Chapter fiveChristmas
Christmas was coming.
The snow was six feet deep. Everyone loved that time of year.
Even the poor people of the village had cakes and cookies to eat.1
Nello and Patrasche were completely alone.
Old Jehan Daas had died a week before Christmas. He had died in his sleep.2
Patrasche and Nello were very sad. On the day of his funeral, they were the only ones who attended.3
Key Words
feet (n) (số nhiều của foot): đơn vị đo chiều dài của Anh (≈ 0,348 m)
deep (adj): dày
completely (adv): hoàn toàn
funeral (n): đám tang
attend (v): tham dự
sadly (adv): buồn thay
pay (v): chi trả (tiền)
rent (n): tiền thuê
landlord (n): chủ nhà
get out (v): đi ra ngoài
instead of (prep): thay cho
Sadly, they would lose even their simple home. They didn’t have enough money to pay the rent.4
The landlord told them to get out. Instead of rent money, the landlord took everything that they had.5
Key Sentences
1 Even the poor people of the village had cakes and cookies to eat.
2 He had died in his sleep.
3 On the day of his funeral, they were the only ones who attended.
4 They didn’t have enough money to pay the rent.
5 Instead of rent money, the landlord took everything that they had.
It was the night of the twenty-third of December.
Nello and Patrasche slept under the stars without a blanket.
On the morning of Christmas Eve, they walked along the road to Antwerp.
The winner of the prize was to be announced at noon.
At noon, the doors of the building were opened. The crowd ran into the hall.
As Nello entered the room, he saw a big drawing on the wall.1
It wasn’t his own.2
He hadn’t won the contest.
Key Words
sleep (v): ngủ (sleep - slept - slept)
without (prep): không có
blanket (n): mền
at noon: vào buổi trưa
crowd (n): đám đông
hall (n): đại sảnh
win (v): chiến thắng (win - won - won)
disappointed (adj): thất vọng
all over: kết thúc
He was so disappointed, and said to Patrasche, “It’s all over.”3
The two started walking back to the village.
They were hungry, sad and tired.
Key Sentences
1 As Nello entered the room, he saw a big drawing on the wall.
2 It wasn’t his own.
3 He was so disappointed, and said to Patrasche, “It’s all over.”
Snow was falling fast.
It was terribly cold on the way to the village.1
Suddenly, Patrasche smelled something strange.2
He stopped and started scratching at the snow.3
He pulled out a small brown leather wallet. On the front of the case, the words BAAS COGEZ were written.
Nello looked inside the wallet. He found 2,000 francs.
He walked to the mill-house and knocked on the door.
When the miller’s wife answered the door, she was crying.4
Key Words
fast (adv): nhanh
terribly (adv): khủng khiếp
on the way to: trên đường đến
scratch at (v): cào, bới tìm
pull out (v): kéo ra, lôi ra
leather (n): vật làm bằng da
wallet (n): cái ví
front (n): phía trước, mặt trước
case (n): ngăn, mặt
inside (prep): bên trong
answer (v): trả lời, đáp lại
‘d (= had) better + V: nên
leave (v): rời khỏi
(leave - left - left)
take out (v): lấy ra, rút ra
(take - took - taken)
“Poor boy.
You’d better leave before my husband sees you.5
He’s angry tonight. He lost a lot of money.” Nello took out the wallet and gave it to her. “Patrasche found the money,” he said.
“Please ask your husband to take care of my dog. He’s old and weak.
Please be good to this kind animal.”6
He kissed his dog and quickly left.
Key Sentences
1 It was terribly cold on the way to the village.
2 Suddenly, Patrasche smelled something strange.
3 He stopped and started scratching at the snow.
4 When the miller’s wife answered the door, she was crying.
5 Poor boy. You’d better leave before my husband sees you.
6 Please be good to this kind animal.
Nello had saved Alois and her family. If they had lost all that money, they would have been ruined.
The miller’s wife led the dog inside the house. Soon after, Baas Cogez entered through the back door. He was very sad. “I can’t find it. It’s gone.” Then, his wife laid the wallet in his hands.1
She explained to him how Patrasche and Nello found the wallet.2
Key Words
save (v): cứu giúp
ruin (v): hủy hoại, phá sản
lead (v): dẫn, dắt
(lead - led - led)
soon after: ngay sau đó
through (prep): qua
be gone: mất, hết
lay (v): đặt, để (lay - laid - laid)
explain (v): giải thích
cruel (adj): tàn nhẫn, tồi tệ
at last: sau cùng
“I have been cruel to that boy,”3 he said at last. “Nello and Patrasche should be with us on Christmas day.
And every day after that, too.4
Let’s go and find him in the morning.”
The miller didn’t know that Nello had no hut to sleep in that night.5
Key Sentences
1 Then, his wife laid the wallet in his hands.
2 She explained to him how Patrasche and Nello found the wallet.
3 I have been cruel to that boy.
4 And every day after that, too.
5 The miller didn’t know that Nello had no hut to sleep in that night.
Baas Cogez and his family had dinner that evening. Patrasche wouldn’t eat any food.1
He just lay down by the door and cried.2
Late in the evening, Patrasche ran out the door as a visitor was entering the house.3
Key Words & Sentences
by (prep): bên cạnh
visitor (n): vị khách
follow (v): lần theo, đi theo
footprint (n): vết chân, dấu chân
all the way to: suốt dọc đường
by this time: vào lúc đó
reach (v): đi đến, tới
steps (n): bậc thang
put one’s arms around (v): ôm choàng lấy
1 Patrasche wouldn’t eat any food.
2 He just lay down by the door and cried.
The dog followed those footprints all the way to Antwerp.4
The streets of Antwerp were empty by this time. Patrasche reached the steps of the big church. He climbed up the steps.
