42
M. M. Prishvin. «Ребята и утята»
Textbook: pp. 180–182
GoalM. M. Prishvin's story «Ребята и утята»: love of nature and responsibility.
New words
утёнок · o‘rdakchaутка-мать · ona o‘rdakотпустить · qo‘yib yubormoqозеро · ko‘l
Explanation
Mikhail Mikhailovich Prishvin (1873–1954) was a Russian writer, famous for his stories about nature. In «Ребята и утята» a small wild duck leads her ducklings from the forest to a lake. On the way some boys catch the ducklings with their caps, and the mother duck is terribly upset. The author speaks to the boys sternly and tells them to return the ducklings to their mother. The boys put their mistake right and at the end shout goodbye to the ducklings. The story teaches that we must not separate birds and animals from their families.
Worked examples
«Ребята и утята» (a short retelling). «Утка-мать вела утят из леса к озеру. У дороги ребята увидели утят и поймали их шапками. Утка-мать очень волновалась. Взрослый человек строго велел ребятам вернуть утят. Ребята отнесли утят к матери, и семья пошла дальше к озеру. Ребята весело кричали: „До свиданья, утята!“» (The mother duck was leading her ducklings from the forest to the lake. By the road some boys saw the ducklings and caught them with their caps. The mother duck was very upset. A grown-up sternly told the boys to give the ducklings back. The boys carried the ducklings to their mother, and the family went on to the lake. The boys cheerfully shouted, “Goodbye, ducklings!”)
Words: «берег», «жалко», «отпустить», «уплыть». Proverb: «Век живи — век учись» (live and learn).
Class activity
“In her place”. Imagine you are the mother duck and write two Russian sentences: «Я волнуюсь. Где мои дети?»
Practice
1
In which years did the author live?
1873–1954
2
What does «отпустить» mean?
to let go
3
To whom did the boys return the ducklings?
утке-матери
4
Why did the children let the ducklings go?
A grown-up showed them their mistake; the ducklings belong with their mother.