Один из самых эффективных и приятных способов учить английский — это читать интересные сказки на английском языке. Чтобы ребенку было легко и весело, выбирайте адаптированные сказки, которые подходят для первых шагов в языке и понятны даже новичкам.
Адаптированные сказки — это упрощённые версии классических историй, созданные специально для детей, чтобы им было проще понимать и наслаждаться чтением уже с самого начала изучения английского.
Сегодня я поделюсь с вами адаптированной версией английской народной сказки "Мальчик-с-пальчик" (Tom Thumb), которая поможет легко и с удовольствием пополнить словарный запас и почувствовать уверенность в чтении.
Tom Thumb (adapted version)
Once upon a time, there was a poor farmer who sat by the fireplace in the evening. His wife sat nearby, spinning wool. The farmer said, “It's quiet here because we have no children. Other homes are full of noise and laughter.”
“Yes,” said his wife with a sigh. “Even if we had a tiny child, as small as my thumb, I would be happy. We would love it very much.”
One day, the wife had a baby. He was small, not bigger than a thumb, but he was strong and smart. “We will call him Tom Thumb,” said the father.
Even though Tom ate well, he did not grow taller. But he was clever and could do many things.
One day, the farmer was ready to go to the forest to cut wood. “I wish someone could bring the cart to me,” he said.
“Father, I can do it!” said Tom.
The farmer laughed. “You are too small to lead the horse.”
“That’s okay, father! If mother ties the horse, I can sit in the horse’s ear and tell him where to go.”
The mother tied the horse, and Tom sat in its ear. “Go, horse, go!” he said. The horse walked into the forest just as if Tom was a real driver.
As they went, two men saw the cart moving. “Who is driving this cart? I hear a voice, but I see no one!” said one.
“Let’s follow and see what happens,” said the other.
Tom brought the cart to the place where his father cut the wood. The two men saw Tom and were surprised. “We can make money if we show this little boy in the city! Let’s buy him.”
“Sell him to us,” they said to the farmer, but Tom’s father told them no, because he didn’t want to sell his dear son.
But Tom whispered in his father’s ear, “Sell me, father. I will find my way back home.”
So, the father took the money and gave Tom to the men.
“Where will you sit?” they asked.
“Put me on your hat! I can look around and not fall off,” said Tom.
They walked until the evening. Tom was tired and wanted to sleep, so the man took off his hat and placed Tom on the ground. Tom quickly ran and hid in a small hole. “Goodbye!” he shouted.
The men tried to catch him, but he ran away. Tom waited until it was dark. Then he walked carefully. “It’s dangerous to walk in the dark,” he said. “I could get hurt.”
Then he saw an empty snail shell. “This will be a safe place to sleep,” he said, and he climbed inside. Later, he heard two men talking. “How can we steal the rich man’s gold?” one asked.
“I can help!” said Tom.
“Who said that?” asked the thief.
“Look down,” said Tom.
The men saw him and picked him up. “How can you help?” they asked.
“I will go inside and pass you the gold,” said Tom.
When they arrived at the house, Tom went inside. But instead of helping, he shouted, “Do you want all the gold?”
“Be quiet!” the thieves whispered.
Tom shouted again, “What do you want? Do you want all the gold?”
The cook in the next room woke up. The thieves ran away in fear.
Tom hid in the hay and fell asleep. In the morning, a farm girl picked up the hay to feed the cow, and Tom, who slept there, fell into the cow’s stomach. It was very dark.
More hay came inside, and Tom felt squished. He shouted, “Stop feeding the cow!”
The girl heard the voice but saw no one. She ran to her boss. “The cow is talking!” she cried.
The boss checked the cow. “Stop feeding me!” Tom shouted again.
“This is bad luck!” said the boss. “We need to get rid of the cow!”
A hungry wolf ate the cow in one bite, and now Tom was in the wolf’s stomach.
“Maybe the wolf will listen to me,” Tom thought. “Dear wolf, I know a house full of food!” The wolf ran to Tom’s house and ate a lot of food, sausages, and cakes. But when he tried to leave, he was too fat to get out of the window.
Tom laughed and made loud noises inside the wolf’s stomach. “Be quiet!” said the wolf. “You will wake everyone!”
Tom’s father and mother woke up. When they saw the wolf, they got knives and wanted to hit the wolf. Suddenly, Tom shouted from the wolf’s stomach. Tom’s parents were very surprised that their son came home.
The father hit the wolf. Then they opened his stomach and pulled Tom out.
“Oh, Tom, where were you? We missed you so much!” the parents said.
“I had a big adventure!” said Tom. “I was in a mouse hole, inside a cow, and inside a wolf! But now I am home.”
The farmer and his wife were happy to see Tom Thumb again. “Thank God, our dear child came back to us,” they said. The parents promised never to sell him again and gave him new clothes.
