The Man, the Boy and the Donkey
A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: ‘You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?’ So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: ‘See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.’
So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn’t gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: ‘Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.’
Well, the Man didn’t know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said: ‘Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yours you and your hulking son?’
The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey’s feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.
‘That will teach you,’ said an old man who had followed them:
‘Please all, and you will please none.’
Exercise 1
Read the words. Pay attention to the sounds.
[w] were, with, walking, what, went, way, while, when, women, well
[D] with, their, they, them, that, father, other, this
[r] countryman, ride, group, trudge, tried, raised, bridge, drop, struggle
[N] going, walking, youngster, along, scoffing, overloading, hulking
Exercise 2
Put the words into two columns according to the pronunciation.
Man, youngster, father, order, and, hadn't, other, that, at, ashamed, overloading, shoulder, along, amid.
[x] [q]
Exercise 3
Match the words with the transcriptions.
While, youngster, trudge, passer-by, ashamed, laughter, donkey, thought.
[ʹlRftq]
[pRsqʹbAI]
[TLt]
[ʹjANstq]
[waIl]
[ʹdPNkI]
[trAG]
[qʹSeImd]
Exercise 4
Circle the word with a different sound.
[x] [A]
[D]
[I]
market
man
and
trudge
but
put
other
thought
that
please
till
his
Exercise 5
Write the transcription of the words.
Countryman, soon, women, lout, jeer, raise, amid, cause, drowned.
Exercise 6
Underline the past forms of the verbs. What past tenses were used in the text?
Exercise 7
Rewrite the text using present tenses. Make all necessary changes.
Exercise 8
Put the following sentences into the passive voice.
1. Soon they passed a group of men.
2. The Man ordered his Boy to get off.
3. He took his Boy up before him on the Donkey.
4. The passers-by jeered and pointed at them.
5. That will teach you.
Exercise 9
Make the sentences into questions.
1. A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market.
2. The Man put the Boy on the Donkey.
3. By this time they had come to the town.
4. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at.
5. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge.
Exercise 10
Change the sentences from the positive to the negative.
Exercise 11
Answer the questions.
1. Where were a Man and his son once going with their Donkey?
2. What did a countryman say?
3. Why did a man call the Boy lazy?
4. Why did the Man take his Boy up before him on the Donkey?
5. Who were the people in the town scoffing at?
6. Why did they cut down a pole?
7. What happened to the Donkey?
8. What was the Man’s conclusion?
Exercise 12
Complete the sentences.
A Man and his son were once going … .
As they were walking they met … .
All the passers-by didn’t like … .
The Man and his son tried to … .
The Donkey fell over the bridge … .
After that the man said … .
Exercise 13
Mark the sentences True or False.
A Man and his daughter were once going with their Donkey to market. _______
A countryman passed them and said: ‘You fools, what is a Donkey for but to feed it? _______
The Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on the Donkey himself. _______
They passed two women, one of whom called the boy lazy. _______
The passers-by liked them. _______
In the struggle the Donkey beat them. _______
The Man considered the adventure to be useful. _
Exercise 14
Translate the phrases into English.
идти на рынок ______________________
для чего нужен ослик__________________
его папа идет, пока он едет___________________
приказал слезть____________________
позволять маленькому сыну устало тащиться________________________________
показывать на них пальцем________________________
Разве тебе не стыдно? ___________________________
Подняли шест и ослика на их плечи ___________________
Угождая всем, не угодишь никому.______________________
Exercise 15
Put 10 questions to the text.
Exercise 16
Match the sentences and the pictures. One sentence is extra.
[pic] [pic]
[pic] [pic]
1. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them.
2. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: ‘See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.’
3. They passed two women, one of whom said to the other: ‘Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.’
4. A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market.
5. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey’s feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders.
Exercise 17
Put the sentences in the correct order.
At last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey’s feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders.
And the Man took his Boy up before him on the Donkey.
When they met a countryman he told them to ride upon the donkey.
The passers-by began to jeer and to point at them so the Man and his son had to get off.
In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and was drowned.
One of two women said :‘Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.’
The Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way.
All the passers-by they met told them they were wrong.
A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market.
One man said: ‘See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.’ And the Man got on himself.
Exercise 18
Make up sentences using these words. Try not to use the text.
1. once and son going A Man with market his their Donkey were to.
2. on So the Boy the on Donkey put and they their way the Man went.
3. ordered So got his and Boy to get off, the himself Man on.
4. stopped asked The Man scoffing they at what were and.
5. got off and Boy to The Man to do think and tried what.
6. laughter went amid the of all They along them who met.
7. Donkey the In the fell the bridge over struggle.
Exercise 19
Who said these words?
1. A countryman
2. One from the group of men
3. A woman
4. The man who were scoffing
5. The Man
‘Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yours you and your hulking son?’
‘You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?’
‘Please all, and you will please none.’
‘See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.’
‘Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.’
Exercise 20
Retell the text.
