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bargain – сделка
country – страна
daughter – дочь
did their best – старались изо всех сил
fair – справедливый
flock – стадо
head – голова
life – жизнь
next – следующий
night – ночь
return – возвращать
see – видеть
shepherd – пастух
unmarried – незамужняя
The Princess of Canterbury
In the old days, when there were more than one king in this country, one of them was king of Canterbury. He had an only daughter, wise, fair, beautiful, and unmarried.
The king had it proclaimed that whoever would watch one night with his daughter and neither sleep nor doze at the time, should have her the next day in marriage. But if he did not stay awake, he should lose his head.
Such bargains were not uncommon in those days. Many knights did their best, but failed and lost their lives.
Now a young shepherd, grazing his flock near the road, said to his master,
“Sir, I see many gentlemen ride to the court at Canterbury, but I never see them return again.”
* * *«Пастух, – сказал его master, – они пытаются охранять королевскую daughter, и все, у кого это не получается, лишаются своих heads».