The story of Kort-Ajka

Designed by the teacher of English

Solodkaya S.V.

Syktyvkar, 2008

Try to remember new words

pillage plunder pluck mercy scorch contest sorcerer belly cast a spell

мародерствовать, грабить грабить, воровать,

расхищать обирать, обманывать пощада, милость опалять, выжигать спор, состязание колдун, чародей,

волшебник живот, брюхо; желудок заговорить, заклинать

Kort-Ajka lived in the village of Kortkeross (the Middle of Vychegda). Kort-Ajka was endowed with superhuman strength and an evil magical power. He made himself clothes of iron, put on an iron cap and stretched an iron chain, which he had forged himself, across the Ezhva-river. Everything he had – his hut, his boat, his bow and arrows – was made of iron. Like Yurka and Yag-Mort he lived by robbery and violence. He began to pillage and plunder. Anyone going in a boat fell into his hands, for there was no escaping his huge iron chain that ran from shore to shore. Some travelers he would pluck clean, others let go untouched, still others he would drown in the water. He didn’t know what mercy meant. As he had a supernatural power, the sun and the moon would grow dark at his bidding, day would turn into night and night into day, and the river would change its course; one word from him, and the hot wind would scorch the earth dry, or a heavy rain would come down in sheets and course a flood that would wash all the huts down into

the Ezhva.

Kort-Ajka brought nearly all the suffering and misfortunes onto his people but nobody dared to cross swords with him. But once there was a contest between two giants and sorcerers in strength and magic power. Kort-Ajka had once been friends with Pama, the sorcerer from Knyazhpogost. So he put his iron chain down to the bottom of the Ezhva and let his old friend pass. But jealous Pama felt sore at seeing how Kort-Ajka boiled his brew, poured it into his tubs, then the huge iron cups, and then into his belly. So Pama cast a spell over Kort-Ajka’s brew, and it stopped boiling and pouring into the tubs. In return Kort-Ajka punished Pama by stopping his boat in the middle of the river. He said: “ If it’s “stop” unto the brew, it’s “stop” unto the boat too.” Nevertheless the contest ended peacefully, the brew flowed again, and Pama went down the Ezhva in his boat.

 

Vocabulary work

Match the English and Russian

equivalents: pillage plunder pluck mercy scorch contest sorcerer belly cast a spell

спор, состязание заговорить, заклинать опалять, выжигать грабить, воровать,

расхищать обирать, обманывать пощада, милость живот, брюхо; желудок колдун, чародей,

волшебник мародерствовать, грабить

Check the right variant:мародерствовать, грабить

plunder

pillageграбить, воровать, расхищать

pluck обирать, обманывать

mercy пощада, милостьbelly живот, брюхо; желудокscorch опалять, выжигатьcontest спор, состязаниеsorcerer колдун, чародей, волшебникcast a spellзаговорить, заклинать

Would you like to insert the appropriate

word in the sentences? He lived by robbery and violence. He began to ___________________. pillage and plunder

Some travelers he would ______ clean, others let go untouched, still

others he would drown in the water. pluck

He didn’t know what _______ meant. mercyOne word from him, and the hot wind would ________ the earth dry, or a heavy rain would come down in sheets and course a flood that would wash all the huts down into the Ezhva.

scorch

But once there was a ________ between two giants and __________

in strength and magic power. contest sorcerer

Jealous Pama felt sore at seeing how Kort-Ajka boiled his brew, poured it

into his tubs, then the huge iron cups, and then into his ______. bellySo Pama ____________ over Kort-Ajka’s brew, and it stopped boiling

and pouring into the tubs. cast a spell

Will you choose the most

suitable variant? Kort-Ajka lived by robbery and violence. He began to _____________. a) eat and drink b) pillage and plunder c) drink and plunder

pillage and plunder

Some travelers he would ______ clean, others let go untouched, still others he would drown in the water. a) pluck b) dress c) wash

pluck

He didn’t know what ______ meant.

a) love b) friendship c) mercy mercy

One word from him, and the hot wind would _______the earth dry. a) scorch b) get c) make

scorch

But once there was a _________ between two giants. a) fight b) contest c) accident

contest

Jealous Pama felt sore at seeing how Kort-Ajka boiled his brew, poured it into his tubs, then the huge iron cups, and then into his ______. a) head b) mouth c) belly belly

So Pama _____________over Kort-Ajka’s brew, and it stopped boiling and pouring into the tubs. a) cast a spell b) turned c) jumped

cast a spell

Discussion of the text

Would you like to answer the

questions? Try to:  Where did Kort-Ajka live?  What was Kort-Ajka endowed with? What kind of clothes did he make and wear? How did he live? Was there a chance to escape his huge iron chain that ran from shore to shore? Did he know what mercy meant? Why would the sun and the moon grow dark at his bidding? Why would day turn

into night and night into day? Why would the river d change its course? Why did nobody dare to cross swords with him? Did jealous Pama feel sore at seeing how Kort-Ajka boiled his brew, poured it into

his tubs, then the huge iron cups, and then into his belly? What did Pama do with the brew that it stopped boiling and pouring into the tubs? What did Kort-Ajka do in return? Did the contest end peacefully?

Could you restore the logical order of the text? Find the first

paragraph: A/ As he had a supernatural power, the sun and the moon would grow dark at his bidding, day would turn into night and night into day, and the river would change its course; one word from him, and the hot wind would scorch the earth dry, or a heavy rain would come down in sheets and course a flood that would wash all the huts down into the Ezhva. B/ But once there was a contest between two giants and sorcerers in strength and magic power. Kort-Ajka had once been friends with Pama, the sorcerer from Knyazhpogost. So he put his iron chain down to the bottom of the Ezhva and let his old friend pass. But jealous Pama felt sore at seeing how Kort-Ajka boiled his brew, poured it into his tubs, then the huge iron cups, and then into his belly. So Pama cast a spell over Kort-Ajka’s brew, and it stopped boiling and pouring into the tubs. In return Kort-Ajka punished Pama by stopping his boat in the middle of the river. He said: “ If it’s “stop” unto the brew, it’s “stop” unto the boat too.” Nevertheless the contest ended peacefully, the brew flowed again, and Pama went down the Ezhva in his boat.  C/ Kort-Ajka lived in the village of Kortkeross (the Middle of Vychegda). Kort-Ajka was endowed with superhuman strength and an evil magical power. He made himself clothes of iron, put on an iron cap and stretched an iron chain, which he had forged himself, across the Ezhva-river. D/ Everything he had – his hut, his boat, his bow and arrows – was made of iron. He lived by robbery and violence. He began to pillage and plunder. Anyone going in a boat fell into his hands, for there was no escaping his huge iron chain that ran from shore to shore. Some travelers he would pluck clean, others let go untouched, still others he would drown in the water. He didn’t know what mercy meant. E/ Kort-Ajka brought nearly all the suffering and misfortunes onto his people but nobody dared to cross swords with him.

Check the right order of the paragraphs

C, D, A, E, B

Thank you for your good job