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Chapter 1
Matthew Cuthbert, wearing his white suit, at half past three was riding out of Avonlea. The horse wasn’t the best, so he was riding not so fast. Matthew didn’t come out of home in Green Gables very often, so this was unusual. But where was he going?
His sister Marilla sent him off to get an orphan1 boy.
Matthew and Marilla were a brother and a sister, they were in their fifties. Marilla was a tall and thin woman, she had dark hair with some grey parts. Matthew had grey hair and a beard2. He was afraid of women and thought they laughed3 at him.
They thought about adopting4 a boy all winter. Matthew was not so young anymore, he couldn’t work as hard as he used to.5 A boy would be such a help. They wanted a boy of ten or eleven years old: old enough to help and young enough to teach him everything.
Marilla’s friend Mrs. Rachel told her that adopting a child is a very foolish6 thing to do. Marilla wanted to bring a strange child home not knowing his parents and not knowing the boy’s personality7. She also told her some stories she heard about orphan children and awful8 things they did.
“Well, I hope everything will be all right,” said Marilla to her friend.
Exercise: What are these words?
orphan
to laugh
enough
adopt
personality
Chapter 2
Matthew Cuthbert and his slow horse were going down the road to the train station. He needed to pick a boy from there.
He came to the station but there was no train. He thought he came too early. He looked around and tried to find a sign9 of any boy. However, there was a girl. She sat there waiting for something or somebody. Matthew walked past her to the officer.
“Excuse me, when is the five-thirty train going to arrive?” asked Matthew.
“The five-thirty train was here and went away half an hour ago,” the officer answered. “But there is a passenger for you from the train – a little girl.”
“But I came here for a boy,” said Matthew.
“But I came here for a boy,” said Matthew.
The officer whistled10. “A mistake. Mrs. Spencer came off the train with that girl and said you and sister were adopting11 her from a children’s home.”
A girl was about eleven years old, she was wearing an ugly yellow dress and a grey hat. Under the hat she had two thick braids12 of red hair. Her face was small and white, she also had freckles13. Her eyes were green or grey in different moods14.
Matthew came to her.
“Are you Mr. Matthew Cuthbert of Green Gables?” the girl asked. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come. I imagined15 all the bad things that could happen to you. I was going to climb the cherry16 tree and sleep there.”
Matthew took her thin17 hand. He couldn’t tell the child that there was a mistake and that he didn’t come for a girl. He decided to take her home and let Marilla tell her everything.
“I am sorry I was late,” he said shyly18. “Come along. The horse is over there. Give me your bag.”
“Oh, I can carry19 it,” said the girl cheerfully20. “It isn’t heavy21. I’ve got all my belongings22 in here.”
The girl really liked to talk.
“I like imagining23 things about people,” she said. “But there’s not much place for imagination24 in a children’s home. Now I am wearing this ugly yellow dress, but I imagine I’m wearing a beautiful blue dress instead, and a wonderful hat with flowers. Oh, you see this plum25 trees?” the girl asked. “What do they make you think of?”
“Well, I dunno26,” said Matthew.
“Of white dresses and weddings27 of course!” said the girl. “And you see these red flowers alongside the road? Why are they red?”
“Well, I dunno.”
“We will need to find this out one day,” said the girl. “There are so many things in the world I want to know about, but people can’t know everything. There won’t be place for imagination then.”
Matthew liked the girl already. He liked when people loved talking and didn’t expect28 him to talk too.
“I’m afraid I talk too much,” said the girl “Mrs. Spencer always told me I talked too much.”
“Oh, you can talk as much as you like,” said Matthew.
“What would you like to be, if you could choose? Beautiful as an angel, very clever or to be the kindest person?” she asked Matthew.
“Well, I… I don’t know.”
“I can’t choose either29,” said the girl.
“We are almost here. That’s Green Gables over that hill,” said Matthew.
The girl took her old bag and went to the house after Matthew.
Exercise: What are these words?
to answer
to whistle
cheerfully
imagination
freckles
Chapter 3
Marilla opened the door and then her eyes fell onto the little girl.
“Matthew, who’s that? Where’s the boy?” she asked.
“There wasn’t a boy,” answered Metthew.
“No boy! But there had to be a boy. We asked Mrs. Spencer to bring a boy!”
“Well, she brought her.”
The girl stood there, looking how they argue30. “You don’t want me!” she cried. “You don’t want me because I’m not a boy!”
She sat on the chair and cried. Marilla and Matthew looked at each other, they didn’t know what to say.
“Well, well, there’s no need to cry about it,” Marilla said.
“Yes, there is need to cry about it!”
“Well, don’t cry anymore. We are not going to let you out at night. You’ll stay here until we ask Mrs. Spencer about this mistake. What’s your name?”
