Черная курица, или Подземные жители / The Black Hen

The cat started mewing loudly. The parrot cried: "Silly boy!" The old ladies opened their eyes and sat up in bed. Blacky ran out of the room. Alyosha followed her. They closed the door behind them. But they could still hear the parrot: "Silly boy! Silly boy!"

"That's bad," said the hen. "I'm afraid the knights are not sleeping now."

"What knights?" asked Alyosha.

"Please don't ask me any questions," said Blacky. "We must go now. Follow me. Don't be afraid."

They went downstairs and walked along the corridors. Some of them were very long, low and narrow. Then they came into a large hall. The hall had no windows, but there were three wonderful large lamps. Alyosha saw many portraits of the knights on the walls.

"Alyosha! Please, be quiet," said Blacky.

At the end of the hall there was a large door. Alyosha and the hen came up to the door. Suddenly two knights jumped off the wall and went to Blacky. At that moment the hen started growing. She became very big and tall. She was bigger and taller than the knights. Blacky started fighting with the knights. The hen was brave. But the knights were strong too. Alyosha didn't see the end of the fight because he fainted.

When he opened his eyes, it was morning. He was in bed. There was no Blacky and the knights. Alyosha thought about last night: "Was it real? Or was it a dream?"

The boy put on his clothes and went upstairs to have breakfast. He wanted to play in the yard after breakfast, but there was too much snow. So he didn't go out.

After dinner the headmaster's wife told her husband: "I can't find the black hen anywhere. But don't worry. We never get eggs from this hen. I think we can eat her for dinner some time."

Alyosha became very sad. In the afternoon he stayed in the classroom again. He couldn't stop thinking about last night. He wanted to see the hen.

"She is not in the hen-house. But I may see her this night again," he thought.

The time came to go to bed. Alyosha quickly took off his clothes and got into his bed. He looked at the other bed …. and the white sheet started moving again. And again the boy heard a voice: "Alyosha! Alyosha!" Then Blacky came out from under the bed and flew up on Alyosha's bed. He was very happy to see the hen.

"O! Hello, Blacky!" he cried. "Are you OK?"

"Yes," said the hen. "But I could be dead because of you."

"What do you mean?" asked Alyosha.

"You're a good boy," said Blacky, "but you didn't listen to me yesterday. It's bad. I told you not to touch anything. But you talked to the cat. The cat woke the parrot. The parrot woke the old ladies. The old ladies woke the knights. The knights started fighting with me."

"I'm sorry, dear Blacky," said Alyosha. "I promise to listen to you.

Always! Please, take me with you again."

"OK," said the hen.

Helpful Words & Notes

She flapped her wings — Она захлопала крыльями.

because he fainted — потому что он потерял сознание.

because of you — из-за тебя.

Exercises

1 Answer the questions.

1) Where did Blacky take Alyosha?

2) What did the cat do?

3) Who started fighting with Blacky? Why?

4) When did Alyosha see Blacky again?

5) What did Alyosha promise her?

2 Put the sentences in the right order.

1) Alyosha and Blacky went to the rooms of the Dutch ladies.

2) In the second room the boy saw a beautiful gold cage with a parrot and a cat.

3) Alyosha didn't see the end of the fight because he fainted.

4) The old ladies opened their eyes and sat up in bed.

5) Two knights jumped off the wall and started fighting with Blacky.

6) In the first room Alyosha saw beautiful old chairs and tables.

7) The cat started mewing loudly.

3 Choose right.

1) Blacky flapped her wings, and the door closed / opened.

2) Alyosha put on / took off his clothes and went upstairs to have breakfast.

3) Alyosha touched / talked to the cat.

4) The old ladies woke / woke up the knights.

4 Complete the sentences.

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

2) There was a big ____ in the cage.

3) "I'm afraid the ____ are not sleeping now," said Blacky.

4) "Was it real? Or was it a ____?" thought Alyosha.

5) "We never get ____ from the black hen," said the headmaster's wife.

5 Fill in the prepositions.

1) The hen said something ____ a strange voice.

2) Alyosha didn't listen ____ to Blacky and talked to the cat.

3) Alyosha saw many portraits of the knights ____ the walls.

4) It was time to go ____ bed.

5) Blacky could be dead ____ Alyosha.

6 Say why:

1) Alyosha and Blacky didn't need a candle in dark rooms and corridors.

2) The headmaster's wife wanted to eat the black hen for dinner.

3) Blacky took the boy with him again.

Chapter 4