Swift and His Servant

1. Swift and His Servant

2. Vocabulary. • a servant • a muddy road • an inn • a master • angry • pleased

3. Jonathan Swift, a famous English writer, was one day travelling on horseback with a servant. The weather was bad; it was raining and the roads were muddy.

4. In the evening the two men came to an inn. Before going to bed Swift told his servant to clean his boots, as they were very dirty. But the servant was very lazy and did not do what his master had ordered.

5. The next morning when Swift saw the dirty boots, he asked the servant why he had not cleaned the boots. The servant answered that he had not cleaned the boots because they would soon became dirty again.

6. “The roads are muddy. What is the use of cleaning the boots now? They will soon be dirty again”, he said.

7. Swift didn’t say anything and soon told the servant to get ready because they would start at once. But the servant looked very displeased and said that he had not eaten his breakfast yet.

8. Swift answered that they would go without any breakfast. “What is the use of eating now?” You will soon be hungry again”, Swift said.

9. Answer the questions. • Were Swift’s boots clean or dirty the next day? • What was the servant’s answer? • What was angry or pleased with his servant? • Did they have breakfast in the inn or not? • What was the master’s view concerning eating breakfast?

10. Translate. • чистити черевики • брудні черевики • бути готовим розпочати подорож • мати невдоволений вигляд • їхати без сніданку