And after that they had undressed him, he looked at them and said, "What are the flowers that stand on the altar, and where do they come from?"

And they answered him, "What flowers they are, we cannot tell, but they come from the corner of the Fullers' Field." And the Priest trembled, and returned to his own house and prayed.

And in the morning, while it was still dawn, he went with the monks and the musicians, and the candle-bearers and the swingers

also he blessed, and the little things that dance in the woodland, and the bright-eyed things that peer through the leaves. All the things in God's world he blessed, and the people were filled with joy and wonder. Yet never again in the corner of the Fullers' Field grew flowers of any kind, but the field remained barren even as before. The Sea-folk never came into the bay as they used to, for they went to another part of the sea.

Commentary

1 they are lost — зд. их ничто не спасет (в день Страшного Суда)

2 for them the Lord has not died — и не за них умирал Искупитель

(согласно Библии, Христос своими страданиями искупал грехи людей)

165

12moon-flower (бот.) — лунный цветок (так в Англии называю хризантему или анемон, в Америке — вьюнок)

13silver aloe (бот.) — серебристое алоэ (столетник)

14Samaris— Самария, древнее государство Израиль

15You are as one who in time of death pours water into a broke vessel. — Ты подобен тому, кто во время засухи льет воду разбитый сосуд.

16the swingers of censers — священнослужители с кадильницами

17the Field of the Fullers — Погост Отверженных (уголок кладби

ща, где хоронят нечестивцев)

1)One day the young Fisherman caught a little Mermaid into his nets.

2)The Mermaid promised to come whenever he wanted and

swore her promise by the oath of the Sea-folk.

3)The young Fisherman fell in love with her and made a proposal to her.

4)She couldn't accept his proposal because her father was old and alone.

5)The Priest and the merchants laughed at the young Fisherman's desire to get rid of his Soul and drove him away.

6)There was nothing left for him to do but go to see a witch.

7)The young Witch wasn't very good at her witcheries.

8)The Witch couldn't help the young Fisherman and sent him to another place.

9)The young Fisherman got rid of his Soul, though it asked him to be merciful and not to send it away without a heart.

10)His Soul journeyed to the East and the South and came

166

back to his master to tell him what he had seen in strange lands.

11)Though his Soul asked the Fisherman to journey together but he wouldn't agree.

12)His Soul always tried to tempt him with temptations but the Fisherman would turn a deaf ear to it.

13)The Fisherman built himself a house on the sea shore, and lived there for a space of a year.

14)He couldn't find his little Mermaid anywhere though he tried hard.

15)The Fisherman was weeping with pain when he found the dead body of the Mermaid.

Answer the following questions.

1)What did the young Fisherman catch into his nets one day?

2)What did the Mermaid promise the young Fisherman?

3)Why didn't the Mermaid accept the young Fisherman's proposal at once?

4)Why did he go to see the young Witch?

5)What did the young Witch tell him?

6) How did the young Fisherman get rid of his Soul?

7)What did the Soul tell the Fisherman about his journey to the East?

8)What did the Soul tell the Fisherman about his journey to the South?

9)Where did the young Fisherman and his Soul journey together?

10)What evil things did his Soul tempt him with?

11)Why couldn't the young Fisherman get rid of his Soul again?

12)Why did the young Fisherman refuse to continue the journey with his Soul?

13)Where did the young Fisherman go instead and what did he do there?

14)What did the young Fisherman hear from the sea one day?

15)What happened to the young Fisherman?

16)Where did the Priest order to bury the dead bodies of the young Fisherman and the Mermaid?

167

17)What did the Priest notice in the Chapel after three years?

18)What did the Priest realise?

Vocabulary and Grammar Tasks

1Find in the tale the English for:

забрасывать сети в море; подниматься из глубин; удивлять людей; напрягая все свои силы; подкрепить обещание клят­ вой; обитатели моря; дикие чайки летали над ее головой; нырять в воду; погружаться в море; закричать от восторга; в пучине моря; отравиться ядовитыми травами; не знать, где добро и где зло; искушать соблазнами; корчить рожи; не стоить ломаного гроша; стать любимым рабом королевы; ведьма, искусная в делах колдовства; невелико мое жела­ ние; укрыться от солнца; разбивать палатки; • обратить коголибо в рабство; пророк Бога; облагать кого-либо налогом; утолить жажду; • ты направила мои стопы на путь греха; вы­ полнять приказания; наложить на уста печать молчания; лить воду в разбитый сосуд; • не слышать кого-либо; не иметь одежды, хлеба; • исповедоваться; безопасное место; не ста­ вить знака; • вырыть глубокую могилу; гнев Господа

2Insert articles if necessary.

