Лучшие сказки мира на английском языке. Уровень 1 / The Best Fairy Tales of the World

Лучшие сказки мира на английском языке. Уровень 1 / The Best Fairy Tales of the World
Collection

Легкое чтение на английском
В книге вы найдете двадцать пять сказок разных народов на английском языке. Сказки открывают перед читателем волшебный мир. где живут прекрасные принцессы, отважные принцы, заколдованные животные и великаны. Тексты сказок адаптированы для уровня Elementary (уровень I) – для начинающих учить английский язык. В конце книги находится англо-русский словарик, где дается лексика сказок. Предназначается для всех, кто начал учить английский язык и стремится читать по-английски.

Сборник

Лучшие сказки мира на английском языке. Уровень 1 / The Best Fairy Tales of the World

© В. Рябов

© Е. А. Лебедева, адаптация текста, комментарии и словарь

© ООО «Издательство АСТ», 2024

The Three Wishes

Once upon a time a woodcutter lived happily with his wife in a pretty little log cabin in the middle of a thick forest. Each morning he set off singing to work, and when he came home in the evening, a plate of hot steaming soup always waited for him. One day he had a strange surprise. He came upon a big fir tree with strange open holes on the trunk. It looked somehow different from the other trees, and as he was about to chop it down, the alarmed face of an elf popped out[1 - to pop out – высунуть(ся)] of a hole. 'What's all this banging?' asked the elf. 'You're not thinking of cutting down the tree, are you? It's my home. I live here!' The woodcutter dropped his axe in astonishment. 'Well, I…' he stammered[2 - to stammer – лепетать]. 'With all the other trees there are in this forest, you have to pick this one. Lucky I was in, or I would have found myself homeless[3 - would have found myself homeless – я бы обнаружил, что стал бездомным].' Taken aback[4 - taken aback – опешив] at these words, the woodcutter quickly recovered, for after all the elf was quite tiny, while he himself was a big strong man, and he boldly replied, 'I'll cut down any tree I like, so…' 'All right! All right!' broke in the elf. 'Shall we put it in this way: if you don't cut down this tree, I give you three wishes. Agree?' The woodcutter scratched his head. 'Three wishes, you say? Yes, I agree.' And he began to hack at another tree. As he worked at his task, the woodcutter kept thinking about the magic wishes. 'I'll see what my wife thinks…' The woodcutter's wife was busy cleaning a pot outside the house when her husband came. He grabbed[5 - to grab – схватить] her round the waist and twirled her in delight[6 - in delight – в восторге]. 'Hooray! Hooray! Our luck is in[7 - our luck is in – Удача на нашей стороне]!' The woman could not understand why her husband was so pleased with himself[8 - pleased with himself – доволен собой]. Later, however, over a glass of fine wine at the table, the woodcutter told his wife of his meeting with the elf, and she too began to picture the wonderful things that the elf's three wishes might give them. The woodcutter's wife took a first sip of wine from her husband's glass. 'Nice', she said, smacking her lips. 'I wish I had sausages to go with it, though…' Instantly she bit her tongue, but too late. Out of the air appeared the sausages, while the woodcutter stuttered with rage. '… what have you done! Sausages… What a stupid waste of a wish! You foolish woman. I wish they sticked up your nose!' No sooner said than done. For the sausages leapt up and stuck fast to the end of the woman's nose. This time, the woodcutter's wife flew into a rage. 'You idiot, what have you done? With all the things we could have wished for…' The mortified woodcutter, who had just repeated his wife's own mistake, exclaimed:'I'd chop…' Luckily he stopped himself in time, realizing with horror that he was on the point of having his tongue chopped off. As his wife complained and blamed him, the poor man burst out laughing, 'If only you knew how funny you look with those sausages on the end of your nose!' Now that really upset the woodcutter's wife. She didn't think of her looks. She tried to tug away the sausages but they did not move. She pulled again and again, but in vain. The sausages were firmly attached to her nose. Terrified, she exclaimed, 'They'll be there for the rest of my life!' Feeling sorry for his wife and wondering how he could ever put up with[9 - to put up with – мириться, терпеть] a woman with such an ugly nose, the woodcutter said, 'I'll try.' Grasping the sausages, he tugged with all his might. But he simply pulled his wife over on top of him. The pair sat on the floor, looking sadly at each other. 'What shall we do now?' they said, each thinking the same thought. 'There's only one thing we can do…' ventured the woodcutter's wife timidly. 'Yes, I'm afraid so…' her husband sighed, remembering their dreams of riches, and he bravely wished the third and last wish, 'I wish the sausages would leave my wife's nose.' And they did. Instantly, husband and wife hugged each other tearfully, saying, 'Maybe we'll be poor, but we'll be happy again!' That evening, the only reminder of the woodcutter's meeting with the elf were the sausages. So the couple fried them, gloomily thinking of what that meal had cost them.

