Читать онлайн Short stories for English stories. Something about Martha бесплатно
Корректор Liliya Kardenas
Иллюстратор Nadiya Doycheva-But
© Ida Rodich, 2017
© Nadiya Doycheva-But, иллюстрации, 2017
ISBN 978-5-4485-6098-9
Создано в интеллектуальной издательской системе Ridero
Clever names
In summer Martha lives with her grandparents in the country-side. Their cats live there too. It is a very nice cats family. The head of the family is the mother cat. She is ten years old, pretty and has a lovely character. Her daughters, two graceful kittens, are cute and friendly. The cats are Martha’s best friends, and she loves them a lot.
The cats have funny names. The mother cat’s name is Desde-mona. Her daughters are Wilhelmina and Manuela. Martha doesn’t like such long names and calls her pets short: Mona, Mina and Mania.
Sometimes Marta’s grandmother calls the cats gently by their pet names: Mosja, Misja and Masja. But she doesn’t always do that. The cats have to behave well to deserve that. And this isn’t often the case.
Sometimes Martha’s grandmother gets angry and says: «Desdemona, Wilhelmina and Manuela, behave yourselves!»
The strange names sound so stern that Martha understands: the cats can get into trouble with their owner. It is better to save them somewhere until her grandmother is in a good mood again.
What clever names the cats have. They help them to stay safe from Martha’s grandmother.
Meeting old friends
Marta and her grandparents have arrived at their summer house. Martha’s grandfather has driven his car into the backyard and is getting out of it now. Cats are running to meet him and cuddle on his legs.
«Look, Martha. The cats like your grandfather so much. In this way they tell him about their love», says grandmother to the girl. Martha is sorry: «So they don’t love us, Grandma. It’s a pity.» «Sure, it’s a pity,» agrees her grandmother. «But only your grandfather came and fed the cats in the winter. That’s why they know him better than us».
«But I love the cats too,» mutters Martha.
«Calm down, Martha. Don’t get angry with them,» says her grandmother gingerly.
Nevertheless Martha feels the cats are just being nasty to her. Last summer they had so much fun playing together. She looks disappointed with her four-footed friends: «The cats have a very bad memory. They have forgotten me, and that’s it!»
Grandfather walks into the house, and the cats are cuddling up on each other now.
«Look, Grandma. The cats are kissing each other!» Martha is excited. «They are just having fun,» her grandmother explains.
Martha is smiling. Her cats are so cute. Martha was missing them badly in winter and has brought their favourite food with her. The girl wants to give it to the cats and pet them. But the cats escape in different directions.
Martha is sad and feels lonely. Can they become friends again?
The love at first sight
Next morning Martha wakes up early. She gets dressed and hurries out of the house. First of all she’ll meet her neighbors: two dogs, a Persian cat and chickens. She peeps into their backyard through a crack in the fence and sees the old dog Nika lying next to her house.
Martha waves at Nika: «Hello, Nika!» The dog turns its head to face the girl but doesn’t bark.
Martha calls another dog, Typhoon. Typhoon recognises Martha at once and reacts happily to her coming. He starts jumping, whimpering and wagging his tail. Typhoon wants to say to the girl: «It’s nice, Martha, that you are back. We can play together again.»