He saw one of the doors open.
He walked in and found Nello inside the church. When the boy saw his dog, he put his arms around him.5
Check up
Where did Patrasche find Nello?
a. On the street.
b. At the hut.
c. At the church.
3 Late in the evening, Patrasche ran out the door as a visitor was entering the house.
4 The dog followed those footprints all the way to Antwerp.
5 When the boy saw his dog, he put his arms around him.
“Let’s lie down together and die,” Nello cried out.
We aren’t needed in this world.”1
The two lay down together on the floor. The boy and his dog thought about the good old days.
Then, the snow stopped falling.
The moon came out from behind the clouds.2
Moonlight brightened the inside of the church for a moment.3
Nello looked up and clearly saw the two paintings of the great Rubens. They were the paintings of Jesus suffering on the cross.4
Key Words & Sentences
old days: những ngày đã qua
behind (prep): đằng sau
moonlight (n): ánh trăng
for a moment: trong phút chốc, trong khoảnh khắc
look up (v): nhìn lên
clearly (adv): rõ ràng
suffer (v): bị hành hình cross (n): cây thánh giá tear (n): nước mắt
stream down on: lăn xuống
at last: cuối cùng
fall asleep (v): ngủ thiếp đi (fall - fell - fallen)
1 We aren’t needed in this world.
2 The moon came out from behind the clouds.
Nello stood up and stretched his arms out to them.
Tears streamed down on his face.
“Oh, God!” he said. “I’ve seen them at last.5
It is enough!
We will see His face soon.”6
The boy and the dog then fell asleep.
Check up
What is “His face” from the text?
a. Rubens’s face
b. God’s face
c. His grandfathers’ face
3 Moonlight brightened the inside of the church for a moment.
4 They were the paintings of Jesus suffering on the cross.
5 I’ve seen them at last.
6 It is enough! We will see His face soon.
The next morning, people found the boy and the dog. They had frozen to death in the middle of the night.1
Throughout the day, the townspeople came to pay their respects to Nello and Patrasche.2
Baas Cogez came with Alois, too. “I was so cruel to that poor boy.
I wish I could have made it up to him.”
Key Words
freeze to death: chết cóng
(freeze - froze - frozen)
in the middle of the night: nửa đêm
throughout (prep): suốt
townspeople (n): người dân thị xã/ thị trấn
pay one’s respect (v): tỏ lòng tôn trọng, quý mến
painter (n): họa sĩ
make it up to (v): bù đắp
woodcutter (n): tiều phu
fallen (adj): bị đốn
tightly (adv): thật chặt
separate (v): tách rời, chia cách
rest (v): ngủ, ra đi
A famous painter came to the church that day.
“I want to pay my respects to a great artist.
That boy should have won the contest.”3
He carried Nello’s drawing with him.
It was a drawing of a simple woodcutter sitting on a fallen tree.
Nello was hugging Patrasche so tightly that they could not be separated.4
They rested together peacefully in the ground.
Key Sentences
1 They had frozen to death in the middle of the night.
2 Throughout the day, the townspeople came to pay their respects to
Nello and Patrasche.
3 That boy should have won the contest.
4 Nello was hugging Patrasche so tightly that they could not be separated.
Chapter Five: Comprehension Quiz
A. Fill in the blanks with the right words.
alone
frozen
rent
announced
explained
1. When old Jehan Daas died, Nello and Patrasche were completely______.
2. Nello didn’t have money to pay the______.
3. The winner of the prize was to be______at noon.
4. Alois’ mother______to Baas Cogez how Nello and Patrasche found his wallet.
5. Nello and Patrasche had______to death in the middle of the night.
B. Connect the beginning and the end of the sentence.
1. On the front of the wallet
2. Nello asked Alois’ mother
3. Nello clearly saw
4. Patrasche followed the footprints
a. to take care of Patrasche.
b. the words Baas Cogez were written.
c. all the way to Antwerp.
d. the two paintings of the great Rubens.
C. Choose the correct answers to the following questions.
1. Why did Nello and Patrasche leave their house?
(a) Because Jehan Daas had died.
(b) Because Nello could not pay the rent.
(c) Because Nello stole the landlord’s wallet.
2. Why did Nello go to Alois’ house?
(a) To return the wallet.
(b) To see Alois.
(c) To say that he did not start the fire.
3. What did Baas Cogez regret after Nello had died?
(a) That he didn’t invite Nello to the birthday party.
(b) That he didn’t treat Nello more nicely.
(c) That he didn’t buy more of Nello’s art.
D. Based on the story, mark ‘T’ if true or ‘F’ if false.
1. The miller lost 2,000 francs and was ruined. T...F
2. Patrasche stayed at Alois’ house for a few days. T...F
3. Patrasche ran out of the house and went to see Nello. T...F
4. Nello was hugging Patrasche very tightly when they were found. T...F