“Can you please call me Cordelia?” she asked.
“Call you Cordelia? Is that your name?”
“No, but I want to be called Cordelia.”
“Tell me your real name.”
“Anne Shirley, but please call me Cordelia, it’s such a romantic name.” she said.
“No, Anne is a good name. Now, Anne, tell me about this mistake. Weren’t there any boys?”
“No, there were many of them, but Mrs. Spencer said you wanted a girl.”
“It’s all because of my hair. But would you keep me if I had brown hair and not red?” asked Anne.
“We need a boy to help Matthew on the farm.”
Marilla gave the girl some food, but she didn’t want to eat.
“I’m very sad. I can’t eat when I’m sad.”
Night came and Marilla put the girl in bed. She told her to change her clothes and went away. Then she came, took the candle and said ‘goodnight’.
“How can you say GOOD night when it’s the worst night?” said the girl. Marilla didn’t know what to say and went away.
“We need to send this girl back,” she said to Matthew.
“Do we really? She seems31 nice.”
“Matthew Cuthbert you don’t think we should keep her?!” said Marilla angrily.
Matthew never had much of a voice32. “Well, I don’t know, but she’s nice and interesting,” he said.
“Well, I’m not going to keep her,” said Marilla.
“As you say, Marilla. I’m going to sleep.”
Exercise: What are these words?
to argue
voice
to seem
candle
answer
Chapter 4
Anne woke and sat up in bed. For a moment she couldn’t understand where she was. It was a nice June morning, the sun was shining. She went to open the window and saw a beautiful cherry33 tree next to the house. There were also many other trees in the garden.
Marilla came into the room and told her to dress up. “Breakfast is waiting for you, so get dressed, wash your face, comb34 your hair and come downstairs,” she told.
Anne did all that and went into the kitchen. “I’m so glad the sun is shining,” she said. “The world doesn’t seem35 so grey as yesterday evening. But I also like rainy mornings. All mornings are interesting, don’t you think?”
“Hold your tongue36. Why do you talk so much?” asked Marilla.
The girl stopped talking and didn’t say a word while eating. That was strange. The room was silent37.
“Can you wash the dishes?” asked Marilla.
“I can. I’m better at looking after38 children, but I can wash dishes too.”
She washed the dishes. Then Marilla took Anne and they both went to Mrs. Spencer. Marilla needed to give the girl back. As they went away, Matthew stood there and watched them sadly.
Exercise: What are these words?
to comb
to seem
tongue
silent
look after
Exercise: Choose the right word.
1. Marilla’s friend Mrs. Rachel told her that adopting/imagining a child is a very foolish thing to do.
2. Marilla wanted to bring a strange child home not knowing his parents and not knowing the boy’s whistle/personality.
3. Her face was small and white, she also had candle/freckles.
Chapter 5
“Do you know,” said Anne, “I’ve decided to enjoy this ride. I’m not going to think about returning to the children’s home, I’ll just think about the road. Oh, look, there’s a wild rose. Don’t you think it’s nice to be a rose? Wouldn’t it be nice, if flowers talked? Do you know any girl whose hair was black and then turned another color when she grew up?”
“No, I don’t. And I think your hair won’t turn another color either,” said Marilla.
Anne sighed39.
“If you like talking so much, you can tell me what you know about yourself,” said Marilla.
“What I know is not interesting. Let me tell you what I imagine40.”
“No, I don’t want to hear you imagination. Just tell me the facts.”
“I was eleven last March,” said Anne. “I was born in Bolingbroke. My father was a teacher in a high school. My mother was a teacher too. They were poor and lived in a tiny41 house. My mother died of fever42 when I was three months old. And father died of fever too, four days after her.
Mrs. Thomas, the woman who came in to clean, took me and I lived with her and her children for eight years. I looked after 43her children, there were four of them. But Mr. Thomas fell under the train and died. The mother of Mrs. Thomas took her and her children but she didn’t want me.
Then Mrs. Hammond saw that I could be handy44 with children and took me. She had eight children. I lived with them over two years.
Then Mr. Hammond died, Mrs. Hammond became very poor, divided45 her children among her relatives and went to the United States. I went to the children’s house because nobody wanted to take me. They didn’t want to take me either46, they said there were too many children in the children’s house. But they had to take me and I lived there four months before Mrs. Spencer came.”
Anne finished her story.
“Did you go to school?” asked Marilla.
“Not much. I went a little last year when I lived with Mrs. Thomas. But they lived so far away from school and I couldn’t go there in winter. But I can read pretty well and I know a lot of poems by heart.”
“Were those women, Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Hammond good to you?” asked Marilla, looking at Anne out of the corner of her eye.
“O-o-h,” said Anne. “I’m sure they wanted to be, but it’s hard sometimes when you have to work so much and have so many children. But I’m sure they wanted to be good.”
