Mr. Wigg looked down at Mary Poppins. “I see you don’t like it, my dear,” he said. “I am very sorry. But you see that I can’t help it.”
Mary Poppins looked very serious. “Well, I must say,” she said, “I have never seen such a sight30. And at your age31, Uncle —”
“Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins, come up here!” said Michael. “Think of something funny and come up here.”
“Come, Mary Poppins, come up here,” said Jane. “Please come up here! Think of something funny!”
“Oh, she can do it even if she does not think of funny things,” said Mr. Wigg.
“Well, it is all very silly,” said Mary Poppins. “But I see that you cannot come down.”
And to the great surprise of Jane and Michael, she put her hands down at her sides and without a laugh, without even a smile, she flew up through the air and sat down near Jane.
“That’s right, Mary,” said Mr. Wigg. “Now we can have tea. Oh! I didn’t think of it! We are here and the table is down there on the floor. Quick! We must think of something serious. Something sad, very sad, and then we shall get down.”
They began thinking. They thought and thought, but could not think of anything serious.
“Mary,” said Mr. Wigg, “can’t you do something? We want our tea.”
Jane and Michael could not believe their eyes. The table, with the cups, and bread and butter, and biscuits and chocolates and cake, flew up through the air and stopped near them. Now they were sitting round the table!
“Good girl!” said Mr. Wigg. He smiled. “Usually people begin with bread and butter,” he said to Jane and Michael. “But it is my birthday today. Let’s begin with the Cake!”
And he cut a large piece of cake for everybody.
And they had very nice tea with cake, biscuits and chocolates, and talked and laughed all the time.
“IT IS TIME TO GO HOME.” It was Mary Poppins’s voice. It was the first sad thought32 of the afternoon, and suddenly the Laughing Gas went out of them, and they came down on the floor.
“Well, it’s a pity that it is time for you to go home,” said Mr. Wigg. “It was a very pleasant afternoon, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, very pleasant,” said Michael sadly.
“Very, very pleasant,” said Jane and kissed Mr. Wigg’s cheek. “We shall never forget it.”
EXERCISES
1. Practice the pronunciation of the following words.
2. Agree or disagree.
1. Mary Poppins put her hat straight before a shop window.
2. Today she was wearing a brown coat with black buttons and a grey hat.
3. The door opened, and they saw a very fat lady.
4. Jane, Michael and Mary Poppins went upstairs.
5. There was a bright fire in the fireplace, and in the centre of the room there was a small table with flowers in a beautiful vase.
6. Jane and Michael looked round the room and saw a round fat man in the corner.
7. They wanted to be polite and tried not to laugh, but they could do nothing.
8. Then a very strange thing happened. Jane and Michael became very heavy and fell on the floor.
9. Mary Poppins put her hands down at her sides and, laughing merrily, she flew up through the air and sat down near Jane.
10. And they had very nice dinner with soup, meat and fruits, and talked and laughed all the time.
3. Put the following sentences in the right order.
1. The table, with the cups and bread and butter, and biscuits and chocolates and cake, flew up through the air and stopped near them.
2. It was the first sad thought of the afternoon, and suddenly the Laughing Gas went out of them, and they came down on the floor.
3. Mr. Wigg smiled at the children. “My dear,” he said to Mary Poppins, “it’s my Birthday today.”
4. Jane, Michael and Mary Poppins went upstairs. Mary Poppins knocked at the door.
5. “It is time to go home.” It was Mary Poppins’s voice.
6. Jane and Michael became very light and flew up in the air.
7. He looked so funny, that Jane and Michael began laughing, too.
8. And they had very nice tea with cake, biscuits and chocolates, and talked and laughed all the time.
9. There was a bright fire in the fireplace, and in the centre of the room there was a very large table with four cups, bread and butter, biscuits, chocolates and a very large cake.
10. If my Birthday comes on Friday and I laugh on that day, I become filled with Laughing Gas.
11. “Come in! Come in! And welcome!” said a loud and merry voice from the room.
