Act a dialogue between Sue and Johnsy.

Chapter 3

Sue found Behrman in his dimly lighted room below. In one corner there was a blank canvas that had been waiting there for twenty-five years to receive the first line of the masterpiece.

She told him of Johnsy's fancy and how she feared that her friend, light and frail as a leaf herself, would indeed, fly away like one of the leaves.

"What foolishness," cried old Behrman, with hi red eyes full of tears. "To die because leaves drop from that cursed vine? I have not heard of such a thing. No, I will not pose for your miner ¹. Why do you allow that silly thing to come into her head? Oh, that poor little Miss Johnsy."

"She is very ill and weak," said Sue, "and the fever filled her mind with strange fancies. Very well, Mr. Behrman, if you do not want to pose for me, you needn't. But I think you are a horrid old grumbler."

"You are just like a woman!" yelled Behrman. "Who said I will not pose? I go with you. For half an hour have been trying to say that I am ready to pose. God! This is not the place in which one so good as Miss Johnsy shall lie sick². Some day I will pain a masterpiece, and we shall all go away. God! yes."

Johnsy was sleeping when they went upstairs. Sue pulled the curtain down, and motioned³ Behrman into the other room. They looked out of the window fearfully at the ivy vine. Then they looked a each other for a moment without speaking. A persistent, cold rain was falling, mixed with snow. Behrman, in his old blue shirt, took his seat on an upturned kettle for a rock⁴.

When Sue awoke from an hour's sleep the next morning she found Johnsy with dull, wide open eyes looking at the drawn, green curtain.

Pull it up⁵; I want to see," she ordered, in a whisper.

Seu obeyed.

But, look! After the beating rain and the fierce wind that blew all night long, there yet stood out against⁶ the brick wall one ivy leaf. It was the last on the vine, and it hung bravely from a branch some twenty feet above the ground.

"It is the last one," said Johnsy. "I thought it would fall during the night. I heard the wind. It would fall today, and I shall die at the same time."

"Dear, dear!" said Sue, leaning her face down to the pillow, "think of me, if you won't think of yourself. What would I do?"

But Johnsy did not answer. The fancy seemed to possess her more strongly as one by one her ties with life and friends were loosed ⁷.

Notes

¹pose for your miner— позировать за шахтера

²shall lie sick — должна лежать больной

³motioned — зд. сделала знак пройти

⁴on an upturned kettle for a rock — на перевернутый чайник вместо скалы

⁵pull it up — подними ее

⁶stood out against— выделялся на

⁷as one by one her ties with life and friends were loosed — по мере того как одна за другой порывались все нити, связывающие ее с жизнью и друзьями

EXERCISES

1. Find in the text English equivalents of the folio wing words and expressions:

тускло освещенная комната; чистый холст; легкая и хрупкая, как лист; позировать; нарисовать шедевр; выделяться на кирпичной стене; двад­цать футов над землей

2. Give Russian equivalents of the following word and expressions in the text and use them in the text of your own:

to tell smb. of smth.; to fear that...; indeed; to al­low; strange fancies; a masterpiece; a persistent cold rain; to obey; one ivy leaf; during the night; at the same time; to lean; to think of smb.

3. Answer the questions:

1) What did Sue tell Behrman about?

2) How did Behrman behave himself when he heard of Johnsy's illness?

3) What did Sue and Behrman see out of the win­dow in Johnsy's room?

4) In what mood was Johnsy the next morning?

5) Were there any leaves on the ivy vine in the morning?

6) What did Johnsy say to Sue about the last leaf?

4. Agree or disagree with the following statements:

1) Sue found Behrman in his room and told him of Johnsy's fancy about the last leaf.

2) Old Behrman felt very sorry for Johnsy.

3) The next morning Johnsy asked Sue to draw the curtain down.

4) After the beating rain and the wind that blew all night long there weren't any leaves at the brick wall.

5) Johnsy said that she would die when the last leaf fell.

5. Has anything changed in Johnsy's behaviour in the morning? Find and read this passage in the text.

Chapter 4

The day passed away¹, and even through the twilight they could see the lone ivy leaf at the wall. And then, when the night came, the north wind blew again, while the rain still beat against the windows and the roof.

When it was light enough Johhsy ordered to raise the curtain. The ivy leaf was still there. Johnsy lay for a long time looking at it. And then she called to Sue, who was preparing some broth for her.

"I've been a bad girl, Sudie," said Johnsy. "Something has made that last leaf stay there to show me how bad I was. It is a sin to want to die. You may bring me a little broth now, and some milk, and — no: bring me a hand-mirror first; and then put some pillows about me, and I will sit up and watch you cook²".

An hour later she said:

"Sudie, some day I hope to paint the Bay of Na­ples."

The doctor came in the afternoon, and Sue saw him³ to the door.

