15. Dutch Courage

The man had already paid a visit to several bars. He was so drunk, he could hardly stand. His hands shook, and he spilled several drops of whiskey on the floor. Suddenly, a mouse appeared at the table, and drank up the spilled whiskey.

Dutch courage храбрость во хмелю (букв.: храбрость голландца); already уже; pay a visit нанести визит, посетить; several несколько; bar бар; He was so drunk, he could hardly stand. Он был настолько пьян, что едва держался на ногах; shake (shook, shaken) дрожать; spill пролить; drop капля; appear появиться

This went on several times. At last, the drunkard decided that it was time to go home. He took his small booze companion with him. On the way, he turned over a few trash cans.

this went on several times это повторилось несколько раз; at last наконец; drunkard пьяница; it was time пора было; booze companion собутыльник; turn over опрокинуть; a few несколько; trash can мусорный бак

The noise woke up the neighbourhood. A man leaned out of a window, and cried out:

“Hey, you! Do you have to make so much noise?”

“Stop shouting! Come out, if you are a man! We shall talk here,” answered the drunkard.

“Right,” said the mouse. “And don’t forget to bring your ______.”

Your what? Finish the sentence.

noise шум; wake up (woke up, woken up) разбудить; neighbourhood квартал; lean out of a window высунуться из окна; Do you have to make so much noise? Неужели непременно нужно так сильно шуметь?; Stop shouting! Перестань кричать; right правильно; forget забывать; sentence предложение

16. Good Advice

The customer studied the menu, and said to the waiter:

“I think, I will have the chicken – and the younger, the better.”

advice совет; customer посетитель (ресторана); waiter официант; the younger, the better чем моложе, тем лучше

What did the waiter bring him?

17. A Bet

Someone had stolen some bananas from the zoo. The gorilla hung out a warning: “Who stole my bananas? If I catch the thief, I will tear off his paws, and twist his ears! Gorilla.”

bet пари; steal (stole, stolen) украсть; hang out (hung out, hung out) вывесить; warning предупреждение; catch поймать; thief вор; tear off оторвать; paw лапа; twist his ears надеру (букв.: выкручу) ему уши

The next day, the Gorilla read under his own announcement: “You won’t. Wanna bet?”

These words were followed by a signature.

Who had dared to challenge the Gorilla? This rebus may give you a clue.

announcement объявление; You won’t. Wanna bet? Не надерёшь. Спорим?; follow следовать ◊ These words were followed by a signature. За этими словами следовала подпись; dare посметь, осмелиться; challenge бросить вызов

18. A Thriller

One day, Johnny’s mother said to her little son:

“This is not the way to read a book, Johnny. You skip several pages at a time.”

“I’m doing it on purpose,” Johnny answered, and explained why he was doing that.

Well, why? What was the book about?

thriller триллер, остросюжетная книга; way здесь: способ ◊ This is not the way to read a book. Книгу так не читают; skip пропускать; перескакивать; page страница ◊ you skip several pages at a time ты перескакиваешь через несколько за раз; on purpose намеренно, специально; explain объяснять; What was the book about? О чём была книга?

Solve this rebus to get a clue.

19. In the Rain

Samuel was out for a walk when it started raining. He did not have an umbrella, and he wasn't wearing a hat. His clothes were soaked, yet not a single hair on his head got wet.

in the rain под дождём; was out for a walk прогуливался; he wasn’t wearing a hat он был без шляпы; clothes одежда; soaked насквозь промокший; yet несмотря на это; single один; get wet намокнуть, промокнуть.

How could this happen? Solve this rebus to get a clue.

If you don’t know, this rebus may help you find the right answer.

20. The Clever Boy

Two mothers are talking.

One of them said, “My son is very smart. He is only two years old, but he can already read his name from right to left, and from left to right.”

“And what is his name?” the other woman asked.

What was the boy’s name? If you don’t know, this rebus may help you find it out.

21. Who is on the Phone?

One day, the emergency service received a phone call.

“Please, send someone immediately! A cat has burst into my room!”

“Er… What do you mean? What cat?”

“A cat! Don’t you understand? C-A-T. Cat! He burst into my room, and is heading for me!”

emergency чрезвычайное происшествие ◊ emergency service received a phone call в службу спасения поступил звонок; immediately немедленно; burst (burst, burst) into врываться в; What do you mean? Что вы имеете в виду?; What cat? Какой кот?; Don’t you understand? Неужели вы не понимаете?; Ну как вы не понимаете?!; head for sb/sth направляться к кому-либо или чему-либо

“Wait a minute. Do you want to say that a burglar broke into your house, and is going to steal your cat?’

“No! I am speaking about a cat. A real cat! The one that says “meow”. My life is in serious danger!”

“How can a cat pose a threat to your life? Who is speaking, anyway?”

Who, indeed?

burglar вор; break (broke, broken) into проникнуть в; steal красть; danger опасность; threat угроза ◊ pose a threat представлять собой угрозу; Who is speaking, anyway? А кто это вообще говорит?; indeed в самом деле

22. A Difficult Question

“If there were four flies on the table and I killed one, how many would be left?” asked the teacher.

Several children raised their hands, but only Mary gave the right answer.

fly муха; how many would be left сколько останется; raise поднимать

What was that answer?

23. The Sweets

Suppose, you had ten sweets and you hid two of them. How many sweets have you got now?

suppose предположим; sweet конфета; hide (hid, hidden) прятать

Solve this rebus to see the right answer.

24. The Bird Catcher

A bird catcher went to the forest to catch birds. By the end of the day, he caught only one bird.

“Let me go,” the bird begged him. “My husband and my hungry children are waiting for me.”

