1. EAST WIND

This is a book about a family who lives at Number Seventeen in Cherry-Tree Lane¹. The family consists of Mr. Banks, Mrs. Banks and their four children: Jane, who is the eldest, Michael², who is the second, and the Twins John and Barbara³, who are the youngest. They have Mrs. Brill, who cooks for them, and Ellen, who lays the table⁴ for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper.

They also had a nurse, who took care of the children, but she has just left the house.

“What shall I do without a nurse?” said Mrs. Banks.

“Write into the newspaper,” said Mr. Banks, “and say that you want a very good nurse for Jane and Michael and John and Barbara Banks. And then wait, and the nurses will come. Oh, I must go to the City. How cold it is today! The East Wind is blowing. I must put on two overcoats.” And Mr. Banks kissed his wife on the side of her nose, waved his hand⁵ to the children, and went to the City.

Mr. Banks went to the City every day except Sundays. In the City he sat on a large chair in front of a large desk and made money.

Mrs. Banks went into the drawing-room and wrote letters to the newspapers. In the letters she asked to send her a nurse at once⁶ because she was waiting. Upstairs, in the Nursery, Jane and Michael stood at the window and looked into the street. They were waiting for the nurse.

In the evening Jane and Michael stood at the window again. They were waiting for Mr. Banks to come from the City. The strong East Wind was blowing, and the trees were bending. It was already dark.

“There he is!⁷” said Michael.

“That is not Daddy,” said Jane. “It is somebody else.”

And really it was not Mr. Banks. It was a woman. She was holding her hat with one hand and was carrying a bag in the other. And then something curious happened. When the woman opened the gate of the garden, the East Wind caught her and carried her quickly to the door of the house.

“How funny!” said Michael.

“Let’s go and see who it is!” said Jane. The children went out of the Nursery to the landing. They looked down into the hall.

The door of the drawing-room opened, and their Mother came out with the visitor. The woman had very black hair, large feet and hands and small blue eyes.

“They are very good children,” said Mrs. Banks. The woman did not answer. She only sniffed.⁸

“The Nursery is upstairs,” said Mrs. Banks. She went upstairs, and the woman followed her. And at that time Jane and Michael saw another curious thing. The woman did not go upstairs. She slid up the banisters!⁹ Jane and Michael could slide down the banisters and often did it, but slide upstairs – no! They could not do that! They were looking at their new nurse with great surprise.

“Children,” said Mrs. Banks, “this is your new nurse, Mary Poppins. Jane, Michael, say how do you do!” Mrs. Banks turned to Mary Poppins. “And these are the Twins,” she said to her and pointed to the babies in their cots.

Mary Poppins looked at the babies, then looked at Jane and Michael. Then she sniffed loudly.

“All right,” she said, “I’ll stay with you.”

Mrs. Banks left the Nursery. Mary Poppins was standing in the middle of the room. Jane and Michael went up to her.

“How did you come?” asked Jane. “Did the Wind blow you here?¹⁰”

“Yes, it did,” said Mary Poppins and took off her hat. Then she opened her bag. And again Jane and Michael were very surprised, because the bag was empty!

“Why¹¹,” said Jane, “there is nothing in the bag!”

Mary Poppins looked at her. “Did you say ‘nothing’?”

And then she took out of the empty bag an apron and tied it round her waist¹². Then she took out a piece of soap, a toothbrush, a bottle of scent, and a small folding armchair¹³.

“But I saw,” whispered Michael. “It was empty.”

Mary Poppins turned to the children.

“Now,” she said, “quick! Into bed!”

In a minute she undressed them and put them into bed.

Jane and Michael were sitting in their beds and watching how Mary Poppins was unpacking her bag.

She took out of the bag ten night-shirts, a pair of boots, a box of dominoes, two caps. Then she took out a folding bed with pillows and blankets and put it on the floor between John’s and Barbara’s cots.

“Mary Poppins,” said Michael, “will you never leave us?” Mary Poppins looked at him.

“One more word from you,” she said, “and I’ll call the Policeman.”

“I only want to ask,” said Michael, “we hope you won’t go away soon?”

Mary Poppins sniffed.

“I’ll stay till the Wind changes¹⁴,” she said. Then she turned off the light¹⁵ and got into bed.

And that is how Mary Poppins came to live at Number Seventeen, Cherry-Tree Lane.

EXERCISES

1. Practice the pronunciation of the following words.

2. Agree or disagree.

1. The family consists of Mr. Banks, Mrs. Banks and their three children.

2. Mr. Banks went to the City every day except Sundays.

3. Mrs. Banks went into the drawing-room and read a book.

4. Upstairs in the Nursery, Jane and Michael stood at the window and looked into the street.

5. When the woman opened the gate of the garden, she quickly walked to the door of the house.

6. The children went out of the Nursery to the corridor.

7. The woman had blond hair, small feet and hands, and large blue eyes.

8. Mrs. Banks went upstairs, and the woman followed her.

9. Jane and Michael could slide up the banisters and often did it.

10. She took out of the empty bag an apron and tied it round her waist.

3. Put the following sentences in the right order.

1. Mary Poppins took many things out of the empty bag.

2. Then she turned off the light and got into bed.

3. Mr. and Mrs. Banks and their four children lived at Number Seventeen in Cherry-Tree Lane.

4. In the evening a strong East Wind was blowing, and the trees were bending.

5. “Children,” said Mrs. Banks, “this is your new Nurse, Mary Poppins.”