Goldilocks[10 - Goldilocks – Златовласка] and the three bears

Once upon a time[11 - once upon a time – как-то раз, однажды, давным-давно] there were three bears, who lived together in their house in a wood. One of them was a little, small bear; one was a middle bear, and the other was a great, huge bear. They had each a pot for their porridge, a little pot for the little, small bear and a middle pot for the middle bear and a great pot for the great, huge bear. They each had a chair to sit in; a little chair for the little, small bear and a middle chair for the middle bear and a great chair for the great, huge bear. And they had each a bed to sleep in; a little bed for the little, small bear and a middle bed for the middle bear and a great bed for the great, huge bear.

One day, they made porridge for their breakfast, and poured it into their porridge pots, and then they walked out into the wood because the porridge was too hot and they didn't want to burn their mouths. While they walked, a little girl came into the house. This little girl had golden curls that tumbled down her back to her waist, and everyone called her Goldilocks. Goldilocks walked through the woods on the way to visit her grandmother, but she took a shortcut[12 - took a shortcut – пошла короткой дорогой] and lost her way. After wandering around the woods for a very long time, and starting to despair of ever seeing her grandmamma or her parents again, she came across a little house. She was very relieved, because she was certain that whoever lived in the house would help her. You see, she did not know that the house belonged to the three bears.

Goldilocks went up to the house and knocked on the door, but nobody answered. She looked through the window and saw the porridge on the table that the bears made for their breakfast. She said to herself:'Oh how I wish I could eat some of that porridge! I'm so very hungry.'

Now perhaps Goldilocks should have waited[13 - should have waited – следовало подождать] until the bears came home, and then, perhaps they would have asked[14 - would have asked – зд. пригласили бы] her to breakfast – for they were good bears, very good natured and hospitable. Goldilocks did something rather bad. She tried the door of the house and found that it was open – because you see the bears didn't expect that anyone would come along and steal their porridge, and so they hadn't bothered to lock the door of the house when they went out. Goldilocks went inside. First she tasted the porridge of the great, huge bear, and that was too hot for her. Then she tasted the porridge of the middle bear, and that was too cold for her. Then she went to the porridge of the little, small bear, and tasted it. And that was not too hot and not too cold, but just right; and she liked it so well, that she ate it all.

Little Goldilocks then sat down in the chair of the great, huge bear, and that was too hard for her. So she sat down in the chair of the middle bear, but that was too soft for her. Then she sat down in the chair of the little, small bear, and that was not too hard and not too soft, but just right. So she sat until the bottom of the chair came out, and down came she, plump upon the ground – and the naughty little girl laughed out loud.

Then Goldilocks went upstairs into the bed chamber in which the three bears slept. First she lay down upon the bed of the great, huge bear, but that was too high at the head for her. Next she lay down upon the bed of the middle bear, and that was too high at the foot for her. Finally she lay down upon the bed of the little, small bear, and that was neither too high at the head, nor at the foot, but just right. So she covered herself up comfortably, and lay there until she fell asleep.

By this time the three bears thought their porridge would be cool enough, so they came home to breakfast. Now naughty Goldilocks left the spoon of the great, huge bear, standing in his porridge.

'SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE!'

Growled the great, huge bear, in his great gruff voice. When the middle bear looked at his, he saw that the spoon was standing in it too. 'Somebody has been at my porridge!' said the middle bear, in his middle voice.

Then the little, small bear looked at his, and there was the spoon in the porridge pot, but the porridge was all gone[15 - was all gone – зд. вся исчезла].

'Somebody has been at my porridge, and has eaten it all up!' said the little, small wee bear, in his little, small wee voice.

Upon this the three bears, seeing that someone was in their house, and ate the little, small bear's breakfast, began to look about them. Now the cushion was not straight on the chair of the great, huge bear. 'SOMEBODY HAS BEEN IN MY CHAIR!' said the great, huge bear, in his great, rough voice.

The little girl had squished down the soft cushion of the middle Bear. 'Somebody has been sitting in my chair!' said the middle bear, in his middle voice.

And you know what the naughty little girl did to the third chair? 'Somebody has been in my chair, and has sat the bottom of it out!' said the little, small bear, in his little, small, voice.

Then the three bears thought that they should look around the house more, so they went upstairs[16 - upstairs – наверх, на второй этаж] into their bedroom. Now the pillow of the great, huge bear was out of its place.

'SOMEBODY HAS BEEN IN MY BED!' said the great, huge bear, in his great, rough voice. The bed cover of the middle bear was out of its place.

'Somebody has been in my bed!' said the middle bear, in his middle voice.

And when the small bear came to look at his bed, there was the bed cover in its place, and the pillow in its place. But on the pillow were golden curls, and the angelic[17 - angelic – ангельский] face of a little sleeping girl.

'Somebody has been in my bed, and here she is!' Said the little, small wee bear, in his little, small voice.

Goldilocks heard in her sleep the great rough voice of the great huge bear, but she was asleep. She heard the voice of the middle, but it was as if she only heard[18 - as if she only heard – как будто она только услышала] someone speaking in a dream. But when she heard the little, small voice of the little, small wee bear, it was so sharp[19 - sharp – резкий, пронзительный] that she woke up at once.

