The selfish Giant. It is your garden now, little children, said the Giant, and he took a great axe and knocked down the wall.

" It is your garden now, little children, " said the Giant, and he took a great axe and knocked down the wall.

And when the people were going to market at twelve o'clock they found the Giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.

All day long they played, and in the evening they came to the Giant to bid¹ him good-bye.

" But where is your little companion? " he said: " the boy I put into the tree." The Giant loved him the best because he had kissed him.

" We don't know, " answered the children; " he has gone away."

" You must tell him to be sure and come tomorrow, " said the Giant. But the children said that they did not know where he lived, and had never seen him before; and the Giant felt very sad.

Every afternoon, when school was over, the children came and played with the Giant. But the little boy whom the Giant loved was never seen again. The Giant was very kind to all the children, yet he longed for his first little friend, and often spoke of him.

" How I would like to see him! " he used to say. Years went over, and the Giant grew very old and feeble. He could not play about any more, so he sat in a huge arm-chair, and watched the children at their games, and ad­mired² his garden. " I have many beautiful flowers, " he said; " but the chil­dren are the most beautiful flowers of all."

One winter morning he looked out of his window as he was dressing. He did not hate the Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.

Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder and looked and looked. It cer­tainly was a marvellous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. Its branches were golden, and silver faiit hung down from them, and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved.

Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He hastened across the grass, and came near to the child, And when he came quite close his face grew red with anger, and he said, " Who hath³ dared to wound thee? "

For on the palms of the child's hands were the prints of two nails, and the prints of two nails were on the little feet.

" Who hath dared to wound thee? ⁴" cried the Giant; " tell me, that I may take my big sword and slay him."

171 THE SELFISH GIANT

" Nay, ^s" answered the child, " but these are the wounds of Love."

" Who art⁶ thou⁷? " said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little child.

And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, " You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise."

And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the Giant lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.

Notes:

1. bid (v) bade/bid, bidden — say a greeting or good-bye to smb

2. admire — see Verbs of liking and disliking p. 182.

3. hath [ha9] (устар.) 3 л. ед. ч. Present simple от to have

4. thee [3i: ] (устар. и поэт.) косв. падеж от thou — тебя

5. nay [nei] (устар.) нет

6. art (устар.) 2 л. ед. ч. Present simple от to be;

7. thou [Заи] (устар. и поэт.) 2 л. ед. ч. you

I. VOCABULARY

break out (esp. of something bad) begin suddenly

□ War broke out when nobody expected. break out into/in tears start ciying suddenly

□ I was so sad that I broke out into tears.

break out in something become covered with smth such as a rash, a cold sweat or pimples

□ When I eat chocolate, I break out in pimples.

break out (of) escape from, force one's way out of a place

□ They broke out of prison last night.

bear (v) bore, borne/born 1. produce (a crop, fruit, or other product) D The tree is bearing a lot of pears this year.

2. suffer without complaining

□ She bore the pain with great courage.

3, (with can in questions and with negative words) great dislike

□ I can't bear strong coffee.

bear fruit yield results; give (literal or figurative) fruit

D His plan didn't bear fruit. bear in mind remember; consider something or someone; keep in mind

Wa

ca

cei bn

rea

bei

172 THE SELFISH GIANT

D There are so many questions to be borne in mind.

wander (v) ['wands] move about (in an area) without a fixed course, or an aim О The lost child was wandering (about) the streets. П (fig.) His mind began to wander (= to become confused)

care (v) I. be worried, anxious, or concerned (about) smth

□ When his dog ran away, Alan didn't seem to care at all. 2. like, want

□ Would you care to visit us this weekend? care for somebody/something take care; took after

П He is very good at caring for sick animals.

care about somebody/something have feelings for someone or something; love or respect somebody/something

□ Bob really cares about the welfare of the family.

care nothing about somebody/something have no feelings at all about someone or something О Janes cares nothing about John.

cease (v) stop (esp. an activity) О At last they ceased walking.

branch (n) an armlike part of something, esp. a tree

□ a branch of a tree; a branch railway

□ (fig.) Our company has branches in many cities. branch (v) become divided into or form branches

□ Take the road that branches off to the right. branch off move off in a new direction

□ The road branches off here and goes on to the next town, branch out reach out or spread out

П As the tree grew, it branched out.

reach (v) 1. arrive at; get to

□ They reached London on Thursday.

2. be able to touch something by stretching out a hand or arm.

П " Can you reach that apple on the tree? " " I'm not tall enough to reach it." reach an agreement/accord agree on something, esp. after much discussion

□ We were finally able to reach an agreement with them. reach an understanding reach a compromise with somebody

П I spent an hour trying to reach an understanding with Tom. bend (v) bent 1. curve; bow

□ You could never bend that steel bar with your hands.

2. kneel, stoop, bow

П Martin bent to look through the keyhole in the door.

3. agree, submit, yield

□ He had to bend under the pressure from the board of directors.

173 THE SELFISH GIANT

4. suppress; influence

П The President was accustomed to bending all his people to suit his will, bend one's mind (to) something direct one's efforts

□ He bent his mind to the job.

steal (v) stole, stolen 1. take (what belongs to another) without any right

П She used to steal money from her father's drawer. 2. move secretly and quietly

□ He stole out of the house without anyone seeing him. steal a kiss kiss someone quickly, without permission

stretch (v) L. extend, straighten to full length

D He stretched (himself) out in front of the fire. 2. make or become wider or longer, expand

D I can't wear that sweater because it's stretched out of shape.

fling (v) flung throw violently or with force

□ Don't fling your clothes on the floor, hang them up. fling oneself at someone throw oneself at someone

□ Tom flung himself at the bandit.

fling one's arms round a person¹ neck throw one's arms round smb.'s neck