5)cry of joy broke from her lips, and standing up in

168

17)Emperor jumped to his feet, and taking

Here is a list of irregular verbs used in the tale, but three of the verbs are regular. Which are they? Write in the Past Simple forms of all the verbs.

169

4Complete the sentences by adding each, each other, other, others or another.

2)When the merchants saw him coming, they began to

3)A blue bird rose screaming from its nest, and three birds

170

11)Sometimes she dances on her hands, and at times she dances with her feet.

12)Surely, you will not send us without a heart into world?

Identify the kind of phrase. Write "C" if the italicised phrase is a comparative, "S" if the phrase is a superlative, and "E" if the phrase is an expression of equality or inequality.

1)Her body was as white ivory.

2)Like seashells were her ears, and her lips were like seacoral.

3)And when he touched her, she gave a cry like a seagull.

4)Each day the sound of her voice became sweeter to his

7)She is fairer than the morning star, and whiter than the moon.

8) He whom I serve is richer than all the kings of this world.

9)You are the best of the witches.

171

11)You shall be wiser than all the wise men.

12)Love is better than Wisdom.

13)The wine of Schiraz is as sweet as honey.

14)The cypress trees were like burnt-out torches.

15)He who has the ring is richer than all the kings of the world.

16) Their laughter is as clear as the laughter of water.

17)The black sea came nearer, and the white foam moaned like a leper.

6Read the following sentences. Use your dictionary to find a word that could replace the italicised word or phrase. Then find a word that is opposite in meaning.

1)She looked at him in terror, and struggled that she might escape.

synonym:

antonym:

2)When she saw that she could in no way escape him, she began to weep.

synonym:

antonym:

3)And she sang a marvellous song.

synonym:

antonym:

4) You have eaten some poisonous herb. synonym:

antonym:

5) The Soul is more precious than the rubies of the kings. synonym:

antonym: .

6) The merchants mocked at him. synonym:

antonym:

172

7) At sunset in some secret place we shall dance together. synonym:

antonym:

8)He took off his cap to her. synonym: . antonym:

9)The Mermaid sank down into the water. synonym:

antonym:

10)At sunrise he came out of his palace in a robe of gold. synonym:

antonym:

11)There were huge shells full of pearls.

13) He ran away hastily through the garden of pomegranates. synonym:

antonym:

14) You have turned a deaf ear to me. synonym:

antonym:

15) Come, let us mend these things. synonym:

antonym:

16) Dead at his feet it was lying. synonym:

antonym:

173

17) And to the dead thing he made confession. synonym:

antonym:

7Translate the following sentences into English.

1)Дева морская подкрепила свое обещание клятвою Обитателей моря.

2)Молодой Рыбак решил избавиться от души.

3)И подумал про себя молодой Рыбак: «Как это стран­ но! Священник убеждает меня, что душа ценее, чем все золото мира, а вот купцы говорят, что она не стоит и ломаного гроша».

4)Он вспомнил, что его товарищи рассказывали ему о некоей искусной в делах колдовства юной ведьме, живущей в пещере у входа в залив.

5)Священник разгневался на него и прогнал его прочь, а купцы осмеяли и отвергли его.

6)Молодой Рыбак выхватил маленький нож с зеленой рукояткой из змеиной кожи и отрезал свою тень у самых ног.

7)Цари каждого города взимали пошлины и не впуска­ ли путешественников в городские ворота.

8)И сказал султан Душе: «Здесь хранятся все мои сокро­ вища. Половина сокровищ твоя. Я дам тебе верблю­ дов и погонщиков, которые будут покорны тебе и отвезут твою долю, куда только пожелаешь».

9)Когда молодой Рыбак узнал, что ему нет избавления от его Души и что злая Душа отстанется с ним навсег­ да, он пал на землю и горько заплакал.

10)И непрестанно Душа искушала его, но он не отвечал и не совершал дурных деяний, к которым его побуж­ дала Душа.

11)«Любовь лучше мудрости, ценнее богатства и пре­ краснее, чем ноги у дочерей человеческих», — думал Рыбак.

12)Молодой Рыбак и Дева морская были захоронены на Погосте Отверженных.

13)На их могиле выросли белые цветы необычайной кра­ соты, которые смутили Священника.

174