The Story of Merrymind' (After Frances Browne) Once upon a time there lived a certain man and his wife, who had two cornfields, three cows, two oxen, five sheep and thirteen children. Twelve of the children were called by names common in the country, but the thirteenth child got a strange name of Merrymind. The thirteen children grew taller and stronger every year, and they did hard work earning their living. But when the youngest was old enough to look after his father's sheep, there happened the great fair, to which everybody in the neighbourhood went. As the fair happened only once in seven years, the man and his family couldn't miss it."The boys and girls had never before owned so much pocket money and, thinking of what they should buy, they dressed themselves in their holiday clothes and set out with their father and mother to the fair. Before evening the twelve of the children had spent their money on clothes and all sorts of beautiful things, but Merrymind hadn't bought anything. The reason was that he had set his heart upon a fiddle.' Unfortunately fiddles cost a lot more than a silver penny. The sun was getting low and red upon the hill, and Merrymind was still looking about. Suddenly he saw a little grey- haired man with just one old dirty fiddle the strings of which were broken. The father opened the bag in which he kept his money and gave everyone of the thirteen a silver penny. bow "Buy the fiddle, my young master," he said as Merrymind came up to him. "You'll have it cheap: I ask but a silver penny for it. Mend the strings and you'll have the best fiddle in the country." strings Merrymind thought this a great bargain. He was a handy boy and could mend the strings while watching his father's sheep. Everybody laughed at Merrymind's bargain except his mother, who was a very kindly woman. The boy began repairing the strings - he spent all his time, both night and day, upon them, but no string would hold on his fiddle. At last Merrymind decided to leave home where everyone except his mother laughed at him and go to seek his fortune. So he set out on a summer morning with the bro- ken-stringed fiddle under his arm. a fiddle (informal Merrymind walked through the woods and found him- self in the mountains. He was so tired of his journey that mill he fell asleep in a deserted cottage in the valley. He woke up in the middle of the night and saw that the valley was full of inhabitants, and they were all busy in houses, in fields and in mills. They were wearing fine clothes and looked rich but very unhappy. Even the birds of that valley did not sing -- they were too busy building their nests. The cats did not lie by the fire -- they were all on the watch for mice. The dogs went out after hares and the cows and sheep grazed' without stopping.money Ives in to the money hadn't pon a In the middle of the valley there stood a beautiful castle, The sates stood open, and Merrymind walked in, The courtyard' was full of people who were so busy working that they didn't even look up at the boy, In the highest tower of that busy castle, at a window from which she could see the whole valley, there sat a noble lady, Her dress was rich, her hair was iron-grey; her look was sour and gloomy. She and her twelve maidens were spinning as hard as they could, but all the yarn they made was black. No one in or out of the castle would greet Merrymind or answer his questions. They said, "We have no time to talk!" The only person who talked to him was a soldier. He told the boy the story of the valley. pipe "This valley belongs to the lady of the castle, whose name is Dame Dreary. She had another name in her youth - they called her Lady Littlecare; and then the valley was the happiest and the most beautiful place in the whole country, There were May games, harvest festivals and Christmas parties among them. shepherd Shepherds piped on the hillsides, people sang in the fields, and laughter was heard in every house in the evening. All that was changed, nobody knows how. Some say it was because of a magic ring which fell from the lady's finger, and she became Dame Dreary. Hard work and hard times spread over the valley. They say it will be so till Dame Dreary lays down her distaff and dances." The next night Merrymind came to the castle again distaff and took his broken fiddle with him. In one of the rooms he found some golden threads to mend his fiddle. As soon as he put them on the old fiddle, it began to shine. This sight made Merrymind so joyful, that he tried to play, although he had never played before. When his bow touched the strings, they began playing a pleasant tune. Merrymind went out and walked along the valley with his fiddle. The music filled the air; the busy people heard it and stopped working. When he came to the castle, Dame Dreary's distaff stood still in her hand. yarnMerrymind played through the halls and up the tower stairs, As he came nearer, the lady dropped her distaff and danced with all her might.' All her maidens did the same; and as they danced, she grew young' again. They brought her the dress of white and cherry colour she used to wear in her youth, and she was no longer Dame Dreary, but Lady Littlecare, with golden hair and laughing eyes and cheeks like summer roses. The heavy mist disappeared; the sun shone out; a blue sky was seen; a white bird came from the east with a gold ring, and put it on the lady's finger. Everybody praised Merrymind and his fiddle; and when news of his wonderful playing came to the king's ears, he made Merrymind his first fiddler, which under that wise monarch was the highest post in his kingdom. Explain why: по-английски с переводом 1) the family didn't want to miss the fair; 2) Merrymind found it difficult to buy something for himself; 3) Merrymind's brothers and sisters laughed at his bargain; 4) the inhabitants of the valley seemed strange to the boy; 5) Merrymind wanted to talk to someone; 6) Lady Littlecare became Dame Dreary; 7) Dame Dreary dropped her distaff; 8) everybody praised Merrymind and his fiddle.

