Magic Casket. «Волшебная шкатулка». Пьесы для детей на английском языке - стр. 7
COCK. What are we having for breakfast?
RED HEN. Tea and toast, jam and butter if you don’t mind.
MOUSE. A lot of toast and a lot of butter, please. I’m hungry.
RED HEN. Who’ll get some sticks to light the fire with?
COCK. I shan’t.
MOUSE. I shan’t.
RED HEN. Then I’ll do it myself.
And off she ran to fill the kettle.
RED HEN. And who’ll get the breakfast ready?
COCK. I shan’t.
MOUSE. I shan’t.
RED HEN. Then I’ll do it myself.
And she began to lay the table and cook toast.
RED HEN. Who’ll clear away the breakfast?
COCK. I shan’t.
MOUSE. I shan’t.
RED HEN. Then I’ll do it myself.
And she cleared everything away, swept up the crumbs and brushed up the floor.
MOUSE. And now don’t make noise. We are tired and wish to have a rest.
RED HEN. Let it be. And I have a lot of work to do.
She comes out and the lazy Cock and Mouse each sat down in a comfortable chair, and soon fell fast asleep.
SCENE II.
SETTING. In the forest, near the fox’s cave.
FOX. Oh, I’m so hungry. I had nothing to eat yesterday. And scarcely anything the day before. And only half a grain the day before. Where will I get my breakfast. Oh! On the hill over there I see a house. And in that house there live a cock, a hen and a mouse. I’ll take my great suck and into that sack I’ll put the cock, the hen and the mouse.
He jumped for joy and went up the hill to the little house.
FOX. Rat tat tat, rat tat tat!
COCK. Who can that be?
FOX. Rat tat tat, rat tat tat!
MOUSE. Go and look for yourself if you want to know.
FOX. Rat tat tat, rat tat tat!
COCK. It’s the postman, perhaps. He may have a letter for me.
FOX. Rat tat tat, rat tat tat!
So, without waiting to see who it was, he lifted the latch and opened the door. In jumped the big fox with a cruel smile upon his face.
MOUSE. Oh! Oh! Help me! Save me!
COCK. Doodle doodle do! Thief! Killer!
But the fox only laughed, and he took the cock and popped him into the sack, and seized the mouse and popped her in too.
SCENE III
SETTING. In the forest, near the stream.
FOX. The sun is very hot, and I feel this sack is heavy. I will lie down under a tree and go to sleep for a little while.
And he lay down under a tree and soon fell fast asleep.
RED HEN. I’ve done a lot of work and can rest. Where shall I go? To the stream to have a swim.
And she saw a fox lying under the tree and a big sack over here.
VOICE OF COCK. I wish I hadn’t been so cross.
VOICE OF MOUSE. I wish I hadn’t been so lazy.
RED HEN. Don’t be too sad. I have my little workbag, and in it there is a pair of scissors. Very soon you will see what I am going to do.