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III. Read the text and pay attention to the active vocabulary given
after the text:
The Horseman’s Joke
(after W.Irwing)
On the bank of the Hudson River there was a little quiet village where
people told many stories about ghosts. The most terrible story was about a
horse-man who had no head.
Many years ago a school-teacher, Crane by name, lived in that village. He
was a very tall man with a clever face. In the same village lived Katrina Van
Tassel, the daughter of a rich farmer who had no other children. She was
beautiful and many young men wanted to marry her. Crane, too, loved the
young girl. So all the other young men were Crane's enemies. The most
dangerous among them was a young man, Brunt by name. He was a strong
man who was popular with the village people.
One afternoon, when Crane was at school, a servant came from Katrina and
brought him a letter which invited him to a party at Van Tassel's house. The
pupils went home before the usual time and Crane began to dress for the
party. He wanted to look well that night. Besides, he asked the farmer in
whose house he lived then to give him a horse to ride to Katrina's house. In
the evening Crane came to the party where he saw many other guests. There
were many good things to eat and much dance. Everybody had a very good
time that night.
When the party almost came to an end Crane suddenly left the room
where the dances continued. He went to Katrina's room and stayed there for
a short time. Nobody knows what the young people talked about. But the
conversation was not pleasant because the school-teacher looked upset
when he came back. It was late at night when Crane started back home.
He rode through the forest as the night grew darker and darker. He came to
a place where the road went over a small bridge across the river. When
Crane came up to it his heart began to beat fast. He suddenly remembered
all the stories about the ghosts. He was so frightened that he pushed his
horse forward but the animal suddenly stopped. On the bank of the river
stood a horseman on a black horse. Crane pushed his horse again and rode
as fast as he could. The horseman followed. Crane looked behind and
could not believe his eyes: the horseman had no head. Crane was still more
frightened when he saw that the horseman held his head in his hands.
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