1) The family didn't want to miss the fair because it was a rare event that occurred only once every seven years. It was a significant occasion in the neighborhood where everyone had the opportunity to come together and participate in trade, entertainment, and social interactions. Missing the fair would mean losing out on a chance to engage with the community, experience new things, and potentially acquire goods and entertainment not readily available in their daily lives. Перевод: Семья не хотела упустить ярмарку, потому что это было редкое событие, которое происходило всего раз в семь лет. Это было значительное событие в районе, где все имели возможность объединиться, участвовать в торговле, развлечениях и общении. Пропустить ярмарку означало бы упустить шанс общения с сообществом, испытать новые вещи и, возможно, приобрести товары и развлечения, недоступные в повседневной жизни. 2) Merrymind found it difficult to buy something for himself because he had his heart set on buying a fiddle, which was more expensive than what his family's one-silver-penny allowance could afford. Despite having the same amount of money as his siblings, Merrymind chose to prioritize his musical interest over material goods, making it challenging for him to find a suitable item to purchase at the fair within his budget. Перевод: Мерримайну было сложно сделать себе покупку, потому что он стремился приобрести скрипку, которая стоила гораздо дороже, чем может позволить себе его семья с одним серебряным пенни. Несмотря на то, что у него была такая же сумма денег, как у его братьев и сестер, Мерримайн решил отдать предпочтение музыкальному увлечению, а не материальным благам, что сделало сложным для него найти подходящий предмет для покупки на ярмарке в рамках его бюджета. 3) Merrymind's brothers and sisters laughed at his bargain because they did not understand the value or potential of the broken fiddle he purchased for a single silver penny. They likely saw it as a poor choice compared to the new clothes and beautiful items they acquired with their money. Since the fiddle was in disrepair and seemed worthless to them, they found Merrymind's decision amusing and illogical. Перевод: Братья и сестры Мерримайна посмеялись над его сделкой, потому что они не поняли ценности и потенциала сломанной скрипки, которую он приобрел за один серебряный пенни. Они, вероятно, считали этот выбор плохим по сравнению с новой одеждой и красивыми вещами, которые они купили за свои деньги. Поскольку скрипка была в аварийном состоянии и казалась им безценной, они нашли решение Мерримайна смешным и нелогичным. 4) The inhabitants of the valley seemed strange to Merrymind because they were engrossed in constant work and appeared unhappy despite their material wealth. The valley was devoid of joy, music, and natural beauty, with everyone focused on labor and productivity. This environment was a stark contrast to what Merrymind was accustomed to, where work was balanced with leisure, social interaction, and enjoyment of life's simple pleasures. Перевод: Жители долины показались Мерримайну странными, потому что они были поглощены постоянной работой и казались несчастными, несмотря на их материальное богатство. Долина была лишена радости, музыки и естественной красоты, где все были сосредоточены на труде и продуктивности. Эта обстановка была ярким контрастом к тому, к чему был привык Мерримайн, где работа сбалансирована с отдыхом, общением и наслаждением простыми удовольствиями жизни. 