Антоний Погорельский - Черная курица, или Подземные жители / The Black Hen

Alyosha was very unhappy. He forgot his promise to the King and his minister. He told the headmaster about the black hen. He told him about the knights and the underground people.

The headmaster stopped the boy.

"What!" he cried angrily. "You're trying to tell me a story about a hen now! That is too much. No, children. I must punish this boy!"

The headmaster punished Alyosha. After that the boy went to the bedroom. It was a terrible time for him. Alyosha put his hand in his pocket. The hemp seed wasn't there. The boy started crying again.

That evening he went to bed with the other children. But he couldn't sleep.

"I must become better. I was so bad," he thought. "And I can't get the hemp seed back now."

Suddenly the sheet moved. Alyosha closed his eyes. He was afraid of seeing Blacky.

"Only yesterday I promised her to become better. What can I tell her now?" he thought.

Somebody came up to his bed. A voice called his name: "Alyosha! Alyosha!" It was the voice of Blacky.

Alyosha opened his eyes. But it was not the black hen near his bed. The boy saw a sad small man in black. He had his little red hat on his head.

"Alyosha!" said the Minister. "I can see that you are not sleeping. I want to tell you something important. We are going away. Good-bye, Alyosha!"

"Good-bye, Blacky!" said Alyosha. "Good-bye! And please forgive me."

"Alyosha," said the Minister sadly, "I forgive you. You saved my life. I still love you. But we can't stay under your school any longer. We are going far away. Everyone is so unhappy! We lived here many years. It was such a good place!"

Alyosha tried to take the Minister's small hand. Suddenly he saw something strange.

"What is it on your hands?" he asked.

The Minister showed him his hands. Alyosha saw gold chains.

"I must wear these chains now," said the Minister. "But don't cry, Alyosha! Your tears can't help me. Do one thing for me: be a good boy. Good-bye!"

And the Minister disappeared under the bed.

"Blacky! Blacky!" cried Alyosha. But Blacky didn't say a word.

Alyosha didn't sleep all night. He heard voices under the floor. He got out of the bed and sat down on the floor. He listened to the voices for a long time.

"The little people are going away because of me," he thought.

Then he heard the voice of Minister Blacky:

"Good-bye, Alyosha! Good-bye!"

The next morning the children found Alyosha on the floor. He was ill. They put him to bed. Soon the doctor came.

"The boy is very ill," he said. "He must stay in bed."

Alyosha stayed in bed for a long time.

In spring he was back in classroom. The headmaster and the other boys didn't talk to him about the black hen or about the birch. Alyosha didn't like to remember them, either. He tried to be good and kind. Everyone became nice to him again. But he couldn't learn twenty pages by heart. In fact, nobody asked him to do that any more.

birch— розга; березовый прут, который использовался для телесного наказания.

chains— цепи.

1 Say who:

1) took the birch.

2) told the headmaster about the black hen.

3) went to bed with the other children.

4) had gold chains on his hands.

5) found Alyosha on the floor in the morning.

6) became nice to Alyosha again.

2 Correct the statements.

1) The other boys asked the headmaster to punish Alyosha.

2) Alyosha didn't say a word about the little people.

3) The hemp seed was still in Alyosha's pocket.

4) Alyosha was happy to see Blacky.

5) Alyosha stayed in bed for two days.

6) Alyosha could still learn twenty pages by heart.

3 Fill in the verbs.

1) You are very naughty today. I am going to ____ you for that.

2) Please don't punish me. I ____ to become better.

3) I must ____ these chains now.

4) Good-bye, Blacky! And please ____ me.

5) Your tears can't ____ me, Alyosha.

4 Fill in the prepositions.

on, for, because of, about

1) Why didn't you think ____ it before?

2) What is it ____ your hands?

3) Blacky is going away ____ me.

4) Do one thing ____ me: try to be a good boy.

5 Answer the questions and speak about the end of the story.

1) Why did the headmaster punish Alyosha?

2) Why did Alyosha tell the headmaster about the little people?

3) What happened to Blacky and the underground people?

4) What happened to Alyosha?

Did you like the story? What can you say about Alyosha? Do you like him? Was he always brave?

alone [əˈləʊn] а один, оставшийся в одиночестве

along [ə’lɔ:ŋ] prep вдоль, по

already [ɔːlˈredɪ] adv уже

always [ˈɔːlweɪz] adv всегда

angrily [æŋgrɪlɪ] adv сердито

angry ['aengn] а сердитый, злой

animal [ˈænɪməl] n животное

another [ə’nʌðər] а еще один, другой такой же

around [əˈraʊnd] prep вокруг

ask [ɑːsk] v спрашивать ask a question задавать вопрос ask for просить чего-л.

awful [’ɔ:fəl] а ужасный

beat [biːt] v бить, побеждать; биться

became [bɪˈkeɪm] форма прошедшего времени от become

because [bɪˈkɒz] cj потому что

become [become] v становиться

before [bɪˈfɔː] prep перед, до; раньше

behind [bɪˈhaɪnd] prep за, позади

best [best] а лучший

better [ˈbetə] а лучше

bottle [ˈbɒtl] n бутылка

bought [bɔːt] форма прошедшего времени от buy

brave [breɪv] а смелый

bravely [ˈbreɪvlɪ] adv смело

bread [bred] n хлеб

bridge [bridge] n мост

bright [braɪt] а яркий

bring [brɪŋ] v приносить

brought [brɔːt] форма прошедшего времени от bring

busy [ˈbɪzɪ] а занятой

cage [keɪdʒ] n клетка

call [kɔːl] v звать; называть

came [keɪm] форма прошедшего времени от come

candle [ˈkændl] n свеча

castle ['ka: sl] n замок

catch [kætʃ] v поймать

chain [tʃeɪn] n цепь

change [tʃeɪndʒ] v (из)менять

cheese [tʃiːz] n сыр

city [siti] n (большой) город

clothes [kləʊðz] n одежда

coin [koin] n монета

colour [kʌləʳ] n цвет

come [kʌm] v приходить, приезжать

come out выходить

come up подходить, приближаться

cook [kʊk] n повар, повариха

corner [ˈkɔːnə] n угол

cried [kraid] форма прошедшего времени от cry

crown [kraun] n корона

cry [krai] v кричать; плакать

dead [ded] а мертвый, умерший

decide [di'said] v решать, принимать решение

decorate [dekəreɪt] v украшать

disappear [ˌdɪsəˈpɪə] v исчезать

doll [dɒl] n кукла

downstairs [daʊnˈstɛəz] adv вниз no лестнице