6. One day their nurse left the house.

7. “I’ll stay till the Wind changes,” said Mary Poppins.

8. A woman came up to the gate of their house.

9. Mr. Banks went to the City every day except Sundays.

10. “Mary Poppins,” said Michael, “will you never leave us?”

11. When the woman opened the gate, the East Wind caught her and carried her quickly to the door of the house.

12. Mrs. Banks wrote letters to the newspapers, asking to send a nurse for the children.

13. The children went out of the Nursery to the landing and looked down into the hall.

14. The children remained at home with Mrs. Banks and the nurse.

15. Mrs. Banks went upstairs, and the woman followed her.

4. Fill in the blanks with the following words:

consists, lays, care, blowing, money, drawing-room, waiting, bending, curious, surprise, unpacking

1. And then something ________ happened.

2. Jane and Michael were sitting in their beds and watching how Mary Poppins was ________ her bag.

3. They also had a nurse, who took ________ of the children, but she has just left the house.

4. In the City he sat on a large chair in front of a large desk, and made ________ .

5. The family ________ of Mr. Banks, Mrs. Banks, and their four children.

6. They were ________ for Mr. Banks to come from the City.

7. They were looking at their new nurse with great ________ .

8. They have Mrs. Brill, who cooks for them, and Ellen, who ________ the table for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper.

9. Mrs. Banks went into the ________ and wrote letters to the newspapers.

10. The strong East Wind was blowing, and the trees were ________ .

11. How cold it is today! The East Wind is ____.

5. Fill in the blanks with prepositions or adverbs where necessary.

1. This is a book ___ a family who lives ___ Number Seventeen in Cherry-Tree Lane.

2. The family consists ___ Mr. Banks, Mrs. Banks, and their four children.

3. They have Mrs. Brill, who cooks ___ them, and Ellen, who lays the table ___ breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper.

4. They also had a nurse, who took care ___ the children.

5. “What shall I do ___ a nurse?” said Mrs. Banks.

6. I must put ___ two overcoats.

7. Mr. Banks kissed his wife ___ the side ___ her nose, waved his hand ___ the children, and went ___ the City.

8. ___ the City Mr. Banks sat ___ a large chair ___ front ___ a large desk, and made money.

9. Upstairs, ___ the Nursery, Jane and Michael stood ___ the window and looked ___ the street. They were waiting ___ the nurse.

10. She was holding her hat ___ one hand and was carrying a bag ___ the other.

11. They were looking ___ their new nurse ___ great surprise.

12. And then she took ___ ___ the empty bag an apron and tied it ___ her waist.

13. Then she turned ___ the light and got ___ bed.

6. Find in the text the sentences in which the following word-combinations are used. Use them in sentences of your own.

At once; with great surprise; lays the table; turned off the light; took care of; consists of; were waiting for.

7. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following word, word-combinations and sentences. Use them in sentences of your own.

Самый старший; близнецы; накрывает стол к завтраку; что мне делать? как холодно сегодня! я должен надеть пальто; каждый день кроме воскресенья; наверху; детская; они ждали няню; кто-то другой; калитка; пойдем посмотрим! лестничная площадка; гостиная; прихожая; женщина последовала за ней; перила; с большим удивлением; я останусь у вас; сняла шляпу; кусок мыла; зубная щетка; ночная рубашка; пара сапог; подушки и одеяла.

8. Who said the following words? Under what circumstances?

1. One more word from you, and I’ll call the Policeman.

2. What shall I do without a nurse?

3. Let’s go and see who it is.

4. I’ll stay till the Wind changes.

5. They are very good children.

6. Why, there is nothing in the bag!

7. Write into the newspapers and say that you want a very good nurse.

8. That is not Daddy. It is somebody else.

9. How did you come? Did the Wind blow you here?

10. How cold it is today! I must put on two overcoats.

9. Act out the following conversations.

1. Mrs. Banks and Mr. Banks, about a nurse.

2. Michael and Jane, at the window, when they saw Mary Poppins.

3. Mrs. Banks and Mary Poppins.

4. Mary Poppins and the children.

10. Answer the following questions.

1. How many people did the family consist of? Who were these people?

2. What did Mrs. Brill and Ellen do for the family?

3. What did Mr. Banks advise his wife to do in order to find a nurse?

4. Where did Mr. Banks work? Did he go to the City every day?

5. What was the weather like that morning? How do we know that it was very cold?

6. When Mr. Banks went to the City, the children went upstairs to the Nursery, didn’t they? What did they do in the Nursery?

7. Why did Michael and Jane stand at the window in the evening? Whom were they waiting for?

8. Who came up to the gate of the garden when the chil-dren were looking out of the window? Why was the woman hoding her hat with one hand?

9. What curious thing happened when the woman opened the gate of the garden?

10. Why did the children go out of the Nursery to the land-ing?

11. Whom did the children see when the door of the draw-ing-room opened? Describe the visitor.

12. What did Mrs. Banks say to the woman about the chil-dren? Did the woman answer? What did she do?

13. What greatly surprised the children when the woman followed Mrs. Banks upstairs?

14. What did Jane ask Mary Poppins when Mrs. Banks left the Nursery?

15. What surprised Jane and Michael when Mary Poppins opened her bag?

16. What did Mary Poppins take out of her bag?