12. “Hullo,” said Mr. Wigg. “It’s very nice of you. You saw that I could not come down to you, so you came up to me.”
4. Fill in the blanks with the following words:
bring, smart, thin, merry, serious, ceiling, hanging, air, surprise, laughed.
1. I can get down only if I think about something ______.
2. The next moment they were ________ under the ceiling near Mr. Wigg.
3. To the great ________ of Jane and Michael, she put her hands down at her sides and flew up through the air and sat down near Jane.
4. “My Uncle has asked me to ________ you to tea today,” she said.
5. The door opened, and they saw a very _____ lady.
6. They had very nice tea with cake, biscuits and chocolates, and talked and ________ all the time.
7. One day I went to the circus and I laughed so much that I flew up to the ________ and could not get down until midnight.
8. She thought that she looked very ________ .
9. “I say,” said Mr. Wigg to the children, “there are no chairs here, but I think you can sit on the ________ .
10. “Come in! Come in! And welcome!” said a loud and ________ voice from the room.
5. Fill in the blanks with prepositions or adverbs where necessary.
1. Jane, Michael and Mary Poppins got ___ the bus.
2. She liked to look ___ herself ___ shop windows.
3. Go upstairs and ___ the first door ___ the landing.
4. Mary Poppins knocked ___ the door.
5. There was a bright fire ___ the fireplace, and ___ the centre ___ the room there was a very large table ___ four cups, bread and butter, biscuits, chocolates and a very large cake.
6. They looked ___ the ceiling, and ___ their surprise they saw a round, fat man, who was hanging ___ the air.
7. I think I must explain ___ you why I am here.
8. Everything seems funny ___ me.
9. I can laugh ___ everything that I see.
10. And Mr. Wigg began to shake ___ laughter.
11. You see, when my Birthday comes ___ Friday, it always happens ___ me.
12. If my Birthday comes ___ Friday and I laugh ___ that day, I become filled ___ Laughing Gas.
13. And ___ the great surprise ___ Jane and Michael, she put her hands down ___ her sides, and ___ a laugh, ___ even a smile, she flew up ___ the air and sat down ___ Jane.
14. Usually people begin ___ bread and butter.
15. And he cut a large piece ___ cake ___ everybody.
6. Find in the text the sentences in which the following word-combinations are used. Use them in sentences of your own.
As soon as; began to shake with laughter; come along; turned the corner; it’s very nice of you; don’t make me laugh; to their surprise; stopped laughing.
7. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following words, word-combinations and sentences. Use them in sentences of your own.
Сошли с автобуса; вы уверены? привести вас к чаю; его зовут мистер Уигг; они повернули за угол; Мэри Поппинс позвонила в дверной звонок; вежливый; даже; я горжусь этим; в этот день; конечно; приятно; странно; поведение; я очень сожалею; пора идти домой.
8. Who said the following words? Under what circumstances?
1. Are you sure your Uncle is at home?
2. How can you call me Mrs. Wigg?
3. How do you do, Mrs. Wigg.
4. I have never seen such a sight.
5. We must think of something serious.
6. It was a very pleasant afternoon, wasn’t it?
7. I see you don’t like it. I am very sorry. But you see that I can’t help it.
8. Think of something funny and come up here.
9. Is it because he has a wig on his head?
10. It is time to go home.
9. Act out the following conversations.
1. Michael, Jane, Mary Poppins, Miss Persimmon, from the beginning of the episode up to “… Go upstairs and to the first door on the landing.”
2. Mr. Wigg and Mary Poppins, from the moment they entered the room, up to “… I won’t laugh – if I can.”
3. Mr. Wigg, Jane, Michael, Mary Poppins, when they asked Mary Poppins to come up to them, from “I see you don’t like it, my dear…” up to “… But I see that you cannot come down.”
