Toads and Diamonds
By Charles Perrault
There was once upon a time
a bad-tempered widow who had two daughters. The elder was like her mother both
in looks and personality, while the younger resembled her father- she was sweet
natured, always, and as pretty as she was friendly.
The widow
doted on the daughter who was so like herself but had no love for the other
whom she forced to work hard all day and to live off the leftovers of her elder
sister.
Among
other hard jobs, she was obliged to carry water every day from a great
distance. One day when she had just filled her pitcher at the well an old woman
asked to drink from it. Happy to show
kindness to someone so old, she held the pitcher whilst the woman quenched her
thirst. It turns out that this was not a trembling old peasant as she appeared,
but a fairy who rewarded good deeds.
“Your
face is pretty, and your heart is gentle”, said she and continued “for your
kindness to a poor woman I will make you a gift - every time you speak from
your mouth shall come a flower or a jewel.”
When the
girl got home, her mother scolded her for her long absence.
“Pardon
me for being away so long”, she sweetly replied, and as she spoke sand pearls
and diamonds fell from her lips.
“What are
these I see, child?” asked the astonished widow.
The
fallen girl was so happy to be called “child” by her that she eagerly shared
her experience with the old woman at the fountain, while with her words dropped
precious stones and roses.
The widow
immediately called her favorite daughter.
“Would
you like to have the same gift as your sister?”, she asked. “Go to the fountain right away and fetch
water and if an old woman asks you for a drink, treat her politely”.
The girl
refused to perform the menial tasks until the widow lost patience and drove her
to it. Finally, she took the silver tankard and grudgingly obeyed. No sooner
was she at the fountain than from the woods came a lady most beautifully
dressed, who asked the snobbish girl for a drink from her pitcher.
“I have
not come here to serve you”, she rudely replied, “but take this pitcher and
help yourself.”
The lady
was the fairy who had taken the appearance of a princess to see how far the
girl’s rudeness would go.
“I will
make you a gift”, she said, “to equal your rudeness and bad manners. Every time
you speak there shall come from your mouth a snake or a toad.”
The girl ran
home to her mother who met her at the door.
“Well
daughter”, she said impatient to hear her speak. When she opened her mouth, to
her mother’s horror, two vipers and two toads sprang from it.
“This is your
sister’s fault”, the unhappy mother cried and kicked the poor young sister out
of the house. She fled to the forest to escape the cruel blows. When she was wasn’t
being chased anymore, she threw herself upon the green grass and wept bitterly.
The
king’s son returned from the hunt, found her like this and asked her the cause
of her tears.
“My
mother has driven me from my home”, she told him. She was so pretty that he
fell in love with her at once and asked her to tell him more. She then told him
the whole story while pearls and diamonds kept falling from her lips. Enchanted,
he took her to the king who gave his consent to their immediate marriage.
Comprehension questions:
1. The two girls have:
а) the same mother
b) a different mother
c) a different father
2. Why did the mother like the older girl best?
a) because they were
similar
b) because no one else liked her
c) because she was like her father
3. Why did the fairy come to the well?
a) to ask for a water
b) to give the girl something
c) to test the
girl
4. When the mother saw diamonds coming from the younger
girl’s mouth, she called her “child” for the first time. Why was this?
a) she was so exited that she forgot the girl’s name
b) because the girl was still very young
c) she wanted to
find out where the diamonds came from
5. Why did the mother send the older girl to the well?
a) to make her happy
b) to look for the
old woman
c) to get more water
6. Why didn’t the older girl want to go to the well?
a) she had a lot of work to do at home
b) it was a long way home
c) it was task for
a servant
7. Why did the younger girl carry a pitcher to the well
to bring water home, but the older girl took the tankard?
a) the tankard is silver, but the pitcher is not
b) the tankard is stronger than pitcher
c) the tankard is
not as heavy as pitcher
8. Why was the older girl rude to the beautiful woman?
a) she didn’t know
that the beautiful woman was the fairy
b) the beautiful woman thought the girl was one of her
servants
c) the pitcher was not brought for the beautiful woman
9. Why did the younger girl run into the forest?
a) she did not like things falling from her mouth
whenever she spoke
b) to look for the prince on his way home from hunting
c) she was scared
that her mother may be unhappy with her
Remark:
Is there any diffrences between toad and frog?
You can tell most toads and frogs apart by the
appearance of their skin and legs. Both amphibians make up the order Anura in
the animal kingdom, but there are some key differences.
Most frogs have long legs and smooth skins covered in
mucus. Toads generally have shorter legs and rougher, thicker skins.
And while toads generally lay their eggs in long
strands, frogs lay their eggs in a cluster that resembles a bunch of grapes.
Not all frogs and toads are easy to distinguish,
however, leading biologists to squabble over the definition.
There are some frogs that have skin covered in warts,
and toads that have smooth, slimy skin, according to the Exploratorium, a San
Francisco science museum, in their online exhibit about frogs and toads. And
many species will fit equally well into either category.
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