English Fairy Tales / Английские сказки. Elementary

Johnny-cake came closer and screamed, “I OUTRAN AN OLD MAN, AN OLD WOMAN, A LITTLE BOY, TWO WELLDIGGERS, TWO DITCH-DIGGERS, A BEAR, AND A WOLF, AND I CAN OUTRUN YOU TOO-O-O!!!!”

“You can, can you?” yelped the fox and caught Johnny-cake with his paw and threw him in his sharp teeth.

The Mouse and the Cat

The Mouse went to visit the Cat. The Cat was sitting behind the hall door and spinning.

MOUSE. What are you doing, my lady, my lady,

What are you doing, my lady?

CAT. I’m spinning old breeches, my dear, my dear,

I’m spinning old breeches, my dear.

MOUSE. I was sweeping my room, my lady, my lady,

I was sweeping my room, my lady.

CAT. It will be cleaner, my dear, my dear,

It will be cleaner, my dear.

MOUSE. I found a silver sixpence, my lady, my lady,

I found a silver sixpence, my lady.

CAT. You’ll be richer, my dear, my dear,

You’ll be richer, my dear.

MOUSE. I went to the market, my lady, my lady,

I went to the market, my lady.

CAT. You went so far, my dear, my dear,

You went so far, my dear.

MOUSE. I bought me a pudding, my lady, my lady,

I bought me a pudding, my lady.

CAT. You’ll have more food, my dear, my dear,

You’ll have more food, my dear.

MOUSE. I put it in the window to cool, my lady,

I put it in the window to cool.

CAT. You’ll eat it faster, my dear, my dear,

You’ll eat it faster, my dear.

MOUSE. The cat came and ate it, my lady, my lady,

The cat came and ate it, my lady.

CAT. And I’ll eat you too, my dear, my dear,

And I’ll eat you too, my dear.

Jack the Buttermilk

Jack was a boy who sold buttermilk. One day he met a witch. She asked him to give her some of his buttermilk for free[36 - for free – бесплатно]. “If you don’t give me some buttermilk,” said the witch, “I’ll put you into my bag and carry away[37 - carry away – уносить]”. Jack refused to give the witch any of his buttermilk, so the witch put him into a bag that she carried over her shoulders.

She walked home with him. But on her way she suddenly remembered that she forgot a pot of fat that she bought in the town. Jack was very heavy, and the witch did not want to carry him back to the town, so she asked some men who were brushing the hedge by the road to take care[38 - take care – позаботиться, присмотреть] of her bag till she came back.