10. Answer the following questions.
1. Whom did Michael, Jane and Mary Poppins go to see one day?
2. What question did Michael ask Mary Poppins about her Uncle’s name? What did Mary Poppins answer?
3. What did Mary Poppins use for a mirror to put her hat straight? What did she like to do when she was walking along the street?
4. What was Mary Poppins wearing that day? How did she think she looked?
5. Who opened the door when they rang the bell? How did Miss Persimmon look? What kind of voice did she have? Why was she angry? How did she show that she was angry?
6. What did the children see in Mr. Wigg’s room when they entered?
7. Was Mr. Wigg in the room when the children and Mary Poppins entered? Why couldn’t the children see him?
8. How did Mr. Wigg look?
9. Mr. Wigg was a merry man, wasn’t he? What did he like to do? What could he laugh at?
10. What always happened to Mr. Wigg if his birthday came on Friday and he laughed on that day?
11. What happened to Mr. Wigg one day when he was at the circus on his birthday?
12. Why did Jane and Michael begin laughing?
13. What strange thing happened to Michael and Jane when they were laughing and could not stop?
14. Did Mr. Wigg like it when the children flew up to the ceiling? What did he say to them?
15. What did Michael and Jane ask Mary Poppins to do?
Did she fly up to them?
16. What did Mary Poppins do with the table?
17. Did they enjoy their tea? What was the first sad thought of the afternoon? Why did they all come down on the floor?
3. MISS LARK’S ANDREW
Miss Lark lived in the next house.
The house was very big and beautiful, and in the garden Miss Lark had two gates. One gate was for her friends and relations. And the other gate was for the Baker, the Butcher and the Milkman.
One day the Baker made a mistake and came through the gate which was for Miss Lark’s friends and relations. And Miss Lark was very angry.
All day long Jane and Michael could hear Miss Lark’s voice. Her voice was very loud. And the children always heard:
“Andrew, where are you?” or
“Andrew, you mustn’t go out without your overcoat!” or
“Andrew, come to Mother!”
And if you didn’t know, you could think that Andrew was a little boy. And Jane thought that Miss Lark thought that Andrew was a little boy. But Andrew wasn’t a little boy. He was a dog – a little dog which looked like a fur collar33.
Andrew lived like a king. He slept on a silk cushion in Miss Lark’s room; he ate cream every day; he had four overcoats in different colours. Every day he had things which people usually have only on birthdays. And when Andrew himself had a birthday, he had a big cake.
People did not like Andrew and laughed at him. And when Miss Lark bought him two pairs of small boots, people came to their gates to look at him and laugh.
“He is stupid,” said Michael one day when the children were looking at Andrew through the fence between their garden and Miss Lark’s garden.
“How do you know?” asked Jane.
“I know because Daddy called him stupid this morning,” said Michael.
“He is not stupid,” said Mary Poppins.
And Mary Poppins was right. Andrew wasn’t stupid, and you will very soon see it.
You must not think that he did not love Miss Lark. He loved her, because she was always very kind to him and took good care of him. But he did not like his life. He did not want to wear overcoats and boots. He wanted to be a common dog34. And he always chose common dogs for his friends35. And so he often sat at the gate of the garden and looked out into the street. And when he saw a common dog, he always liked to talk to him.
Miss Lark did not like it. And when she saw that Andrew was sitting at the gate and talking to a common dog, she called:
“Andrew, Andrew, come home, my darling! Don’t talk to these terrible street dogs!”
And Miss Lark never allowed Andrew to go out of the garden into the street. You could see him in the street or in the park only with Miss Lark.
Imagine, then, the surprise of Jane and Michael, when they saw Andrew one day in the park without Miss Lark. He was running very quickly and looked very serious.
“Hi, Andrew! Where is your overcoat?” cried Michael.
Andrew stopped and looked at the children. Then he turned to Mary Poppins and barked.
“Yap-yap!” said Andrew several times very quickly.
“Let me see36,” said Mary Poppins. “I think it’s the first turning on your right37 and the second house on the left.”
“Yap-yap,” said Andrew several times very quickly again.
