Снежная королева / The Snow Queen

2. It was very amusing _________ him.

3. And _____________ that, he didn’t notice the cold anymore.

4. Everything good and pretty that was reflected _________ it became bad and ugly.

5. They would heat copper pennies _____________ the stove.

6. Kay and Gerda were sitting looking _____________ a picture book.

7. She nodded towards the window and beckoned _____________ her hand.

8. It broke _____________ millions of tiny pieces.

9. There isn’t enough room ___________ everybody to have a little garden.

10. Now we are going to hear all _____________ it.

1.4. Complete the sentences using the words below.

millions • high • bees • excellent • wicked • window • boxes • wonderful • swallows • stricking

1. Those are white _______ swarming.

2. It was _____________ fun.

3. It broke into _____________ of tiny pieces.

4. Once there was a __________ troll.

5. You could get from one ____________ to the other in one step.

6. The pea plants hung down over the _____________.

7. They freeze into ___________ patterns.

8. The ____________ built their nests.

9. The clock in the great church tower was _____________ five.

10. They flew _____________ among the dark clouds.

1.5. True or false?

1. The troll broke the magic looking-glass.

2. Kay got pieces of the looking-glass in his eye and in his heart.

3. Gerda lived far away from Kay.

4. Gerda saw the Snow Queen first.

5. Kay tied his sledge to the Snow Queen’s.

6. The children’s parents had a garden where they grew roses.

7. The Snow Queen kissed Kay twice.

8. The wicked troll kept a school.

9. The children weren’t allowed to play under the roses.

10. The glass made Kay tease everyone but Gerda.

Story the Third

The Flower Garden of the Old Woman who knew Magic

But how fared little Gerda when Kay didn’t came back? Nobody knew where he was, nobody could tell. The boys could only say they had seen him tie his little sledge to another large one which had driven down the street and out at the town gate. Many tears were shed. Then they said he was dead, drowned in the river. Dark indeed and long were those winter days.

Then came spring with warmer sunshine.

“Kay is dead and gone,” said little Gerda.

“I don’t believe it,” said the Sunshine.

“He’s dead and gone,” said she to the swallows.

“We don’t believe it,” they answered, and at last little Gerda didn’t believe it either.

“I’ll put on my new red shoes,” she said one morning early, “the ones Kay has never seen, and I’ll go down to the river and ask about him.”

It was quite early. She kissed her old grandmother as she slept, put on the red shoes, and went out of the gate to the river, quite alone[13 - quite alone – совсем одна].

“Is it true that you have taken Kay? I’ll give you my red shoes if you’ll give him back to me.”

The waves, she thought, nodded to her; so she took her red shoes, the most precious thing she had, and threw them into the river, but they fell close to the bank, and the waves carried them back to her. It seemed that the river would not take them because it didn’t have little Kay. But Gerda thought she hadn’t thrown the shoes far enough, so she climbed into a boat that lay near the water, and went out to the further end of it and threw out the shoes. But the boat wasn’t tied down, and with the movement she made it floated away from the shore. She noticed this and tried to get out, but before she could get back the boat was too far away, and began to drift quickly. Little Gerda was very much frightened and began to cry; but nobody heard her except the sparrows, and they couldn’t carry her ashore; but they flew along the bank and sang, as if to comfort her: “Here we are, here we are!” The boat was carried downstream; little Gerda sat still; her little red shoes floated behind, but couldn’t reach the boat[14 - couldn’t reach the boat – не могли догнать лодку], which was now travelling faster.

Both banks were very pretty, with beautiful flowers, old trees, and sloping fields with sheep and cows; but there weren’t any people to be seen.

“Perhaps the river will carry me to Kay,” thought Gerda. At last the boat came to a large cherry orchard, in which was a little house with blue and red windows, and outside two wooden soldiers, who were protecting it. Gerda called to them, thinking they were alive: but very naturally[15 - very naturally – естественно] they didn’t answer. The river carried the boat straight towards the shore. Gerda called out louder, and out of the house came a very old woman with a walking stick. She had a large sun-hat on, painted with the most splendid flowers.

“Poor dear little child,” said the old woman, “how ever did you get out here on this great big river, far out into the wide world?[16 - far out into the wide world – так далеко от дома]” And with that the old woman stepped into the water and hooked her stick to the boat and pulled it ashore[17 - pulled it ashore – притянула ее к берегу] and lifted little Gerda out. Gerda was glad to be on dry land again, but she was a little afraid. “Come now, and tell me who you are, and how you got here,” said the old woman. When Gerda had told her everything and asked if she had seen little Kay, the woman said he hadn’t passed that way, but he would come, sure enough, and she wasn’t to be worried, but must taste her cherries, and look at her flowers. Then she took Gerda by the hand, and they went into the little house, and the old woman locked the door.

The windows in the house were placed very high up[18 - were placed very high up – находились очень высоко], and the glass in them was red and blue and yellow. The daylight shone very oddly through them; but on the table were the most beautiful cherries, and Gerda ate as many as she liked; and while she was eating, the old woman combed her hair with a gold comb.

“I’ve always wanted a sweet little girl like you,” said the old woman, “you’ll see how well we two shall get on[19 - how well we two shall get on – как хорошо мы с тобой поладим],” and all the time she was combing little Gerda’s hair Gerda was forgetting more and more about Kay: for the old woman was skilled in witchcraft. She wasn’t a wicked witch, she only used witchcraft a little, for her own pleasure, and she wanted very much to keep little Gerda.