"Equel chances," said the doctor, taking Sue's thin hand. "With good nursing⁴ you will win. And now I must see another patient I have downstairs. Behrman, his name is — some kind of an artist, I believe. Pneumonia, too. He is an old, weak man, and there is no hope for him; but he goes to the hospital today where he'll be more comfortable. "

The next day the doctor said to Sue: "She's out of danger. You've won. A good diet and care now — that's all."

And that afternoon Sue came to the bed where Johnsy lay, knitting a very blue and very useless scarf, and put one arm around her.

"I have something to tell you," she said. "Mr. Behrman died of pneumonia today in the hospital. He was ill only two days. The porter found him in the of the first day in his room downstairs tires and ill. His shoes and clothing were wet through ⁵ and icy cold. They couldn't imagine where he had been on such a dreadful night. And then they found a lantern, still lighted, and a lad­der, and some brushes, and some green and yellow paints. Look out of the window, dear, at the ivy leaf on the wall. Didn't you wonder, why it never moved when the wind blew? Ah, darling, it's Mr. Behrman's masterpiece — he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell."

Notes

¹ the day passed away — прошел день

² I will sit up and watch you cook — я сяду и буду смотреть, как ты готовишь

³ saw him — проводила его

⁴ good nursing — хороший уход

⁵ wet through — насквозь мокрые

EXERCISES

1. Find in the text English equivalents of the follo­wing words and expressions:

сумерки; поднять шторы; ручное зеркало; час спустя; равные шансы; хороший уход; старый слабый человек; быть вне опасности; вязать; уме­реть от воспаления легких; насквозь мокрый

2. Give Russian equivalents of the following word and expressions in the text and use them in the
sentences of your own:

watch smb. do smth.; to see another patient; no hope for smb.; to have smth. to tell smb.; a good die and care; to be ill two days

3. Answer the questions:,

1) Could Sue and Johnsy see the last leaf at the wall through the twilight?

2) Did Johnsy's behaviour change when she say that the last leaf was still on the wall?

3) What did she ask Sue to bring her?

4) Was Johnsy out of danger the next day when the doctor came?

5) What did Sue tell Johnsy about Behrman?

6) Why did he die?

4. Discuss the following:

1) Johnsy said to Sue that something had made the last leaf stay to show her how bad she was. What do you think she meant?

2) Sue told Johnsy about Behrman's masterpiece — the last leaf that he painted on the wall. Dc you agree that this painting was his real masterpiece?

5. Retell this story on the part of: a) Sue; b) the doctor; c) Johnsy.

О. HENRY

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI¹

Chapter 1

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved

One and two at a time² when buying sugar, vegetables or meat. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.

There was clearly nothing left to do but³ flop down on the shabby little sofa and cry. So Della did it. She lived in a furnished flat at 8 dollars a week. It was not exactly a crying beggary⁴, but it certainly was a silent poverty⁵.

On the front door below was a letter-box into which no letter would go⁶, and an electric button from which nobody could press out a ring.

Della finished her cry. She stood by the window and looked out at a grey cat walking on a grey fence in a grey yard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only one dollar and eighty-seven cents with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn’t go far⁷.

Expenses had bee greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy a present for Jim. Many hours she had spent planning for something nice for him⁸. Something fine and rare – something worthy of the honour of being owned by Jim⁹.

Suddenly she dashed away from the window to the mirror which hung between the windows. Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its colour within twenty seconds. Quickly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length.

Now I must tell you that the James Dillinghai Youngs¹⁰ had two possessions in which they both took a mighty pride¹¹. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della 's hair.

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her, shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a coat for her¹². And then she did it up again¹³ nervously and quickly. For a minute she stood still while a tear or two fell on the worn red carpet.

Notes

¹ The Gift of the Magi ['meid3ai] — Дары волхвов (волхвы — три легендарных восточных мудреца,
принесших дары новорожденному младенцу Иисусу Христу)

² pennies saved one and two at a time — пенни, сэкономленные по одному, по два

³ nothing left to do but — единственное, что оставалось сделать

⁴ crying beggary — вопиющая нищета

⁵ silent poverty — молчаливая бедность

⁶ по letter would go — не протиснулось бы ни одно письмо

⁷ twenty dollars a week doesn't go far — на двадцать долларов в неделю далеко не уедешь

⁸ planning for something nice for him — придумывая, что бы такое ему подарить хорошее

⁹ something worthy of the honour of being owned by Jim — что-то достойное чести принадлежать Джиму

¹⁰ the James Dillinghan Youngs — супруги Джемс Диллингем Юнг

¹¹ took a mighty pride — очень гордились

¹² and made itself almost a coat for her — и плащом опутывали почти всю ее фигуру

¹³ she did it up again — она снова подобрала их

EXERCISES

1. Find in the text English equivalents of the follo­wing words and expressions:

пенни, сэкономленные по одному, по два; меблированная квартира за 8 долларов в неделю; один доллар и 87 центов; броситься от окна к зеркалу; великолепные волосы; сверкать; потертый красный ковер

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