Up she stood, and when she saw the three bears at one side of the bed she had the fright of her life. To tell you the truth, the bears were almost as astonished by her as[20 - as… as – также… как и] she was by them.

Goldilocks jumped off the bed and ran downstairs, out of the door and down the garden path. She ran and she ran until she reached the house of her grandmama. When she told her grandmama about the house of the three bears who lived in the wood, her granny said:'My my, what a wild imagination you have, child!'

But Goldilocks knew that the story was true, and as for the three bears, whenever they went out of their small house in the woods, they always locked the door in case Goldilocks came back and stole their porridge again. But they need not have worried about Goldilocks because, for as long as she lived she never took anything that didn't belong to her – unless of course she had the permission of the owner.

The Sly Fox and the Little Red Hen

Once there was a little red hen. She lived in a little red henhouse, safe and sound, with a little blue door and windows all around. She was a happy hen. Every day she searched for grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. But then a sly young fox and his mother moved into a nearby den[21 - nearby den – соседняя нора]. The sly fox was always hungry. He licked his lips when the little red hen searched for grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. And then the sly fox tried to catch the little red hen. He thought and planned, again and again. But the little red hen was clever. She always got away, with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. But then the sly fox thought up a very sly plan. 'Mother, boil some water in a pan,' he said. 'I'll bring home supper tonight.' Then he crept over to the little red henhouse. And he waited until at last the little red hen came out to search for grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. Quick as a flash[22 - quick as a flash – быстрый, как молния], the sly fox slipped into the henhouse. And he waited until the little red hen came hurrying home. As soon as she saw the fox, she flew up to the rafters[23 - flew up to the rafters – взлетела на шесток]. 'You can't catch me now!' she laughed, with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. 'You don't know my plan,' smiled the fox on the ground. And slowly he started to chase his tail, round and round and round and round, faster and faster… until the little red hen up in the rafters grew dizzy[24 - grew dizzy – закружилась голова]. 'Oh!' she said. 'My poor head's spinning. I'm all in a tizzy[25 - I'm all in a tizzy – Я вся закружилась].' And she fell down – plop! – straight into the fox's sack. 'Ha!' laughed the fox. And then the fox slung the sack over his shoulder and went home with the little red hen. After a while[26 - after a while – через какое-то время], he stopped for a rest. The sun was warm and soon he started snoozing. 'Now's my chance,' thought the little red hen, and out she crept without a peck, peck, peck or a cluck, cluck, cluck. Quickly she rolled some large stones into the sack and tied a knot at the top. Then she ran all the way home and didn't stop till she was safe in her little red henhouse. The fox woke up and went on his way, hungry for his supper. 'This hen is heavy!' he said to himself, licking his lips. 'She'll be a good meal.' 'Is the pot boiling, Mother?' he called at the den. 'Look who I've got! It's the little red hen.' 'Throw her in, son,' said his mother. 'She'll make a nice snack.' So the sly fox opened up the sack. Into the boiling water crashed the stones with a SPLASH! And that was the end of the sly fox and his mother. And the little red hen lived happily ever after in her little red henhouse, searching for grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck.

A Stolen Horse

It was in South America. A rich Spaniard was riding home when suddenly the horse fell lame[27 - fell lame – захромал]. As it happened far from his home, he did not know what to do, for he saw that his horse was not able[28 - to be able – иметь возможность, мочь] to bring him home. A little later he met an Indian riding a fine horse and asked him to exchange[29 - to exchange – обмениваться] the horses. The Indian refused to do this. But the Spaniard was much stronger than the Indian and made him give up[30 - to give up – сдавать(ся), оставлять] his horse. And the Spaniard rode away, leaving his lame horse to the Indian who was soon far behind. But the Indian followed him and came to the town where he found the Spaniard. He went to a judge and said that the Spaniard stole his horse.

Then the Spaniard swore that the horse was his own and he had it for many years. Then the Indian asked to send for the horse. They did it. And the Indian said:'This man swears that he has this horse for many years; let him, therefore tell you in which of the eyes the horse is blind.'

The Spaniard said at once:'In the right eye.'

'You are wrong', said the Indian. 'Not in the right and not in the left, it is not blind at all.'

And so the horse returned to the Indian.

Dirty Boots

Once Swift went on a journey with by his servant. They were both on horseback[31 - to be on horseback – верхом на лошади]. The journey was long, so when night came, they had to stop at an inn.

In the morning Swift asked for his boots. The servant brought them, but the writer saw that they were as dirty as the night before. 'Why haven't you cleaned my boots?' he asked his lazy servant.

'Well, sir, as you are going to ride today, I thought that if I cleaned them, they would soon be dirty again'.

'All right, get the horses ready[32 - to get ready – готовить(ся)],' Swift said, and went to have his breakfast. Then he paid his bill and left the inn. His servant was already in front of the inn with the horses.

'Well, let's go on.'

'But, sir, I'm hungry, I haven't had my breakfast yet.'

'Never mind, if you had, you would soon be hungry again', he replied and rode away. The lazy servant had to follow his master, but he never forgot this lesson.