Черная курица, или Подземные жители / The Black Hen

Alyosha looked at the moon. All was quiet. Suddenly the boy heard a noise. He looked at the bed of his best friend and saw something strange. "The sheet on the bed is moving!" he thought. And then a voice called him quietly:

"Alyosha! Alyosha!"

Alyosha closed his eyes. He was alone in the bedroom. He was afraid to open his eyes.

"There is somebody under the bed," he thought, "but how can he know my name?"

Alyosha sat up in bed. The sheet started moving again. Somebody called him once more. Suddenly from under the white sheet came… the black hen!

"Oh! It's you, Blacky!" Alyosha cried. "How did you get here?"

Blacky flew up on his bed and said:

"Yes, it's me, Alyosha! You're not afraid of me, are you?"

"No, Blacky, I'm not afraid of you. You are my friend. It's nice to hear your voice. You can speak so well."

"If you are not afraid of me," said the hen, "come with me now. Please, put on your clothes. Quickly!"

"You are funny, Blacky!" said Alyosha. "How can I do that? It's so dark here. I don't see my clothes."

"OK. I have an idea," said the hen.

Then she said something in a strange voice. And suddenly Alyosha saw a lot of very small candles everywhere. The candles were on the floor, on the chairs, at the windows. It was no longer dark in the room. Alyosha put on his clothes. Then Blacky said something again, and the candles disappeared.

"Follow me!" she told him.

Helpful Words & Notes

drawing room — гостиная.

at all — совсем, вовсе.

at once — сразу же.

at half past ten — в половине одиннадцатого.

The boy put out the light. — Мальчик погасил свет.

once more — еще раз.

no longer — больше не.

Exercises

1 Say who:

1) wanted to see the inspector of schools.

2) saw the inspector through the window.

3) didn't want to take new pieces of bread from Alyosha.

4) left at half past ten.

5) entered Alyosha's bedroom with a candle in his hand.

6) said something in a strange voice.

7) put on his clothes.

2 Put the sentences in the right order.

1) Alyosha put on his coat and a hat and ran out into the yard.

2) Blacky came up to Alyosha at once.

3) "The sheet on the bed is moving!" thought the boy.

4) The headmaster went out of the house to meet the inspector.

5) Suddenly the boy heard a noise.

6) "Come with me now," said Blacky.

7) After supper Alyosha went to the classroom and sat there alone.

3 Choose right.

1) The headmaster's wife opened / closed the door of the drawing room.

2) The inspector was a tall / small man in a grey suit.

3) Alyosha couldn't stop thinking about the hen / coin.

4) Suddenly from under the sheet / bed came the hen.

4 Fill in the prepositions.

1) Even Alyosha forgot ____ his hen.

2) The headmaster had a candle ____ his hand.

3) Alyosha looked ____ the moon.

4) The candles were ____ the floor and ____ chairs.

5) Alyosha put ____ his clothes and followed Blacky.

5 Fill in the words from the box.

moon grass stars dog

1) Blacky's eyes were like two bright ____.

2) The ____ today is like a big piece of cheese.

3) Blacky followed Alyosha around the yard like a ____.

4) Alyosha's hat was green like ____.

6 Explain why:

1) Alyosha couldn't go to the hen-house before the dinner.

2) the hens didn't want to play with Alyosha.

3) Alyosha couldn't put on his clothes at once.

Chapter 3

Alyosha bravely followed the hen. Blacky's eyes were very bright. So they didn't even need a candle. Alyosha and the hen walked through the hall.

"The door is closed, and I haven't got the key," said Alyosha.

The hen said nothing. She flapped her wings, and the door opened. Alyosha and Blacky went to the rooms of the Dutch ladies. One of them had a big grey parrot. The other one had a grey cat. The cat was very clever. She could even give her paw.

Alyosha and Blacky came up to the door of the first room. The hen flapped her wings again, and the door opened. In the room Alyosha saw beautiful old chairs and tables. He wanted to stop and look at the tables.

"We can't stop here," said Blacky.

Alyosha followed the hen into the second room. He saw a beautiful gold cage. There was a big parrot in the cage. He was grey, and his tail was red. Alyosha wanted to come up to the cage at once. But Blacky didn't let him do it.

"Don't touch anything here," she said. "You can wake the old ladies!"

Only then Alyosha saw a bed near the parrot. On the bed there was a lady. Her eyes were closed. She looked very old. In another corner there was another bed with another old lady on it. And near her the boy saw a grey cat. Alyosha came up to her and said:

"Give me your paw. Can you do that for me?"