She wants to have money of her own

You remember me, don’t you? I’m Betty Brown, and I often go baby-sitting, but only on Saturdays. I’m still at school. Oh! That’s the telephone. Excuse me. “Hallo? Yes, Betty Brown is speaking. Mrs. Goodchild? I must ask my mother… Yes, I can come on Saturday night”.

It’s Saturday night, and the time is 6 o’clock. Mr. and Mrs. Goodchild are going to the theatre. Mr. Goodchild is an actor. He has been working at the theatre for 5 years. This season he is playing Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet.” Mrs. Good child is going to the theatre to watch him.

“Ah, there you are, dear”, says Mrs. Goodchild. She is wearing a beautiful dress!

“Now look after Tootsie. She likes biscuits and milk at 9 o’clock.”

“Come on, dear”, says Mr. Goodchild. “If we don’t go soon, there’ll be no Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet.”

But Mrs. Goodchild goes on talking to me:

“Tootsie has milk and biscuits at nine. At about 10 o’clock she has a run in the garden”.

“Yes, Mrs. Goodchild,” I say. “Is Tootsie in bed?”

“No, no. she is in the kitchen,” says Mr. Goodchild. “Come along, dear, I must be at the theatre in five minutes.”

“I’m coming,” says Mrs. Goodchild. “Oh, Betty, give Tootsie a chocolate. Good-bye!”

And off they go. Actors are funny! They have gone off for the evening and left their Tootsie in the kitchen. I must put her to bed. Milk and biscuits at nine – very well, but a run in the garden?

Of course, Tootsie is an actor’s child, and actors are funny people. Well, I must go into the kitchen, get Tootsie, and put her to bed.

There is nobody in the kitchen – yes, there is. A black poodle is asleep in a basket.

“Tootsie?” I say.

She wags her tail, and goes back to sleep. She is still asleep at 9 o’clock, so I have the milk and biscuits instead. At 10 o’clock she is still asleep. At 11 o’clock, when Mr. and Mrs. Goodchild come home, I‘m asleep myself.

“Thank you very much!” says Mrs. Goodchild.

Another ten shillings for my summer holidays!

Exercises after the text

1. Answer the following questions.

1. What is Betty?

2. Why does she go baby – sitting only on Saturdays?

3. Where are Mr. and Mrs. Goodchild going on Saturday night at 6 o’clock?

4. Who does Betty look after this Saturday night?

5. What are the instructions given by Mrs. Goodchild to Betty?

6. Has Tootsie already gone to bed?

7. Who is Tootsie? Has Betty followed the instructions of Mrs. Goodchild?

2. Find in the text English equivalents for the following phrases.

Сидеть с детьми; присмотреть за; продолжает разговаривать; пробежка в саду; поторапливайся; забавный; конечно; уложить в постель; засыпать; корзина; вилять хвостом; продолжать спать; вместо; уходить; никого нет в..; черный пудель.

3. Disagree with the following statements and correct them.

Make sure you begin your answer with such commonly accepted phrases as:

I don’t think that’s quite right.

You are not quite right (there).

I’m afraid I don’t agree with you.

That’s not quite right.

I wouldn’t say so.

Oh no, quite on the contrary.

As far as I remember.

1. On Saturdays Betty works at the shop as a shop-assistant.

2. Mr. and Mrs. Goodchild are going to their friends’ party.

3. Mr. Goodchild is a manager, he works at a famous company.

4. Mrs. Goodchild hasn’t asked Betty to look after Tootsie.

5. Tootsie is in her bedroom when Betty has come.

6. Tootsie is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Goodchild.

7. When Mr. and Mrs. Goodchild come home, Betty is watching TV.