“If you had been there you would have seen the most beautiful princess[20],” exclaimed the eldest sister, “she was so nice to us and had the undivided attention of the Prince.”
“Her background is a mystery and the Prince would give anything to know who she was[21],” said the youngest.
A few days later the Prince declared that he would marry the woman whose foot fit in the slipper.
His soldiers began to try the slipper on all the princesses and duchesses in the Court, but it was all in vain.
A little later, the slipper was brought to the two sisters who tried with all their might to make the slipper fit[22].
Cinderella, who saw this, politely asked to try it.
Her sisters burst out laughing[23] at the idea, but the Prince ordered that everyone in the kingdom should have a try.
When Cinderella’s foot slid perfectly into the slipper[24], her sisters were astonished.
Cinderella’s fairy godmother appeared and with the flick of her wand turned Cinderella into the beautiful girl from the ball.
The step-sisters dropped to their knees and begged for forgiveness for the awful way they treated her over the years[25].
Cinderella lifted them up and embraced them, saying she forgave them with all her heart.
Cinderella was then escorted to the Prince, dressed as beautiful as she was at the ball.
A few days later they were married.
Cinderella, who was very kind, gave her two sisters rooms in the palace, and everyone lived happily ever after.
1. Answer the questions.
1. Was Cinderella the sweetest or the naughtiest girl in the kingdom?
2. How did Cinderella’s stepmother treat her?
3. Did Cinderella have a suitable dress for the ball?
4. What did Cinderella’s fairy godmother asked her to do?
5. What did Cinderella’s godmother give her?
6. Did anyone recognize Cinderella at the ball?
7. Did Cinderella dance with the Prince at the ball?
8. What happened when the clock struck midnight?
9. What happened when Cinderella turned into the beautiful girl from the ball?
10. Did Cinderella marry the Prince?
2. True or False?
1. Cinderella’s father married the proudest and meanest woman in all the land.
2. Cinderella’s stepmother loved her very much.
3. Cinderella’s stepmother made her do the hardest and most dreadful work in the house.
4. Cinderella was going to attend the ball.
5. Cinderella’s fairy godmother gave her a pair of glass slippers.
6. Everybody recognized Cinderella at the ball.
7. Cinderella even made time to approach her step-sisters, and shared some of the oranges the prince had presented to her as a gift.
8. The Prince declared that he would marry the woman whose foot fit in the slipper.
9. Cinderella’s sisters didn’t try to make the slipper fit.
10. Cinderella didn’t forgive her sisters.
3. Put these sentences in the right order.
1. Cinderella, who was very kind, gave her two sisters rooms in the palace, and everyone lived happily ever after.
2. When Cinderella’s foot slid perfectly into the slipper, her sisters were astonished.
3 Cinderella promised to return before midnight, thanked her fairy god-mother again and drove off to the ball.
4. No one recognized Cinderella at the ball, she was a complete mystery.
5. Cinderella’s stepmother was extremely jealous of her beauty and charm and made her do the hardest and most dreadful work in the house.
6. After his beautiful and kind wife died, Cinderella’s father married the proudest and meanest woman in all the land.
7. A few days later the Prince declared that he would marry the woman whose foot fit in the slipper.
8. When the clock struck midnight, Cinderella was shocked and ran away immediately, leaving one of her glass slippers behind in haste.
9. The King’s son decided to give a ball, inviting all the young ladies in the land to attend.
10. When the big day finally came, Cinderella’s fairy godmother appeared.
11. Cinderella, who was very kind, gave her two sisters rooms in the palace, and everyone lived happily ever after.
12. Cinderella managed to get home, but was quite out of breath and in her dirty old clothes.
4. Translate into English:
от предыдущего брака, устроить бал, весь день напролет, великолепный вкус, принеси мне тыкву, превратились в платье, самое почетное место, в качестве подарка, тереть глаза, примерять туфельку, тщетно.
5. Complete the table with the past forms of the verbs from the text.
have (иметь) ____________
do (делать) ____________
make (делать) ____________
send (посылать) ____________
give (давать) ____________
come (приходить, подходить) ____________
cry (плакать, кричать) ____________
bring (приносить) ____________
say (сказать) ____________
go (идти) ____________
strike (бить – о часах) ____________
run (бежать) ____________
lead (вести, приводить) ____________
drive (ехать) ____________
begin (начинать) ____________
The Sleeping Beauty
Once upon a time there was a Queen[26] who had a beautiful baby daughter. She 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[27]. She came anyway, but as she passed the baby’s cradle, she said:
“When you are sixteen, you will injure yourself with a spindle and die!”
“Oh, no!” screamed the Queen in horror. A good fairy quickly chanted a magic spell to change the curse[28]. When she hurt herself, the girl would fall into a very deep sleep[29] instead of dying.
The years went by, the little Princess grew and became the most beautiful girl in the whole kingdom. Her mother was always very careful to keep her away from spindles, but the Princess, on her sixteenth birthday, as she wandered through the castle, came into a room where an old servant was spinning.
“What are you doing?” she asked the servant.
“I’m spinning. Haven’t you seen a spindle before?”
“No. Let me see it![30]” The servant handed the girl the spindle… and she pricked herself with it and, with a sigh, dropped to the floor.
20
If you had been there you would have seen the most beautiful princess – Если бы ты там побывала, ты бы увидела прекрасную принцессу
21
would give anything to know who she was – все бы отдал за то, чтобы узнать, кто она такая
22
who tried with all their might to make the slipper fit – изо всех сил старались поместить ногу в туфельку
24
Cinderella’s foot slid perfectly into the slipper – туфелька идеально подошла Золушке по размеру
25
for the awful way they treated her over the years – за то, как они с ней обращались все это время
28
chanted a magic spell to change the curse – произнесла заклинание, чтобы проклятье не сбылось