Marilla didn’t ask questions anymore and they drove in silence. Suddenly, Marilla felt such a pity47 for the child. Poor unloved child, she thought. No wonder the girl wanted a real home. Maybe they could have her, thought the woman again.
She talked too much, thought Marilla. But we can train her out of that. She’s ladylike48.
“What is that big house ahead of us?” asked the girl.
“Hotel. A lot of Americans come here. But the season hasn’t started yet,” said Marilla.
“I was afraid it might be Mrs. Spencer’s house,” said Anne sadly. “I don’t want to go there.”
Exercise: What are these words?
to sigh
might
to divide
to imagine
tiny
Chapter 6
Mrs. Spencer lived in a big yellow house, and she came to the door with surprise.
“Mrs. Spencer, there was a mistake somewhere and I’ve come to see where. We sent a word, Matthew and I, we told your brother to bring us a boy,” said Marilla.
“But my brother said you wanted a girl. It wasn’t my fault49, you see,” said Mrs. Spencer.
“Anyway, the mistake was made. Can we send the child back?” asked Marilla.
“I think so, but there’s no need sending her back as Mrs. Blewett was here yesterday and asked for a little girl from the children’s house.”
Marilla knew Mrs. Blewett only a little. A thin and very greedy50 woman with a bad temper51.
The doorbell rang and in came Mrs. Bewett. Mrs. Spencer was glad they could decide everything right there. Mrs. Spencer told her that if she still wanted a girl, she could take her.
Mrs. Blewett said that the girl had to earn52 her living, be smart and respect53 her. She was ready to take Anne.
Marilla looked at Anne’s face, so pale and sad. She understood that the girl would again go to the family where she wouldn’t be treated54 right. She also thought that if she left the child right there, she would never forgive55 herself.
“You know, I didn’t come here to send the child back, I just wanted to know how the mistake was made. Anyway, I need to talk with Matthew, I can’t do things without talking to him. I’ll take the child home and if Matthew says he doesn’t want to take the girl, I will send you a note and you can take her,” said Marilla.
Anne smiled when she heard this.
They came back home and Marilla told Matthew that she decided to let the girl stay. “I wouldn’t give a dog to that Blewett woman,” Matthew said.
Exercise: What are these words?
fault
greedy
to decide
to earn
to forgive
Exercise: Answer the questions.
1. What did Marilla feel when she heard Anne’s story?
2. Why did Marilla say she needed to talk with Metthew because she couldn’t decide without him?
Chapter 7
“Now, Anne, I saw that you threw your clothes all over the floor last night. That’s not the right thing to do. You need to fold56 them.”
“I understand. I was so sad that I couldn’t think about it. I’ll fold them nicely tonight.”
“Now, say your prayers57 and go to bed,” said Marilla.
“But I never say prayers.”
“Don’t you know it’s bad when you don’t say prayers before going to bed?” asked Marilla. “Anne, if you leave under my roof, you need to say the prayers.”
“If you want me to, I will,” said Anne. “But I don’t understand why people say their prayers on their knees. If I wanted to say prayers, I would go into the field or into the forest and look at the blue-blue sky.”
When praying, Anne said thank you for what she had and also asked to stay here at Green Gables.
Marilla closed the door and went away to the kitchen. She told Matthew that they needed to teach the child a lot of things and send her to a Sunday school.
Exercise: What are these words?
knees
roof
prayer
to throw
to fold
Chapter 8
Marilla didn’t tell Anne she was going to stay at Green Gables until the next afternoon. She gave her different tasks and watched how she did them. Marilla understood that Anne was smart and didn’t mind the work. Her only problem was daydreaming58 and imagining things.
Anne finished washing the dishes and came to Marilla. “Please, Mrs. Cuthbert, tell me if you are going to keep me or not.”
“You forgot to wash the towel59,” said Marilla. “Please do that and don’t ask any questions.”
Anne washed the towel, came to Marilla and asked her question again.
“Matthew and I decided to keep you. But you need to be a good girl.”
Anne started crying and said she was happy. She told she would do her best. “How should I call you? Mrs. Cuthbert?” asked Anne.
“No, you can just call me Marilla.”
“Marilla, do you think I will have a friend in Avonlea?”
“There’s a girl called Diana, she’s about your age and she lives not far from school. You might be friends. But you need to be a good girl and don’t talk foolish60 things. Her aunt won’t let Diana play with a girl who isn’t nice.”
“What’s Diana like? Her hair isn’t red, is it?” asked Anne.
“Diana is a very pretty little girl. She has black eyes. She’s good and smart. It will be good for you to have a real friend, so you stop your daydreaming.”
“I’m glad she’s pretty. Oh, look, there’s a bee. If I wasn’t a girl, I would like to be a bee.”
