Урок читання на тему: "A Witty Soldier".

A WITTY SOLDIER

There was once a soldier who served the tsar for three years. When his term of service was over, he was told that he was free to go home. The tsar gave him three kopecks, and he went away.

He walked and walked and he met three old men. They asked him for alms, and he took out a kopeck and gave it to them.

Then he met three other old men. They asked him for alms, and he gave them the second of his kopecks.

It was evening when he met three more old men. They too asked him for alms, and he gave them his last kopeck. Then he continued on his way, and as he walked along asked himself what he would do now that he had no money left. He walked and he walked, and he saw the three old men coming toward him again. They begged him for alms, and he took off his overcoat and gave it to them.

'You gave up the last you had in order to help us,' said the old men, and so now we want to do something for you. Tell us what your three wishes are, and we will make them come true.' The soldier hesitated, but then said:

'Well, then, listen. First, I want money to appear in my pocket the moment I need some; second, I want my pipe to be filled and lit the moment I'm ready for it; and third, I want my bag to fill with whatever I desire the moment I ask for it.'

'Very well, soldier, go and may God go with you,' said the old men.

The soldier walked on.

'Now, why don't I see if they haven't lied to me!' said he to himself.

He reached into his pocket, which he knew to be empty, and oh! —pulled a whole fistful of coins out of it.

He sat down for a rest and took out his pipe, and it was filled and lit and ready for him to smoke.

The soldier was pleased. He sat there and smoked for a while, and put it into his pocket again.

Looking up, he saw two ducks flying past. He undid the strings of his bag and called, 'Into the bag with you, ducks!' — and the ducks flew straight into it.

The soldier walked on. He came to a town and was told of a merchant who lived there but who had had to leave his own house because he found that it was inhabited by devils.

The soldier went to see him.

"What will you do for me if I drive the devils out of your house?' he asked.

'I will care for you to the end of your life,' the merchant replied.

He gave the soldier food and drink, and the soldier settled in his house for the night.

It was midnight when he heard a crash, the floor broke open, and a devil popped up out of the hole

‘What do you want?' the soldier asked.

'I want to eat you up!' said the devil.

The soldier undid the strings of his bag.

'Into the bag with you, devil!' he cried

And before the words were out of his mouth the devil was in the bag. The soldier pulled tight the strings and began pummelling the bag with his fists, and the devil could not bear it and began pleading l with him to stop.

'Let me go, soldier, and neither I nor my children and grandchildren will ever come to this house again!' he cried.

The soldier let him go, and when morning came he called the merchant. They settled in the house together, and the merchant fed the soldier and cared for him as he had promised.

The years passed, and when the time came for the soldier to die he said to the merchant:

'Don't forget to put my pipe and bag into the grave l& with me when I die.'

The soldier died, and his pipe and bag were buried with him, as he had asked.

Vocabulary

1. to serve the tsar — служити цареві

2. term of service — термін служби

3. alms [a:mz] — милостиня

4. to hesitate — зволікати, вагатися, сумніватися

5. to lie — обманути, збрехати

6. to be empty — бути порожнім

7. fistful (of coins) — жменя (монет)

8. merchant - купець, торговець

9. to be inhabited by devils — бути населеними чортами

10. to settle — залишитися, прилаштуватися

11. to pop — несподівано зʼявитися

12. hole — дірка, нора

13. to pull tight — тугенько затягнути

14. to pummel — бити, вовтузити

15. to be fed — бути ситим, нагодованим

16. to bear — зносити, терпіти

17. to plead — благати, просити

18. grave —- могила

19. to bury — поховати, похоронити

 

Checking Comprehension Exercises

1. Answer the following questions.

1. Who served the tsar for three years?

2. How much money did the tsar give to him?

3. Whom) did the soldier meet three times?

4. What did they ask him three times?

5. What did the soldier give them?

6. Did he leave anything for himself?

7. What did the last three men suggest him?

8. What were the soldier's wishes?

9. Was the soldier satisfied with them?

10. Where did he come to?

11. What did he know about the merchant?

12. What did the soldier promise the merchant to do?

13. How did he cheat (обдурити) the devil?

14. Why did the soldier let him go?

15. What did the soldier ask the merchant before his death?

 

