Chapter threeA little girl
Eventually, Nello told his secret to another person.
That person was a little girl who lived nearby.1
Her name was Alois. She lived in a red mill. Her father, Baas Cogez, was the miller.
He was quite a rich man.2
Little Alois was a pretty girl.
She had dark eyes, and bright, rosy cheeks.
Key Words & Sentences
eventually (adv): cuối cùng
another (adj): nữa, khác
nearby (adv): gần đó
mill (n): xưởng, nhà máy
miller (n): chủ xưởng, chủ nhà máy
quite (adv): khá
rosy (adj): hồng hào
cheek (n): má, gò má
gather (v): hái
daisy (n): hoa cúc
berry (n): trái dâu
marry (v): cưới
1 That person was a little girl who lived nearby.
2 He was quite a rich man.
Little Alois often played with Nello and Patrasche. They gathered daisies and berries in the field. They went up to the old gray church together. They ran in the snow.3
Alois was the richest little girl in the village.
People in the town dreamed that their sons would marry her.4
Check up
Nello, Patrasche, and Alois were good______.
3 They ran in the snow.
4 People in the town dreamed that their sons would marry her.
When Nello, Alois and Patrasche were in the fields, Nello drew a portrait of Alois. At that moment
Baas Cogez was walking through the field.
When he saw Nello and Alois there, he became very angry. “Alois,” he called out.
“Why are you playing here? Go home quickly!” Baas Cogez then picked up the drawing of Alois.
Nello’s face turned red.
Key Words & Sentences
portrait (n): bức chân dung
at that moment: ngay lúc đó
call out (v): gọi to
quickly (adv): nhanh chóng
pick up (v): cầm lên, lấy
drawing (n): bức vẽ
turn + adj (v): trở nên
foolish (adj): ngu xuẩn, dại dột
as (prep): như là
gift (n): món quà
walk away (v): đi khỏi
across (prep): băng qua
1 I draw everything I see.
2 I think spending your time drawing things is foolish.
“I draw everything I see,”1 he said.
“Here. I’ll give you this silver coin for your drawing. I think spending your time drawing things is foolish.2
But I do like this picture a lot.” “Please take this drawing as a gift,”3
Nello said.
Nello walked away across the fields. “I could have seen the Rubens paintings with that money,”4 he said to Patrasche.
“But I just couldn’t sell her picture.”5
Check up
Why did Mr. Cogez give money for the drawing?
a. So that Nello could see Rubens painting.
b. He felt sorry for Nello.
c. He really liked Nello’s drawing.
3 Please take this drawing as a gift.
4 I could have seen the Rubens paintings with that money.
5 But I just couldn’t sell her picture.
Baas Cogez returned to his mill that night. “Nello shouldn’t play with Alois so much,”1 he said to his wife.
“He’s fifteen years old now and she’s twelve.
In a few years, he’ll probably want to marry her.2
He’s just a poor boy who’s never been to school.”
“But he’s a good and honest boy,” said his wife.
Key Words
return (v): trở lại, trở về
in a few years: vài năm nữa
probably (adv): có thể, có lẽ
agree (v): đồng ý
landowner (n): địa chủ
keep A away (v): không cho A tới gần
if not: nếu không
send (v): gửi đi (send - sent - sent)
far away: rất xa
(= far off)
convent (n): tu viện
“I agree,” said the miller.
“But he spends all of his time drawing. He’ll never be a landowner like me.3
Listen to me. You keep that boy away from Alois.4
If not, then I’ll send her far away to a convent.”5
The next day, she told Alois not to play with Nello anymore.
Alois, however, didn’t listen to her.
Key Sentences
1 Nello shouldn’t play with Alois so much.
2 In a few years, he’ll probably want to marry her.
3 He’ll never be a landowner like me.
4 You keep that boy away from Alois.
5 If not, then I’ll send her far away to a convent.
A few days later, Alois went to see Nello as usual. When she put her hand in his,1 Nello said, “No, Alois.
We shouldn’t make your father angry.2
He doesn’t want you to play with poor boys. He is a good man.
We should obey him.”
Nello was very sad to say this.
The world was an uglier place without her.
