Д. Абрагин - Красавица и чудовище. Золушка. Спящая красавица. Рапунцель. Волшебная лампа Аладдина / The Beauty and the Beast. Cinderella. The Sleeping Beauty. Rapunzel. The Story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp

“I wonder who this castle belongs to?” he thought.

The young Prince rode on towards the castle. The drawbridge was down and, holding his horse by the reins, he crossed over it. Immediately he saw the inhabitants draped all over the steps, [113]the halls and courtyards, and said to himself,

“ Good heavens! [114]They’re dead!” But in a moment, he realised that they were sound asleep. “Wake up! Wake up!” he shouted, but nobody moved. Still thoroughly astonished, he went into the castle and again discovered more people, lying asleep on the floor. A little later the Prince reached the room where the beautiful Princess lay fast asleep. [115]For a long time he stood gazing at her face, so full of serenity, so peaceful, lovely and pure, and he felt spring to his heart that love he had always been searching for and never found. [116]Overcome by emotion, he went close, lifted the girl’s little white hand and gently kissed it…

At that kiss, the princess quickly opened her eyes, and wakening from her long long sleep, seeing the Prince beside her, murmured:

“Oh, you have come at last! I was waiting for you in my dream. I’ve waited so long!”

At that moment the spell was broken. [117]The Princess rose to her feet and the whole castle woke up too. Everybody rose to their feet and they all stared round in amazement, wondering what had happened. When they finally realised, they rushed to the Princess, more beautiful and happier than ever.

A few days later the Prince and Princess got married. [118]They lived happily ever after, as they always do in fairy tales, [119]not quite so often, however, in real life.

1. Answer the questions.

1. Whom did the Queen invite to the christening?

2. What did the fairy who was a bit of a witch as well say passing the baby’s cradle?

3. What happened on the Princess’s sixteenth birthday?

4. Was it possible to waken the Princess?

5. Why did the Queen die?

6. What happened when the good fairy cast a spell?

7. What did the Prince look like?

8. Why did the Prince decide to explore the forest?

9. What happened when the Prince kissed the princess?

10. Did the whole castle wake up too?

2. True or False?

1. The queen invited all the wizards in the kingdom to the christening.

2. A good fairy quickly chanted a magic spell to change the curse.

3. On her sixteenth birthday the Princess pricked herself with the spindle.

4. The sleeping Princess was taken to the highest tower in the castle and laid on the bed.

5. After the sleeping Princess was taken to her room everybody left the castle.

6. The Prince was young, handsome and melancholy.

7. The Prince wasn’t very much surprised when he saw the castle.

8. The Prince at first thought that the inhabitants of the castle were dead.

9. After the Prince kissed the Princess she opened her eyes.

10. One year later the Prince and Princess got married.

3. Translate into English:

пригласила на Крестины, уколоться веретеном, прошли годы, бродить по замку, чистое сердце, влюбиться, с разбитым сердцем, незнакомые лица, верный конь, чудо из чудес, в изумлении.

4. Put these sentences in the right order.

1. The sleeping Princess was taken to her room and laid on the bed surrounded by garlands of flowers.

2. The fairy cast a spell; and everyone that lived in the castle – soldiers, ministers, guards, servants, ladies, pages, cooks, maids and knights – all fell into a deep sleep.

3. The queen invited all the fairies in the kingdom to the christening, but unfortunately forgot to invite one of them, who was a bit of a witch as well.

4. One day it happened that a Prince arrived in these parts.

5. The years went by, the little Princess grew and became the most beautiful girl in the whole kingdom.

6. The Prince and Princess got married and they lived happily ever after.

7. Once upon a time there was a Queen who had a beautiful baby daughter.

8. The princess pricked herself with the spindle and, with a sigh, dropped to the floor.

9. The good fairy said that only love of a man with pure heart could bring the Princess back to life.

10. When the prince kissed the sleeping princess she quickly opened her eyes.

5. Complete the table with the past forms of the verbs from the text.

a – adjective – прилагательное

adv – adverb – наречие

cj – conjunction – союз

int – interjection – междометие

n – noun – имя существительное

pl – plural – множественное число

prn – pronoun – местоимение

prp – preposition – предлог

v – verb – глагол

a bit ofнемного

a fewнесколько, некоторое количество

able a способный, в состоянии

admit v допустить

adventurous a любящий приключения

advice a совет

afternoon n вторая половина дня

again adv снова

agree v согласиться

all day longвесь день напролет

allow v позволять, разрешать

alone a одинокий, в одиночестве

amazement n удивление, изумление

anymore n больше не ( с отрицанием )

anyway adv как бы то ни было

appear v появиться

approach v подойти

around prep вокруг

arrive v приезжать, прибывать

asтак как, поскольку

ask v спрашивать, просить

asleep a спящий

astonished a изумленный, шокированный

at lastнаконец-то

at that momentв этот момент

attention n внимание

back adv назад

background n происхождение

ball n бал

beautiful a красивый, прекрасный

beauty n красота

became past от become