1. Retell the legend as if you were a cat.

2. Give an outline of the legend.

WRITIHG

Make up a plan of the legend covering its main events.

How Animals Learned to Do Something

Key words and expressions:

man's early history

to be lazy

angrily

Make up sentences with new words

Pre-reading task

Do you have a pet? Try to describe it.

Reading

Many years ago, in the man's early history, when people and ani­mals were great friends, a man called all the animals together. He got on a large stone for all the animals to see him and began to speak:

"My dear friends! Listen to me!" the man went on to say. "I am angry with you. You are very lazy, you do not do anything. You have learned nothing. You can't go on like this, it's time for you to learn to do something. In a month's time I want you to come here and show me what you have learned. I am sure you can learn a lot of things if you want to."

With these words the man got off the stone and said good-bye to the animals. The animals said good-bye to the man and to each other and left.

The animals thought and thought, they thought from early morn­ing till late at night. In the end they thought of something and each animal began to learn to do something. The horse began to learn to run quickly and carry loads. The dog learned to bark, it wanted to help the man to watch his animals. The cow began to give milk. The cock learned to sing early in the morning and thus wake up the man. The cock's wife, the hen, began to lay eggs. The bee learned to make honey.

Many birds learned to sing beautiful songs, they had their singing lessons every day.

A month passed and the man again called all the animals together. "Well", he said, "I think you have learned to do something. It's time for you to show me what you have learned."

And the horse ran quickly, the cow gave milk, the hen laid eggs, the bees began to make honey, the cock sang and then the birds began to sing beautiful songs.

The man was very pleased with them all. To have milk, eggs and honey every day! It was wonderful.

"And what about you?" the man said to the fish. The fish stood behind the other animals and didn't do anything.

"What's the matter with you? Haven't you learned anything?" The fish only opened and shut its mouth – it didn't know what to say.

"So you haven't learned to do anything and you cannot say a word," said the man angrily. "Very well, then you must always be like that and I don't want to see you again."

And from that day on the fish has not said a word and has lived in l he water where nobody can see her.

Comprehension check

Complete the table. What can these animals do?

a horse	a cow	a dog	a cock	a hen

WRITIHG

Compose ten questions on the legend and ask them your classmates.

The Parrot

Key words and expressions:

no doubt about it

wise

to be rich

Make up sentences with new words

Pre-reading task

How do you think? What is the way to become rich?

Reading

A man who had a fine green parrot at home taught the bird to say, "No doubt about it".

One day the man buried some money in different places in the vil­lage. Next morning he went through the village with his bird. He sang, "My parrot is wise. He will show me where to dig for money..."

Whenever he came to any of the places which he knew very well because he always marked them secretly, he said, "Oh, wise parrot, if I dig here, shall I find any gold?"

The parrot answered, "No doubt about it."

Each time the man found some money in the places where he stopped with his bird, and each time he showed the money to the peo­ple who stood around.

One young man thought, "If I can get the parrot, I shall soon be rich."

So he said to the owner of the parrot," For how much will you sell your parrot?"

"For one thousand pieces of gold."

"But this is a great deal of money!" cried the young man.

"But my parrot is worth it!" answered the owner of the parrot.

The answer pleased the young man so much that he paid the one thousand pieces of gold and walked off with the parrot.

He took the parrot out to look for money at once. Many times he asked him, "If I dig here, shall I find some gold?"

Every time the parrot answered, "No doubt about it".

But though the young man dug and dug, he did not find any gold.

At last he understood the trick of the owner of the parrot and said to himself: "How foolish I was! How could I believe such a thing?"

He turned to the bird and said: "Oh, wise bird, I think I was fool­ish if I could give a thousand pieces of gold for you."

The parrot answered, "No doubt about it".

The parrot looked so funny as he said this that the young man laughed and laughed. "Well", he said at last, "you told the truth this time. After this I shall work. That is the only way to become a rich man."

"No doubt about it," agreed the parrot, and for the second time he told the truth.

Comprehension check

Give an outline of the legend.

WRITIHG

Write what happened after the following:

1. One day the man buried some money in different places in the vil­lage.

2. Whenever he came to any of the places which he knew very well because he always marked them secretly, he said, "Oh, wise parrot, if I dig here, shall I find any gold?"

3. At last he understood the trick of the owner of the parrot and said to himself:

4. The parrot looked so funny as he said this that the young man laughed and laughed. "Well", he said at last, "you told the truth this time.