE 10
NAME: ________________________ CYCLE: _______________
TEACHERS: ____________________ DATE: ________________
TOPIC: SCHEDULE: ___________
The Blackbird and the Dove
One day a blackbird and a dove called upon a peacock.
The peacock received both of them very kindly in his arbor.
"I have long wished to meet you," said the blackbird. "Many have told me of your beauty and of your grace. I find that they did not tell me half." He stroked the peacock's coat lovingly as he praised him.
The dove was silent.
At last they bade the peacock good-by, the blackbird making many low bows.
As they started home, the blackbird said, "I hope I may never meet that stupid peacock again. I can not bear him. Did you notice his feet? I felt like laughing every time I looked at them. His voice makes me shudder. What can anyone see to praise in that bird?"
"I did not notice his feet nor his voice," said the dove. "He has a noble form and his dress is very beautiful. The rainbow and the flowers are not more beautiful."
The blackbird turned away in shame. He wished to hear fault found with the peacock, but the dove gave only the highest praise.
Reading comprehension
* Read the following questions about the text and answer them properly:
1) Which animals called the peacock?
2) Where did the peacock receive the animals?
3) Why was the blackbird interest in meeting the peacock?
4) What else did the blackbird do when he stroked the peacock feathers?
5) What part did like the blackbird from the peacock’ body?
6) Why did he feel to laugh every time?
7) What pay the dove attention?
8) Why did the blackbird turn away in shame?
9) Why did the dove take that position?
10) What are the differences between the blackbird and dove personalities?
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