The Giant with the Three Golden Hairs (adapted version)
A long time ago, in a small village, a poor man had a baby boy. People said the boy was born lucky. "He will marry the king’s daughter when he turns fourteen," the fortune tellers said. The king heard about this and was not happy. He didn’t want a poor boy to marry his daughter.
The king went to the boy’s parents. "Give me your son," he said. The parents said no, but the king offered them gold. They were very poor, so they said yes. "He is lucky," they thought. "Nothing bad will happen to him."
The king took the boy, put him in a box, and threw the box into a river. "Now he can’t marry my daughter," he said. But the box floated down the river. A kind fairy kept the boy safe.
Soon, the box stopped near a mill. The miller saw the box and opened it. Inside, he found the smiling baby. He and his wife had no children, so they took the baby home and raised him with love.
Fourteen years passed. The king came to the mill and saw the boy. He did not know the boy was the same child. "Can the boy take a letter to the queen?" he asked. "Yes," the miller said.
The king wrote a letter that said: "Kill the boy when he arrives." He gave it to the boy and sent him on his way.
The boy walked all day and got lost. At night, he found a house in the forest. An old woman lived there. "Where are you going?" she asked. "To the queen," the boy said. "I have a letter for her, but I lost my way." "This is a robbers’ house," she said. "It’s dangerous!" But the boy was tired and fell asleep.
When the robbers came, they read the letter. They were angry. "The king wants to kill this boy!" said the leader. So, he wrote a new letter: "Please marry this boy to the princess." Then they let the boy sleep and sent him to the queen in the morning.
The queen read the new letter. She liked the boy. The princess also liked him, so they got married.
When the king came back, he was shocked. "How did this happen?" he asked. The queen showed him the letter. "This is not my letter!" the king shouted.
The king said, "You can stay married only if you bring me three golden hairs from the giant who lives far away."
"I will go," said the boy. He kissed his wife and started the journey.
First, he came to a city. "Our fountain is dry," the people said. "Can you help?" "I will ask the giant," he said.
Next, he came to another city. "Our tree does not grow golden apples anymore," said the people. "I will ask the giant," he said.
Then he came to a river. A ferryman took him across. "Why must I always work here?" asked the man. "I will find out," the boy said.
Finally, the boy reached the giant’s cave. The giant was not home. An old woman sat outside. She was the giant’s grandmother.
"Why are you here?" she asked. "I need three golden hairs from the giant," said the boy. "And I want to ask three questions."
"You are brave," she said. "I will help you." She turned the boy into an ant and hid him in her cloak.
That night, the giant came home. He lay down and put his head on his grandmother’s lap. He fell asleep.
She pulled one golden hair. The giant woke up. "What are you doing?" he asked. "I had a dream," she said. "In the dream, a fountain was dry. Why?" "A toad sits under a stone in the fountain," said the giant. "Kill it, and the water will return."
He fell asleep again. She pulled the second hair. "Now what?" he said. "I dreamed of a tree that doesn’t give any golden apples," she said. "A mouse is eating its roots," said the giant. "Kill the mouse and the tree will grow again."
He slept again. She pulled the third hair. "Stop it!" he said. "I dreamed of a ferryman who cannot leave his boat," she said. "He must give the paddle to someone else," said the giant. "Then he will be free."
In the morning, the giant left. The old woman gave the boy the three hairs and told him the answers.
The boy returned. He told the ferryman, "Give the paddle to the next person." The ferryman was happy. In the second city, he said, "Kill the mouse near the tree." They gave him gold.
In the first city, he said, "Lift the stone and kill the toad." They also gave him gold. At last, he came back to the king. The king took the three golden hairs. "Where did you get all this gold?" he asked.
"Near a big lake," said the boy. "There is gold everywhere."
The greedy king wanted gold too. "Show me the place!" he said.
"Go to the lake," the boy said. "A man with a boat will take you."
The king went to the lake. The ferryman took him across and gave him the paddle. The king is still there, going back and forth across the water.
And the lucky boy lived happily with the princess ever after. He slept again. She pulled the third hair. “Stop it!” he said. “I dreamed of a ferryman who cannot leave his boat,” she said. “He must give the paddle to someone else,” said the giant. “Then he will be free.”
In the morning, the giant left. The old woman gave the boy the three hairs and told him the answers.
The boy returned. He told the ferryman, “Give the paddle to the next person.” The ferryman was happy. In the second city, he said, “Kill the mouse near the tree.” They gave him gold.
In the first city, he said, “Lift the stone and kill the toad.” They also gave him gold. At last, he came back to the king. The king took the three golden hairs. “Where did you get all this gold?” he asked.
“Near a big lake,” the boy said. “There is gold everywhere.”
The greedy king wanted gold too. “Show me the place!” he said.
“Go to the lake,” the boy said. “A man with a boat will take you.”
The king went to the lake. The ferryman took him across and gave him the paddle. The king is still there, going back and forth across the water.
And the lucky boy lived happily with the princess ever after.