“No – not a garden. Only a back yard,” said Mary Poppins. “The gate is usually open.”
Andrew barked again.
“I don’t know,” said Mary Poppins. “But I think so. He usually goes home at tea-time.”
Andrew barked again and ran away.
Jane’s and Michael’s eyes were round with surprise.
“What did he say?” they asked together.
“Nothing special,’’ said Mary Poppins.
“No,” said Michael. “I think he asked you where somebody lived.”
“Well, if you know, why do you ask me,” said Mary Poppins and sniffed.
“Oh, Michael,” said Jane. “She will never tell us if you talk like that. Mary Poppins, please, tell us what Andrew was saying to you. Please!”
“Ask him. He knows – Mr. Know-All!” said Mary Poppins and sniffed again.
“Oh no, I don’t know, Mary Poppins,” said Michael. “Please tell us.”
“It is half-past three. Tea-time,” said Mary Poppins. And they turned and went home.
When they were near their house, they suddenly heard loud cries coming from Miss Lark’s house38. They looked and saw that Miss Lark was running about in her garden and crying: “Andrew, Andrew! Where are you? Oh, he is lost39! I must send for the Police. I must see the Prime Minister! Andrew is lost! Dear me40, dear me!”
“Poor Miss Lark!” said Jane.
At that moment Michael looked down the street and – saw Andrew!
“Look, look, Miss Lark!” he cried. “There’s Andrew! Look, he is walking along the street!”
“Where? Where? Show me!” cried Miss Lark and ran up to the gate.
And indeed, she saw Andrew. He was walking slowly along the street. And near Andrew they saw a common dog. Andrew and the common dog were walking together.
“Oh, how glad I am,” said Miss Lark.
They were all standing and looking, and Andrew and the common dog were coming nearer and nearer the gate of Miss Lark’s garden.
“Oh, that terrible dog,” said Miss Lark, looking at Andrew’s companion. “Shoo! Shoo! Go home!” she cried to the common dog.
But the common dog came up to the gate and sat down on the ground. He scratched his right ear with his left leg41 and yawned.
“Go away! Go home! Shoo!” said Miss Lark again in an angry voice. “And you, Andrew, go home this minute! For shame!42 Went into the street alone, and without your overcoat! I am angry with you.”
Andrew barked, but did not move.
“Do you understand, Andrew?’’ said Miss Lark. “Go home at once!”
Andrew barked again.
“He says,” said Mary Poppins, “that he won’t go home.”
Miss Lark turned and looked at her in great surprise.
“How do you know what my dog says, may I ask,” she said. “Of course, he will go home.”
Andrew shook his head43 and barked.
“He won’t,” said Mary Poppins. “He will go home only if his friend goes, too.”
“Nonsense!” said Miss Lark. “This terrible dog will never go into my garden.”
Andrew barked two or three times.
“He says he is quite serious,” said Mary Poppins. “And he says that if you don’t allow his friend to go into your house and live with him, he will go away and live with his friend.”
“Oh, Andrew, you can’t – you can’t, really! After all that I have done for you!’’ Miss Lark was ready to cry.
Andrew barked and turned away. The other dog got up.
“Oh, he is really going away!” cried Miss Lark. “I see it!” She cried a little into her handkerchief, then she said:
“All right, Andrew. It will be as you say. This – this common dog can stay with us. But of course, he will sleep in the coal-cellar.”
Andrew barked again.
“He says, madam,” said Mary Poppins, “that he does not agree. His friend must have a silk cushion and sleep in you room, too. Or Andrew himself will sleep in the coal-cellar with his friend.”
“Andrew, how can you?” cried Miss Lark. “I shall never agree to it.”
Andrew got up and prepared to go.
“Oh, he is leaving me!” cried Miss Lark. “All right, Andrew, very well. It will be as you wish. Oh, what a terrible dog! Oh, how can you, Andrew? What is he saying now?” she asked Mary Poppins, because Andrew was barking again.