Key Words
as usual : như thường lệ
obey (v): vâng lời, tuân theo
ugly (adj): tồi tệ
without (prep): không
from then on: kể từ đó
stop at (v): ghé vào
pass right by (v): đi nhanh qua
no longer (adv): không còn nữa
except (prep): ngoại trừ
change (v): thay đổi
From then on, Nello would never stop at the mill. When walking to town, he would pass right by it without even looking.
The boy no longer had a friend in the world, except Patrasche.3
And he was poor.
There was nothing in the world that could change that.4
Check up
Walking to the village, why did Nello not look into the mill?
a. Not to see Alois.
b. To avoid Alois’s father.
c. Because Nello was busy with the milk delivery.
Key Sentences
1 When she put her hand in his,
2 We shouldn’t make your father angry.
3 The boy no longer had a friend in the world, except Patrasche.
4 There was nothing in the world that could change that.
Old Jehan Daas often said to him, “We are poor. We must take what God sends.1
The poor can’t choose.”
The boy always listened in silence.
But in his heart remained a small, sweet hope.2
A hope that he may one day be rich and famous.3
Key Words & Sentences
send (v): ban cho (send - sent - sent)
choose (v): chọn lựa (choose - chose - chosen)
in silence: trong im lặng, không nói gì
remain (v): vẫn giữ, còn đó
hope (n): niềm hy vọng
sweet (adj): đẹp đẽ
alone (adj): một mình
say no (v): từ chối
artist (n): họa sĩ
believe in (v): tin tưởng vào
future (n): tương lai
1 We must take what God sends.
2 But in his heart remained a small, sweet hope.
“Sometimes the poor can choose,” he said when he was alone with Patrasche. “They can choose to be great.4
Then people can no longer say no to them.”5
He talked to Patrasche until late that evening about what a great artist he would be.6
Nello believed in the future.
3 A hope that he may one day be rich and famous.
4 They can choose to be great.
5 Then people can no longer say no to them.
6 He talked to Patrasche until late that evening about what a great artist he would be.
When the boy and the dog came home, old Jehan said,
“Nello! Today is Alois’ birthday, isn’t it?
Why aren’t you at the party?”
Key Words
too (adv): quá, rất
leave… alone (v): để… một mình
nonsense (n): vô lý!, tầm bậy!
have an argument with: cãi nhau với
Not at all.: Không hề.
to be honest (v): thực ra thì
invite (v): mời
surely (adv): chắc chắn
wrong (adj): sai trái
sigh (v): thở dài
yet (adv): tuy nhiên, nhưng
“You’re too sick, grandfather. I can’t leave you alone.” “Nonsense! Have you had an argument with Alois?”1 “Not at all. To be honest,
Baas Cogez didn’t invite me this year. I don’t think he likes me.”2
“But surely you didn’t do anything wrong!”3
“No! I drew a picture of Alois. That’s all.”4
The old man sighed. He had never been to school. Yet he understood the world too well.5
“Ah! You are very poor, my boy. So poor!”
“Yes, but I will be rich,” he said, “in the future.” And he believed it.
Key Sentences
1 Nonsense! Have you had an argument with Alois?
2 I don’t think he likes me.
3 But surely you didn’t do anything wrong!
4 I drew a picture of Alois. That’s all.
5 Yet he understood the world too well.
Chapter Three: Comprehension Quiz
A. Match the words with their meanings.
1. mill
2. portrait
3. gift
4. secret
5. probably
a. a painting of a person
b. a building for grinding grain into flour
c. almost certainly a present
d. something that is only known
e. by one person or a few people
B. Rewrite the blue parts to match with the story.
1. Alois was the poorest girl in the village.
2. Alois’ father was a soldier.
3. When Baas Cogez saw Nello and Alois play together, he was very delighted.
C. Write down the name of the character next to each line.
1. “He spends all of his time drawing.”
2. “We are poor. We must take what God sends.”
3. “Sometimes the poor can choose.”
D. Which is the best to complete the following sentences?
1. Nello hoped that one day he would be
(a) rich and famous.
(b) a great farmer.
(c) a landowner.
2. Baas Cogez didn’t want Nello to marry his daughter because
(a) he was an artist.
(b) he was dishonest.
(c) he was poor and had never been to school.
3. Baas Cogez told his wife
(a) to buy the picture of Alois.
(b) to keep Nello away from Alois.
(c) to give a silver coin to Nello.