V. The Three Cows

There was a farmer, and he had three cows, fine fat cows. One was called Facey, the other Diamond, and the third Beauty. One morning he went into his cowshed, and there he found Facey so thin that the wind would have blown her away. Her skin hung loose about her, all her flesh was gone, and she stared out of her great eyes as though she’d seen a ghost; and what was more, the fireplace in the kitchen was one great pile of wood-ash. Well, he was bothered with it; he could not see how all this could happen.

Next morning his wife went out to the shed, and saw that Diamond became as thin as Facey – nothing but a bag of bones, all the flesh gone, and half a rick of wood was gone, too; but the fireplace was full of white wood ashes. The farmer decided to watch the third night; so he hid in a closet next to the kitchen, and he left the door slightly open, that he might see what happened.

Tick, tick, went the clock, and the farmer was nearly tired of waiting; he had to bite his little finger to keep himself awake, when suddenly the door of his house opened, and in rushed maybe a thousand pixies, laughing and dancing and pulling Beauty’s rope till they had brought the cow into the middle of the kitchen.

Tick, tick, went the clock, but he did not hear it now. He was staring at the pixies and his last beautiful cow. He saw them throw her down, fall on her, and kill her; and then with their knives they ripped her open, and cut off all the meat. Then out ran some of the little people and brought in firewood and made a roaring fire on the hearth, and there they cooked the flesh of the cow – they baked and they boiled, they stewed and they fried.

‘Take care,’ cried one, who seemed to be the king, ‘let no bone be broken.’

Well, when they had all eaten, they began playing games with the bones, tossing them one to another. One little leg-bone fell close to the closet door, and the farmer was so afraid that the pixies should come there and find him in their search for the bone, that he put out his hand and picked it up. Then he saw the king stand on the table and say, ‘Gather the bones!’

Round and round flew the imps, picking up the bones. ‘Arrange them,’ said the king; and they placed them all in their proper positions in the hide of the cow. Then they folded the skin over them, and the king struck the pile of bone and skin with his rod. Whisht! Up sprang the cow and lowed dismally. It was alive again; but alas! as the pixies dragged it back to the cowshed, it halted, because a bone was missing. The cock crew, away they flew, and the farmer went trembling to bed.

Exercises

1) True or false?

1. The farmer had three cows.

2. The first cow who became thin was Diamond.

3. In the morning the fireplace was full of white wood ashes.

4. The farmer decided to watch the third night.

5. The farmer hid in a cowshed.

6. When the door of his house opened, three witches rushed in.

7. The last cow started to halt.

2) Fill in the gaps using words in brackets.

1. One morning he .................. (to go) into his cowshed, and there he ................... (to find) Facey to be very thin.

2. Next morning his wife ................. (to go) out to the shed, and .................. (to see) that Diamond .......................... (to become) as thin as Facey.

3. The farmer .............................. (to decide) to watch the third night, so he ........................ (to hide) in a closet next to the kitchen.

4. Suddenly the door of his house ..................................... (to open), and ............................. (to rush in) maybe a thousand pixies, .............. (to laugh) and ........................... (to dance).

5. They ........................ (to cook) the flesh of the cow – they ........................ (to bake) and they ..................... (to boil), they ....................... (to stew) and they ...................... (to fry).

6. They ...................... (to begin) playing games with the bones, ..................... (to toss) them one to another.

7. He ........................ (to put) out his hand and .......................... (to pick) the little leg-bone up.

3) Translate the following sentences:

1. Кожа свободно болталась на корове.

2. Половина поленницы дров пропала.

3. В хлев ворвалась тысяча эльфов.

4. В очаге на кухне лежала груда пепла от дров.

5. Эльфы варили, жарили, пекли и тушили мясо коровы.

6. Косточка из ноги упала рядом с дверью чулана.

7. Корова начала хромать, потому что у неё не было одной косточки.

4) Put the following words in columns. Some of them can belong to more than one column:

cake, food, bacon, chicken, egg, biscuits, bread, potatoes, pumpkin, vegetables, meat, diner

5) Retell the fairy-tale.

VI. Gobborn Seer

Once there was a man, Gobborn Seer, and he had a son called Jack.

One day he sent him out to sell a sheepskin, and Gobborn said, ‘You must bring me back the skin and the value of it as well.’