“So what? I am hungry, too. I will take you home with me, cook you, and have my supper.”

bird catcher птицелов; catch (caught, caught) ловить, поймать; Let me go. Отпусти меня; beg умолять; husband муж, супруг; wait ждать; So what? И что с того?

He put the bird in the cage, and headed home. On the way, he was caught in a storm. Lightning forked the sky, one thunderclap followed another. The bird catcher realized that would never get out of the forest alive. He lay down on the ground and waited for the Death to come for him.

cage клетка; headed home зашагал по направлению к дому; on the way по дороге; was caught in a storm попал под сильный дождь; lightning молния; fork здесь: прорезать; thunderclap удар грома; realize понять; alive живой; lie down (lay down, lain down) лечь, опуститься; ground земля; death смерть; come for sb прийти за кем-либо

Suddenly he heard the bird’s voice.

“Get up, hunter, and hide under that big tree.”

At that very moment, another lightning lit up the forest, and the bird catcher saw a big tree. He jumped up, and hid under its branches. Right above his head, there was a hole in the tree. In that hole, there lived the bird’s family.

“A bird catcher caught me,” said the bird to her husband. “He is hiding under the branches of our tree. He is cold and hungry. We must have pity on him.”

light up (lit up, lit up) осветить; branch ветка; right above his head прямо над его головой; hole дупло; have pity жалеть, пожалеть

Upon hearing her words, the second bird turned to the bird catcher.

“You are my guest,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

“I am cold,” the bird catcher answered.

The bird left his nest, and soon came back with a piece of charcoal. He made a fire, and put some dry brushwood into it. The bird catcher got warm.

“I am hungry,” he said. “Give me something to eat.”

The bird answered:

“We, forest creatures, eat what we can get. But you will not die of hunger. I will now enter the fire, and you can eat me. I only have one thing to ask of you: Let my wife go. If you don’t, our children will die of hunger.”

upon hearing her words услышав её слова; turn to повернуться к; leave (left, left) покидать; nest гнездо; charcoal древесный уголь; dry сухой; brushwood хворост; forest creatures лесные твари; die of hunger умереть с голоду; enter the fire войти в огонь; Let my wife go. Отпусти мою жену.

The man felt something like conscience stir up inside his chest.

“No,” he said. “I will not accept this sacrifice. I will not eat you.”

He opened the cage, and let the bird out.

“Live long, and be happy,” he said.

The moment he spoke these words, the thunderstorm stopped, as if by magic, and the man could finally go safely home.

feel (felt, felt) чувствовать; something like нечто похожее на; conscience совесть; stir up шевелиться; chest грудь, грудная клетка; accept принять; sacrifice жертва; let out выпустить; thunderstorm гроза; as if by magic словно по волшебству; finally наконец; safely безопасно; sweetheart возлюбленный, возлюбленная

What is the name of the bird that was ready to sacrifice itself for its sweetheart? Solve this rebus to find out.

25. Sick Leave

A member of a military band came to the surgeon.

“I have a terrible throat ache,” he complained.

“Let me see your throat,” said the doctor. “Oh, that’s not so bad. You’ll be all right in a day or two. I think you’d better rest a little for a week or so.” And with these words the surgeon gave the man sick leave.

sick leave отпуск по болезни; member участник ◊ member of a military band музыкант военного оркестра; surgeon хирург, врач; terrible ужасный; throat горло; ache боль; complain жаловаться; you’d better rest a little вам лучше немного отдохнуть

A week later, the surgeon met the bandsman in the street.

“How’s your throat?” he asked.

“Oh, I feel much better now,” was the reply.

“I’m glad to hear that,” said the surgeon. “You can go back to your duty now. By the way, what instrument do you play in the band?”

The bandsman told him.

meet (met, met) встречать; bandsman оркестрант; You can go back to your duty now. Вы теперь можете вернуться к своим обязанностям; by the way кстати, к слову, между прочим

What instrument did he play in the band?

26. The Traveller and the Witch

One cold winter day, a man was walking through a thick forest.  Soon, night fell, and it became very dark. Suddenly, the traveller saw a hut. He knocked, and an old woman answered the door.

“Let me spend the night at your house, Granny,” said the man. “I’m chilled to the bone. I will pay you as much as you say.”

traveller здесь: путник; witch ведьма; thick forest дремучий лес; hut хижина; knock стучать; answer the door открыть деверь (в ответ на стук); let me spend the night позволь мне провести ночь; I’m chilled to the bone. Я продрог до костей.

“Come in,” said the old woman. “As for your money, you can keep it. Humans may need money, but I don’t.”

“You wouldn’t be a witch, would you?” asked the traveller, studying her ugly face.

“The very same. They call me the Bony Leg. But you need not to be afraid of me. I won’t do you any harm.”

As for your money, you can keep it. Что до ваших денег, то можете оставить их себе; humans люди (в отличие от других существ); may need money, but I don’t могут нуждаться в деньгах, но я в них не нуждаюсь; You wouldn’t be a witch, would you? А ты, случаем, не ведьма?; ugly уродливый; The very same. Она самая; bony костлявый; костяной; do harm причинять вред

“You can warm your chilly bones by the fire, and even stay for the night, but I have one condition,” continued the witch.

“Name it.”

“You must solve one of my riddles.”

“Deal! Ask your riddle.”

“How can a man go eight days without sleep?”

“Oh, that’s very simple. I think I could do that,” said the man, and went on to explain.

condition условие; Name it. Назови его; Deal! Договорились!; explain объяснять

What did he say? How can a man go eight days without sleep? Solve this rebus to find out.