Зачем им столько времен?

«A present?» Zerbino (be) surprised. «Where can I get it? On the sea floor? Go there if you (want) to and leave me alone!»

Mistigris immediately (go) underwater with a loud splash.

Zerbino and Alelie (sit) on the deck (eat) the grapes when they (hear) some noise. The water overboard (bubble).

«It (be) a sea pig?» (ask) Alelie.

«No, a land one,» (answer) Zerbino.

He (take) the Minister out of the water, and they (see) a strange thing: a big diamond (shine) in his teeth.

5

Two days (pass). The ship (sail). Where to? They (not/know).

«I must do something about it,» (think) Mistigris. «Ah, senior,» he (say), «you (see) that beautiful palace? It (not/be) like any palace in the world. Invisibles (work) in it. The tables (have) hands, and the walls (have) ears there. They can talk, but only when you (ask) them to.

«I would like to have such palace,» (say) Zerbino.

And they (see) it right in front of them – big, beautiful and welcoming.

«You (like) it?» (ask) the Minister, «it (be) me who (do) all this!»

«You (lie)!» (say) the voice from above.

«You (lie)!» (cry) all the walls.

«You (lie)!» (shout) the chairs, tables, plates and glasses.

«Well, if you (lie) all the time, go to the moon. People (say), there (be) a country of liars there.»

In no time Mistigris (fly) into the air and (disappear) behind the clouds.

Zerbino and Alelie (live) happily in the beautiful palace that Fairy of Waters (present) them. Zerbino (fall) in love with Alelie, because he (want) to – this wish (come) true like many others.

Mistigris (return) to Earth? Nobody (know). Some historians (say) that he (work) as a minister again, under a different name. But he never (go) where people (tell) the truth.

Answer the questions:

1. What happened to Zerbino one day when he was working in the forest?

2. How did Fairy of Waters thank Zerbino for saving her?

3. Who did he see on the balcony of the Royal Palace? Why did Alelie fall in love with him so suddenly?

4. What did the Princess’s father do when she told him who she fell in love with?

5. How did Zerbino get rid of the Minister?

15. «Three Men on a Bummel» by Jerome K. Jerome

Vocabulary: coal – уголь; odd egg – тухлое яйцо.

Tenses to use: Present Simple, Past Simple, Past Continuous.

During my first week in Germany I couldn’t sleep because of cats. In the end, I (collect) a small arsenal – some pieces of coal, a few hard pears, a couple of candle ends, an empty bottle and an odd egg – and, opening the window, I (bombard) the place where the noise (come) from. I (not/think) I (hit) anything. But anyway, they (leave). I (go) to bed thinking that the accident (be) over.

Ten minutes later, I (hear) the door bell. I (go) to the door and (open) it. A policeman (stand) there. He (have) all the things I (throw) from the window in front of him. He (ask),

«These things (be) yours?»

«They (be) mine,» I (say), «But I (not/need) them any longer – you can have them.»

He (ignore) my offer and (say),

«You (throw) these things from the window.»

«You (be) right.»

«Why you (throw) these things from the window?» A German policeman (have) his order of questions; he never (vary) them.

«I (throw) them out of the window at some cats,» I (say).

«What cats?»

It (be) the sort of question that only a German policeman could ask. I (explain) that they (be) unknown to me, but I (offer) to recognize them by their voices if the police would invite all the cats from the area to my house.

The German policeman (not/understand) a joke. He (fine) me – that cat sport (cost) me twelve marks.

Answer the questions: What did the narrator do to stop cat waking him up? What did he try to explain the policeman? What was the result?

16. «Three Men on a Bummel» by Jerome K. Jerome

Vocabulary: phrase book – разговорник

Tenses to use: Present Simple, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Future Simple.

Two day before our trip to Germany, George (show) me a small red book. It (be) an English phrase book for German tourists. It (start) with «On a boat» and (end) with «At the Doctor’s». Some of the examples in the book (be) like this,

«Can you move a little, sir?» – «No, I can’t, madam, because the man next to me (be) very fat.»

George (say), «My idea (be) to get to London and do some shopping with the help of this book. I (buy) a hat and a pair of shoes. I (use) this book and (see) how people understand me.»

We (see) a large boot shop near Waterloo Station, and our experiment (begin). The shopkeeper (do) something with a pair of shoes when we (come). George (look) in the red book and (say),

«My friend, Mr X, (recommend) this shop to me.»

In the book, the shopkeeper (say),

«Mr X (be) a nice man, and I (be) very happy to see his friends.»

But our man (say), «I (not/know) him.»