5) Merrymind wanted to talk to someone because he sought connection, understanding, and a sense of community in the strange and unwelcoming valley. Feeling isolated and curious about the situation around him, Merrymind attempted to engage with the inhabitants to learn more about their lives, the mystery of Dame Dreary, and the drastic changes that had befallen the once happy and vibrant valley. Перевод: Мерримайн хотел поговорить с кем-то, потому что он искал общения, понимания и чувства принадлежности в странной и недружелюбной долине. Чувствуя себя изолированным и любопытным о происходящем вокруг, Мерримайн пытался взаимодействовать с жителями, чтобы узнать больше о их жизни, тайне Дамы Вязкой и радикальных изменениях, которые постигли когда-то счастливую и живописную долину. 6) Lady Littlecare became Dame Dreary due to a mysterious curse or spell associated with a lost magic ring. As the legend goes, Lady Littlecare's transformation into Dame Dreary coincided with the disappearance of the magic ring from her possession. This event led to a drastic change in the valley from a place of happiness, celebration, and beauty to one filled with hard work, unhappiness, and gloom. Until Lady Littlecare could break the curse by relinquishing her distaff and dancing, she remained trapped as Dame Dreary. Перевод: Леди Малорадостная стала Дамой Нудной из-за таинственного проклятия или заклинания, связанного с потерей магического кольца. Согласно легенде, преображение Леди Малорадостной в Даму Нудную совпало с исчезновением магического кольца из ее владения. Это событие привело к резким изменениям в долине, превратившейся из места счастья, празднований и красоты в место, полное тяжелой работы, несчастья и мрачности. Пока Леди Малорадостная не сломает проклятие, отказавшись от дистафа и начав танцевать, она ostala ловушке как Дама Нудная. 7) Dame Dreary dropped her distaff as a symbolic act to break free from the curse or spell that had turned her from Lady Littlecare into a gloomy and sour presence ruling over the valley. Dropping the distaff signified her willingness to let go of the tools of labor and embrace joy, freedom, and light-heartedness again. This action created a pivotal moment of transformation that allowed Dame Dreary to shed her negativity, reclaim her former self as Lady Littlecare, and restore happiness to the valley. Перевод: Дама Нудная сбросила свой дистаф как символический жест, чтобы освободиться от проклятия или заклинания, превратившего ее из Леди Малорадостной в мрачного и недружелюбного присутствие, царящее в долине. Бросить дистаф означало готовность отказаться от инструментов труда и снова обрести радость, свободу и беспечность. Этот жест создал переломный момент трансформации, который позволил Даме Нудной избавиться от своей отрицательности, вернуться к своему прежнему Я как Леди Малорадостной и восстановить счастье в долине. 8) Everybody praised Merrymind and his fiddle because his music had the power to bring joy, transformation, and unity to the valley that had long been plagued by gloom and hard work under Dame Dreary's rule. Merrymind's talent and the enchanted golden threads he used to mend his fiddle allowed him to play a tune that broke the curse and brought back happiness to the land. The miraculous effect of his music, along with his bravery and kind heart, earned him admiration, gratitude, and a prestigious position as the king's first fiddler. Перевод: Все хвалили Мерримайна и его скрипку, потому что его музыка имела силу приносить радость, трансформацию и единство в долину, которая долгое время страдала от мрачности и труда под властью Дамы Нудной. Талант Мерримайна и волшебные золотые нити, которые он использовал для починки своей скрипки, позволили ему исполнить мелодию, которая разрушила проклятие и вернула счастье в землю. Чудодейное воздействие его музыки, вместе с его храбростью и добрым сердцем, принесли ему восхищение, благодарность и престижную должность первого скрипача короля.