"OK," said the miller's son, "it's all the same to me."
He went to the bank of the river, took off his clothes and went bathing. The Cat followed his master and hid his clothes under a great stone.
At that moment the King drove past that place in his carriage. The Cat began to shout at the top of his voice:
"Help! Help! The Marquis of Carabas is drowning!"
The King heard the shouts and put his head out of the carriage. He recognized the Cat.
"Guards!" he said. "Help the Marquis of Carabas! Quick!"
The guards ran to the river. They quickly pulled the young man out of the water.
The Cat came up to the King's carriage. He made a low bow and gave his explanations.
"My master went bathing," he said, "and suddenly some thieves came. They took all his clothes and ran away. And now the Marquis of Carabas can't appear before Your Majesty and your beautiful daughter."
"Oh, it's not a problem at all," said the King.
He ordered one of his guards to ride back to the palace and bring fine clothes for the Marquis of Carabas.
Soon the guard brought a nice suit for the miller's son. The young man put it on and came up to the carriage to thank his majesty.
The miller's son wasn't rich, but he was a handsome and well-built fellow. In the King's elegant suit he looked like a real gentleman.
The beautiful princess admired the handsome young man very much. The miller's son looked at the girl several times, and she fell in love with him.
The King was very happy to meet the Marquis of Carabas. He asked the young gentleman to sit with him and his daughter in the carriage. Of course, the miller's son didn't refuse.
Helpful Words & Notes
Then leave the rest to me. — Остальное предоставьте мне.
you are no longer yourself — вы больше не вы.
it's all the same to me — мне всё равно.
drove — форма прошедшего времени глагола drive.
at the top of his voice — во весь голос.
The Marquis of Carabas is drowning! — Маркиз Карабас тонет!
Guards! — Стража!
thieves — форма множественного числа существительного thief.
he looked like a real gentleman — он выглядел, как настоящий джентльмен.
she fell in love with him — она в него влюбилась.
Exercises
1. Answer the questions.
1) How long did the Cat continue to bring presents to the King?
2) What did he hear one day in the palace?
3) What did the Cat ask his master to do?
4) What kind of explanation did the Cat give to the King?
5) Where did the King send his guard?
6) Why did the princess fall in love with the miller's son?
2. Complete the sentences.
1) Every time the Cat brought presents to the King and said …
2) The Cat hid his master's clothes …
3) The miller's son looked like a … in an elegant suit.
3. Say why:
1) the miller's son agreed to go bathing.
2) the King stopped by the river.
3) the miller's son didn't refuse to sit in the King's carriage.
4. Fill in the nouns from the text.
1) The King drove along the ___ of the river.
2) The miller's knew nothing about the Cat's new ___.
3) The ___ brought a nice suit from the palace.
4) The young ___ fell in love with the miller's son.
5. Put the verbs in brackets in the right form.
1) "Help my master!" (to shout) the Cat.
2) The guards (to pull) the young man out of the water.
3) The miller's son (to come up) to the window of the carriage.
4) "The thieves (to take away) my master's clothes," said the Cat.
6. Fill in the prepositions from the box.
in under at for
1) The King received gifts from the Marquis of Carabas ___ a long time.
2) "Guards!" shouted the King ___ the top of his voice.
3) The Cat didn't hide his master's boots ___ the tree.
4) The miller's son fell ___ love with the princess.
7. Imagine that you're the King. Describe what happened that day on the bank of the river.
8. The author thinks that cats can look wise. Do you agree with him? What other animals or birds can look wise?
9. The miller's son looked like a real gentleman in a King's suit. Who is a gentleman? Is it enough to put on nice clothes to become a gentleman? Why?
Chapter 4
The Cat in Boots ran to the castle. It stood in the middle of a big park. There were wonderful flowers everywhere in the park.
The castle itself was a beautiful high building with small towers. The roofs were red. The walls of the castle were made of white stone. The windows were narrow but high. The rooms on the ground floor had the highest windows. And through the glass visitors could see elegant green curtains.
The castle belonged to a giant. He was the richest giant in the country. All the fields, meadows and woods around the castle were part of his lands. Many people worked for him.
The Cat already knew a lot about the Giant. He was a cruel man. Everyone was terribly afraid of him.
The Cat put on a brave face and went to the castle with his boots on. Soon he arrived at the gate. He asked a servant to speak to the Giant.
"I am a traveller," he said, "I was not far from here. I couldn't go so near the castle of such a noble gentleman without meeting him."
The Giant heard this message and agreed to see the visitor. He was going to have dinner, so he was in a good mood.
"Please sit down and have dinner with me," he said to the Cat.
"Thank you, sir," said the Cat. "But first I hope you can answer a question. They say that you can change yourself into any animal. A lion, for example, or an elephant."
"That's true," said the Giant. "And I can prove it just now. Look! Whom do you see now?"
And the Giant changed himself into a big lion.
The Cat was terribly frightened. He even climbed up the curtain. Of course, it wasn't easy to climb in boots. But the lion was so big! How can you be brave and keep still near such an awful animal?
A few moments later the lion changed back into the Giant. The Cat came down.
"I'm so sorry, sir. I was very frightened," he said. "But do you know what I think? It was easy for such a big gentleman as you to change yourself into a large animal. But I'm afraid even you can't become a small animal, such as a rat or a mouse. It's just impossible."
"Impossible!" cried the Giant, very angry. "See how it's impossible!"
At the same moment he changed himself into a mouse. The mouse began to run about the floor.
It was part of the Cat's plan. He jumped on the mouse at once and ate it. So that was the end to the Giant.
Helpful Words & Notes
the ground floor — первый этаж (the ground floor — дословно этаж на земле; так называют нижний этаж в Великобритании; the first floor — это наш второй этаж, и т. д.; в Америке этажи, как правило, называются так же, как и у нас).
a lot = much.
The Cat put on a brave face and went to the castle with his boots on. — Кот сделал вид, что ему не страшно, и, не снимая сапог, отправился в замок.
I couldn't go so near the castle of such a noble gentleman without meeting him. — Я не мог пройти мимо замка такого благородного господина, не встретившись с ним.
in a good mood — в хорошем настроении.
They say — Говорят.
change yourself into — превращаться в (Обратите внимание на то, что местоимение должно употребляться в том же числе и лице, что и подлежащее: you — yourself, he — himself.)
That's true — Всё верно.
keep still — не шевелиться, не двигаться.
ate — форма прошедшего времени глагола eat.
Exercises
1. Say who:
• arrived at the gate of the Giant's castle with his boots on.
• gave the Cat's message to the Giant.
• invited the Cat to dinner.
• changed himself into a lion.
• climbed up the curtain.
• began to run about the floor.
• jumped on the mouse and ate it.
2. Answer the questions.
1) What did the Giant's castle look like?
2) What did the Cat know about the Giant?
3) Why did the Giant agree to see the unusual visitor?
4) Why did the Cat climb up the curtain?
5) What made the Giant angry?
6) What happened to the Giant?
3. Choose right.
1) The walls of the castle were made of ___.
a) black stone
b) white glass
c) white stone
2) The rooms on the ___ had
the highest windows.