Part 2 Reading for pleasure and reflection

One morning after the night, when the three soli­tary horsemen crossed the prairie, in the forest, half a mile from the pool of blood, lay a man. A young man, with a pleasant face. He was lying on his back, with his face turned to the sky. He didn't move. Was he dead? A lot of black vultures were flying over him. The birds believed that the man was dead. But the black birds were mistaken. The man opened his eyes. He raised himself a little and looked around.

"Am I dead or alive?" he _said to himself. "Where am I? Trees around me. How did I come here?"

He thought a little. "Now I remember. My head struck a tree. Here is the tree. I fell out of the saddle. My left leg is broken.” He tried to stand up but could not. "Where is the horse? Gone away, of course. It'll be in the stable of Casa del Corvo by now. What shall I do? I can't walk. He heard the sound of a stream and realized that he was thirsty. With much difficulty he began to move in the direction of the water. Ten minutes later he lay on the bank of a little stream.

(Phelim was waiting for Maurice in the hut. When he heard the sound of hoofs, he went outside and saw a horseman who was approaching the hut. Phelim recog­nized the horse and the sarape of his master, but when the horse came nearer, he saw that the rider had no head. The dog ran up to the horse, which turned and galloped away. The dog followed it.)

The young man spent the rest of the day and the whole night near the stream. More than once he tried to move, but every movement gave him great pain. It was clear that he could not leave that place without helping. Sometimes he began to shout, but nobody came. The next morning he heard the sound of little feet. He raised his head and saw a low of coyotes. He was not afraid of these cowardly animals. They nev­er attack man. But when a man is dying and they see that he can't more, they become dangerous. The man was not dying. But he was very weak. The coyotes saw this. Besides, they smelled blood. And finally they jumped upon the young man. He had only a knife with him. With his knife he struck the coyotes as they jumped on him, and wounded some, but the others jumped upon him again and again. He was afraid for his life. No wonder — death was looking him in the face. Suddenly a big dog came running and at­tacked the coyotes. It killed one, then another, the oth­ers ran away. The young man put his arms round the dog's neck. The next moment he was asleep.

Zeb Stump was thinking hard, when he heard Phelim's voice from outside: "Oh, Mr Stump, Tara has come! Look at the dog! See, something is tied around his neck!" Indeed, a piece of paper was tied around the animal's neck.

Zed Stump took it, read the words which were written on it, and gave a shout of joy. "Thank God!" he said. "He is alive, Phelim! He is alive!" "Who? Master Maurice? Thank God.” "Wait! There is no time to thank him now. Get in your house, quick! If we lose half an hour, it may be too late. By this time the reader has understood that the young man who was sleeping with his hands around the dog's neck, was Maurice Gerald.

When he woke up, he felt much better. But still he could not walk. He knew that Tara would protect him, but the dog could not carry him. Then he had an idea. He wrote some words on a piece of paper, tied it around the dog's neck and told him to run home. "And now, when the dog is not here.” said Maurice, "I must protect myself against the coy­otes. I am sure they'll come as soon as they see that I am alone. A big tree stood near him. The tree had two thick branch­es. Maurice took off the cloak he was wearing and tied it to these branches. Then, with much difficulty, he climbed up the tree and settled on his cloak. Coyotes could not climb trees, he knew it. So he was quite safe now. The coyotes came soon. They tried to jump and climb the tree but soon they saw that they could not reach the man. So they sat or lay down under the tree and began to wait. A long time passed, and Maurice felt that he was thirsty again. Every minute he was more and more thirsty; he could not think about anything else. The stream was near, but he could not get down. Suddenly all the coyotes jumped to their feet and ran away. What had happened? Had Tara returned? Perhaps, Phelim had come too?

Maurice looked all around, but saw no dog and no man. He listened. No sound. Why had the coyotes run away? Never mind. There were no coyotes. The stream was near. Maurice climbed down. He reached the stream and drank. Still he could not understand why the coyotes had run away. He felt that there was a danger. And he saw it. Through the leaves he saw the spotted yellow skin of the tiger of the New World — the dangerous jaguar. That's why the coyotes had run away. It was too late to try to climb the tree. Besides, the jaguar can climb like a cat. The mustanger knew this. The jaguar jumped. Maurice shouted. At the same mo­ment, a gun shot was heard — and the jaguar fell dead into the water of the stream. Tara jumped out of the bushes and ran to his master. Zeb Stump and Phelim followed the dog. But Maurice didn't recognize his friends. The young man had struggled with dangers too long. His reason left him.
Exercises

1. Вставьте артиклі

One morning after ______ night, when ________ three soli­tary horsemen crossed _____ prairie, in _____ forest, half_____ mile from ______ pool of blood, lay _____ man.

_____ young man, with ____ pleasant face. He was lying on his back, with his face turned to _____ sky. He didn't move. _____ lot of black vultures were flying over him. _____ birds believed that ____ man was dead.

2. Доповніть речення

But the black ___________ were mistaken. The man ___________ his eyes. He raised himself a _______ and looked around. "Am I _______ or alive?" he _said to himself. "_______ am I? Trees ________ me. How did I ________ here?" He thought a _________.

"Now _____ remember. .My head _______ a tree.

3. Вставьте прийменники

I fell _____ ______ the saddle. He tried to stand ______

but could not. Gone _______ , _____ course. It'll be _______ the

stable ______ Casa del Corvo _______ now.

He heard the sound ______ a stream and realized that he was

thirsty. _______ much difficulty he began to move ______ the direction _______ the water. Ten minutes later he lay _____ the bank ______ a little stream.

Phelim was waiting ______ Maurice _____ the hut. When he heard the sound _____ hoofs, he went _________ and saw a horseman who was approaching the hut. Phelim recog­nized the horse and the sarape ______ his master. The dog ran _____ to the horse, which turned and galloped _______.

The young man ( to spend) _____________ the rest of the day and the whole night near the stream. More than once he ( to try) __________ to move, but every movement ( to give) ____________ him great pain.

It ( to be) _________ clear that he could not leave that place without helping. Sometimes he ( to begin) ________ to shout, but nobody ( to come) __________. The next morning he ( to hear)_____ the sound of little feet. He ( to raise)_______ his head and ( to see) __________ a low of coyotes.

5. Закінчіть речення, звертаючись до тексту та запишіть їх.

But when a man is dying and they see _____________________

_____________________________________________________.

Suddenly a big dog came___________________________

________________________________________________.

He had only a knife _____________________________________.

They tried to jump and climb the tree________________________

_____________________________________________________

Every minute he was more and more _______________________

_____________________________________________________.

- Coyotes could not climb trees, he knew it.

- Maurice looked all around, but saw no dog and no man.

- A long time passed, and Maurice felt that he was thirsty again.

- So they sat or lay down under the tree and began to wait.

- Then, with much difficulty, he climbed up the tree and settled on

his cloak.

8. Знайдіть у тексті опис

- The Coyotes

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- he could not leave that place

- he was riding about the prairie

- fell dead into the water

Still he could not a) realize, b) understand, c) found out why the a) tigers, b) coyotes, c) dogs had run away.

They a) wanted, b) hoped, c) tried to jump and climb the tree but soon they saw that they could not a) get, b) reach, c) go the man.

Phelim recog­nized the a) horse, b) dog, c) friend and the sarape of his master, but when the horse came nearer, he saw that the rider had no a) head, b) dress, c) food.

The young man had struggled with a)enemy, b)dangers, c) animals too long.

Why had the a)coyotes, b)tigers, c) friends run away?

1. 
   Знайдіть синоніми у тексті
   

2. 
   Знайдіть антоніми у тексті