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Homework for Wednesday, 27.03.19: prepare homereading:

The Magic Fish-bone

Adapted from a fairy story by Charles Dickens

There was once a king and he had a queen. They had nineteen children. They were from seven to seventeen years old. Alicia, the oldest, took care of them all. One day the king was on his way to work and he stopped at the fishmonger’s to buy a pound and a half of fish. Mr Pickles, the fishmonger, said, “Good morning, sir. A pound and a half of fish, certainly. Do you want anything else?” The king didn’t want anything else and he went on his way to work. He was not very happy because his children did not have any new clothes.

Just then an old lady came up. She was in very expensive clothes. “King Watkins the First?” said the old lady. “Watkins is my name,” said the king. “A Father of the beautiful Alicia?” “And of eighteen other children,” said the king. “You are going to your work,” said the old lady.

The king thought that the old lady must be a fairy or how could she know that. The old lady read the king’s thoughts again and said, “You are right. I am the good fairy Grandmarina. When you go home to dinner tonight invite Princess Alicia to have some of the fish you have just bought. When the beautiful Princess Alicia eats the fish you will find she will leave a fish-bone on her plate. Tell her to wash it and keep it. It is a present from me. She must take care of it.” The king did not really understand what the old lady wanted to say. The old lady read his thoughts again and said, “Tell Princess Alicia that the fish-bone is a magic present. It will give her anything that she wants. But this can happen only once and it must be at the right time. That’s all.”

The king wanted to ask Grandmarina a question. But where was she? She was not there. The king went on his way to work. There he wrote and wrote and it was time to go home again.

At home he invited Princess Alicia to eat some fish. She enjoyed it very much. The king saw the fish-bone on the plate and he told Alicia to wash it and to take good care of it. “It is a magic fish-bone,” he said, “and it will bring you anything you want but only once and the time must be right.”

The next day the queen was not very well. “Oh dear, my head, my head,” she said. Princess Alicia took care of her mother. She cooked her a good breakfast, a delicious lunch and a wonderful dinner. She took care of all her brothers and sisters. But the queen was not well for a very long time and every day Alicia was very, very busy. There were not many people to help her because the king had no money.

Every evening when the queen was not well Alicia sat with her father next to her mother’s bed. One evening the king said to Alicia, “Where is the magic fish-bone?” “In my pocket.” “You haven’t forgotten it then?” “No, I haven’t, father,” Alicia said.

Another time one of the young princes cut his hand badly. Alicia took care of him and put his hand in a bowl of cold water. She washed and cleaned his hand and it was soon much better. When the king saw this he said to Alicia, “What are you doing, Alicia?” “One of the young princes cut his hand badly. I have washed and cleaned his hand,” she said, “and now it is much better.” “Where is the magic fish-bone? Have you forgotten about it?” asked her father. “No, I haven’t forgotten, father. It is in my pocket.” Other things happened and each time the king asked Alicia if she still had the magic fish-bone. Each time Alicia answered that she still had it in her pocket.

One day Princess Alicia said to her brothers and sisters, “Today you will all be cooks.”

All the children baked bread and cooked the meal. They had a wonderful time and danced and sang in the kitchen. But Alicia saw her father at the door. He was so unhappy. Alicia spoke to her brothers and sisters. They quietly went out of the kitchen and left Alicia with their father. “What is the matter?” she asked. “I haven’t any money and the children need new clothes,” said the king.

“Have you no money at all?” “None, my child.” “Can’t you get any from anywhere?” “I have tried very hard. I have tried everything.”

When she heard these last words, Princess Alicia began to put her hand into her pocket where she kept the magic fish-bone. “Father,” said Alicia, “when we have tried very, very hard and when we have done our very best, I think it is time to ask others for help.” As she took the fish-bone out of her pocket the good fairy Grandmarina came into the room in her beautiful clothes. “You have always been a good and clever girl,” said the old lady, “and you have always helped your family and friends. Now you have found the secret of the magic fish-bone.” Grandmarina turned to the king and said, “Do you understand why Alicia did not need the magic fish-bone before?” The king said he did and that he was very sorry. Then the queen and all the children came into the room. They were dressed in new clothes. The last words that the old lady said to them were, “Clothes are not everything. Be good and try your best and you will be happy ever after.”

1. Check your facts.

1) Alicia kept the magic fish-bone in 

a)  her bedroom, b) her bag, c) her pocket, d) the kitchen.

2) The king bought

a) a pound and a half of meat, b) a pound and a half of potatoes, c) a pound and a half of tomatoes, d) a pound and a half of fish.

3) The king thought that Grandmarina was a fairy because

a) she said she was, b) she could read his thoughts.

4) The young prince cut a) his hand, b)     the bread, c) his foot.

5) The queen was not well for a) two days, b) two weeks, c) three hours, d) a very long time.

2. Correct these sentences from the text.

1) She cooked her a nice breakfast, a good lunch but a bad dinner.

2) “It is a magic fish-bone,” he said, “and it will bring you anything you want at any time.”

3) When we have tried hard and have done our best, I think we shouldn’t ask for help.

3. Say who did the following:

1)... took care of her mother.

2)... was very, very busy.

3)... was in very expensive clothes.

4)... cut his hand badly.

5)... began to put her hand into her pocket.

6)... didn’t want anything else.

5. Answer the questions.

1) What did the king buy?

2) Who was Grandmarina?

3) Why did Alicia take care of her brothers and sisters?

4) How did the magic fish-bone help the family?                 

5) Do you agree with Grandmarina’s words “Be good and try your best and you will be happy ever after”?