“Yesterday you wanted to be a seagull,” sniffed61 Marilla. “Now, stop talking, go to your room, learn the prayer62 and stay there until I call you to help me with tea.”
Exercise: Match the words.
towel
seagull
to sniff
to daydream
foolish
Chapter 9
Anne spent two weeks at Green Gables and then Marilla’s friend, Mrs. Rachel came to visit them.
Mrs. Rachel told Marilla every detail about the flu63 she had had. Then she finally asked about what she came for.
“I’ve heard about you and Matthew. I’ve heard about the mistake with the boy. Couldn’t you send that girl back?” she asked.
“I think we could, but we decided not to. She has her faults, but I like her and she’s a real bright little thing,” answered Marilla.
Marilla asked Anne to come and see her friend. Anne came running after her walks in the garden, her face red, freckles64 more than ever and hair redder than ever before.
“Well, they didn’t pick you for your looks, that’s for sure65,” was Mrs. Rachel’s comment. She was famous for telling what she wanted without any fear. “Marilla, she’s so skinny and her hair is like carrots! Come here little child… so many freckles!”
Anne came to Mrs. Rachel, stood before her, face red with anger. “I hate you! I hate you!” cried Anne “How dare you66 call me skinny and ugly? You are a very rude67 and impolite68 woman!”
Marilla tried to stop Anne, but she continued.
“How dare you say such rude things? Would you like it if I called you fat?”
“What a temper69!” said Mrs. Rachel surprised.
Marilla told Anne to come to her room. Anne burst into tears, rushed upstairs and shut the door.
“Well, I advise70 you to talk to that girl. And when I say ‘talk’, I mean a birch twig71 – a very effective language for a child like that,” said Mrs. Rachel and went away.
Mrs. Cuthbert came upstairs and found Anne in her bed crying.
“Anne, I think you shouldn’t have behaved72 like that,” said Marilla.
“She shouldn’t have called me red haired and ugly.”
“You always say bad things about your red hair yourself.”
“There’s a difference when I say it and when other people say it about me,” said Anne.
“I don’t think it was the right thing for Mrs. Rachel to say for you, but now she has a wonderful story about you to tell. You must go to her and say that you are sorry.”
“No. I will never do that.”
“Yes, you will. You will stay in this room until you apologise73 for your behaviour to Mrs. Rachel.”
“I will stay here forever then. How can I tell I’m sorry for my words, if I’m not sorry at all!”
“You said you would be a nice girl, if we let you stay at Avonlea,” said Marilla and left the room. She was worried about this situation, but still, when she remembered the face of Mrs. Rachel she couldn’t stop smiling.
Exercise: What are these words?
finally
birch twig
to advise
difference
to behave
Exercise: Choose the right word.
1. She also thought that if she left the child right there, she would never forgive/imagine herself.
2. “But I don’t understand why people say their daydreaming/prayers on their knees.
3. “Well, I advise/apologise you to talk to that girl.”
Chapter 10
Marilla said nothing to Matthew, but when the next morning Anne wasn’t at the table she had to explain why.
“It’s a good thing Rachel got those words. Someone had to say that to the old gossip74 lady,” said Matthew.
“Matthew Cuthbert, I am very surprised. I hope you don’t think we shouldn’t punish75 the child.”
“Well, I think she should be punished a little, but not too much. Are you going to give her something to eat?” he asked.
“When did you hear of me not feeding people right? I’ll carry her the food, but she will stay in her room until she apologises76 to Mrs. Rachel.”
Without Anne, breakfast, lunch and dinner became very silent77. Marilla brought her food, but Anne almost didn’t touch it. Once Marilla went away and Metthew gathered all is courage and came to Anne.
“Anne,” he whispered78, “how are you making it?”
“Pretty well,” she smiled sadly. “I imagine79 things, that helps.”
Matthew gathered his courage80 once again and said “Don’t you think it’s better apologise and forget about it?”
“Apologise to Mrs. Rachel?”
“Y—yes, apologise,” said Matthew.
“I think I can do that for you, Matthew. At first I was angry, very angry, but this morning it was over. I will tell Marilla that I want to apologise when she comes.”
Anne told Marilla and they both went to Mrs. Rachel. Anne stood on her knees and asked the old lady to forgive her. She spoke long and was very sincere81. Mrs. Rachel said she forgave her.
Exercise: What are these words?
to explain
to gossip
to punish
to apologise
sincere
Chapter 11
“Well, how do you like them?” asked Marilla.
Anne looked at three new dresses on the bed. Marilla made them herself; they were just plain82 skirts with plain sleeves.
“I’ll imagine that I like them,” said Anne.
“I don’t want you to imagine it,” said Marilla, offended83. “Oh, I see you don’t like the dresses! They are new and clean. Why don’t you like them?”