So Jack started, but he could not find any who would leave him the skin and give him its price too. So he came home discouraged.

But Gobborn Seer said, ‘Never mind, you must take another turn at it tomorrow.’

So he tried again, and nobody wished to buy the skin on those terms.

When he came home his father said, ‘You must go and try your luck tomorrow,’ and the third day it seemed as if it would be the same thing over again. And he had half a mind not to go back at all, his father would be so angry. As he came to a bridge he leaned on the parapet thinking of his trouble, and that perhaps it would be foolish to run away from home, but he could not tell which to do; when he saw a girl washing her clothes on the bank below. She looked up and said: ‘If it may be no offence asking, what is it you feel so badly about?’

‘My father has given me this skin, and I am to fetch it back and the price of it beside.’

‘Is that all? Give it here, and it’s easy done.’

So the girl washed the skin in the stream, took the wool from it, and paid him the value of it, and gave him the skin to carry back.

His father was well pleased, and said to Jack, ‘That was a witty woman; she would make you a good wife. Do you think you could tell her again?’

Jack thought he could, so his father told him to go by and by to the bridge, and see if she was there, and if so ask her come home to take tea with them.

And Jack spied her and told her how his old father had a wish to meet her, and would she be pleased to drink tea with them.

The girl thanked him kindly, and said she could come the next day; she was too busy at the moment.

‘All the better,’ said Jack, ‘I’ll have time to make ready.’

So when she came Gobborn Seer could see she was a witty woman, and he asked her if she would marry his Jack. She said ‘Yes,’ and they were married.

Not long after, Jack’s father told him he must come with him and build the finest castle that ever was seen.

And as they went to lay the foundation-stone, Gobborn Seer said to Jack, ‘Can’t you shorten the way for me?’

But Jack looked ahead and there was a long road before them, and he said, ‘I don’t see, father, how I could break a bit off.’

‘You’re no good to me, then, and had best be off home.’

So poor Jack turned back, and when he came in his wife said, ‘Why, how’s this you’ve come alone?’ and he told her what his father had said and his answer.

‘You stupid,’ said his witty wife, ‘if you had told a tale you would have shortened the road! Now listen till I tell you a story, and then catch up with Gobborn Seer and begin it at once. He will like hearing it, and by the time you are done you will have reached the foundation-stone.’

So Jack catched up with his father. Gobborn Seer said never a word, but Jack began his story, and the road was shortened as his wife had said.

When they came to the end of their journey, they started building of this castle which was to outshine all others. Now the wife had advised them to be intimate with the servants, and so they did as she said, and they said ‘Good morning’ and ‘Good day to you’ to everyone.

Now at the end of a year, Gobborn, the wise man, had built such a castle thousands were gathered to admire it.

And the king said: ‘The castle is done. I shall return tomorrow and pay you all.’

‘I have just a ceiling to finish in an upper lobby,’ said Gobborn.

But after the king was gone off, the housekeeper sent for Gobborn and Jack, and told them that she had watched for a chance to warn them, for the king was so afraid they should carry their art away and build some other king a castle, he meant to take their lives tomorrow. Gobborn told Jack to keep a good heart, and they would come off all right.

When the king had come back Gobborn told him he had been unable to complete the job for lack of a tool left at home, and he should like to send Jack after it.

‘No, no,’ said the king, ‘cannot one of the men do it?’

‘No, they could not make themselves understood,’ said the Seer, ‘but Jack could bring it.’

‘You and your son are to stay here. But how will it do if I send my own son?’

‘That will do.’

So Gobborn sent by him a message to Jack’s wife. ‘Give him Crooked and straight!’

Now there was a little hole in the wall rather high up, and Jack’s wife tried to reach up into a chest there after ‘crooked and straight’, but at last she asked the king’s son to help her, because his arms were longest.

But when he was leaning over the chest she caught him by the two heels, and threw him into the chest, and locked it. So there he was, both ‘crooked and straight’!

Then he begged for pen and ink, which she brought him, but he was not allowed out.

When his letter came, telling the king, his father, he was to be let free when Gobborn and Jack were safe home, the king saw he must let them go away.

As they left Gobborn told him: now that Jack was done with this work, he should soon build a castle for his witty wife far superior to the king’s, which he did, and they lived there happily ever after.