2. Say whether these sentences are true or false.

1. There was once a soldier who served the King for five years.

2. When his term of service was over, he was told that he was free to go home.

3. The tsar gave him ten kopecks and he went away.

4. He walked and walked and he met two old men.

5. They asked him for alms.

6. The soldier gave them the money he had got from the tsar.

7. When the last three men begged him for alms he took off his overcoat and gave it to them

8. The three old men asked the soldier about his three wishes to make them true.

9. The soldier came to the village and was told of a merchant who lived in the house inhabited by devils.

10. The soldier promised the merchant to drive the devils out of his house.

11. The merchant gave the soldier food and drink and settled in his house for the night.

12. The soldier couldn't catch the devil at once.

13. The devil promised the soldier not to come to the merchant's house again.

14. The soldier let him go and left to live with the merchant till his death.

 

3. Say who did the following.

1. ... served the tsar for three years.

2. ... gave the soldier three kopecks.

3. ... asked the soldier for alms.

4. ... took off his overcoat and gave it to the men.

5. ... promised the soldier to tell about his three wishes.

6. ... came to a town and was told of a merchant.

7. ... lived in his own house inhabited by devils.

8. ... asked the soldier to drive the devils out.

9. ... promised the soldier not to come to that house again.

10. ... settled in the house together.

 

4. Say who in this fairy tale is:

kind / merciful / generous / brave / sly / cowardly / witty

Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises

5. Match up the words and phrases with the same meaning.

1. to be free	a) to go on
2. to finish	b) to want
3. to plead	c) to cheat
4. to continue	d) to be over
5. to desire	e) to beg
6. to lie	f) to get free
7. to be pleased	g) to be satisfied
8. to inhabit	h) to settle
9. hole	i) to appear
10. to pop in	j) den

 

6. Match up the words and phrases with the opposite meaning.

1. to start	a) last
2. to be free	b) to be empty
3. to take on	c) to take off
4. first	d) to be imprisoned
5. to be filled	e) to be over
6. to lie	f) to tell the truth

 

7. Think of the words that fit the definitions below.

1. the official system for providing smth, that everyone needs to have

2. money, food given to poor people

3. a large coat worn over jacket

4. a person who buys and sells goods

5. an amount that is as much as you can hold in your hand

6. thing for smoking tobacco

 

8. Put the words in these questions in the correct order.

1. three / the / tsar / who / served / for / years / ?

2. the / kopecks / how / many / did / tsar / the / soldier / give / ?

3. many / people / how / did / soldier / the / meet / ?

4. they / did / what / ask / for / him / ?

5. were / whishes / three / what / his / ?

6. where / he / did / come / ?

7. gave / him / food / who / and / drink / ?

8. lived / in / house / who / the / ?

9. popped / out / of / hole / who / the / up / ?

10. ask / he / the / merchant / what / did / do / to / death / before / ?

 

Discussing the Text

9. Explain why:

1. The tsar told the soldier to go home.

2. The soldier took out his three kopecks and gave them to the men.

3. The soldier took off his overcoat and gave it to the three old men.

4. The three old men wanted to do something good for the soldier.

5. The soldier was pleased.

6. The soldier agreed to drive the devils out of the merchant's house.

7. The soldier agreed to let the devil go.

8. The soldier asked the merchant to put his pipe and bag into the grave.

 

10. Prove that:

1. The soldier was a very kind and merciful person.

2. The soldier was a very witty person.

3. The merchant was a very cowardly person, but he kept his word to take care for the soldier to the end of his life.

4. The devil was quite obedient and he and his relatives never came back to the merchant's house.

 

11. What's your opinion?

1. Do you like the fairy tale? Why?

2. Why do you think to be a kind and merciful person better than a greedy one?

3. What kind of person are you?

4. Explain the proverb: 'Life is made up of little things.' What 'little things' did the soldier do in the fairy tale?

 

12. Retell the fairy tale using the following words and phrases from it.

— served the tsar for three years

— the term of service was over

— he was free to go home

— three kopecks

—three old men

—asked smb for alms

—took off his overcoat

— wanted to do smth good

—three wishes

—hadn't told lies

— came to a town

— a merchant who lived in the house inhabited by devils

— to drive the devils out

— to care for smb to the end of life

— to pummel the bag with fists

— to plead with him to stop

— never come to his house again

— let him go

— settled in the house together

— the years passed

— the time came for the soldier to die

— to put the pipe and bag into the grave

— were buried with him

 

13. Write a short composition using the following proverb:

Be slow to promise, and quick to perform.

Краще не обіцяти, ніж слова не тримати.

Do you always keep your word when you promise to do something?