The Musical Fisherman

A fisherman who was a fine musician took his flute and his nets to the seashore.

Standing on a rock, he threw his nets into the sea and then played several tunes in the hope that the fish, attracted by his melody, would dance into his net.

At last, having waited a long time, he put down his flute, and casting his net into the sea, made an excellent haul of fish.

When he saw them leaping about in the net upon the rock he said: "Oh, you perverse creatures, when I played you would not dance, but now that I have stopped you do so merrily."

1. True or False?

1. As the fisherman played his flute the fish swam into the net.
2. The fisherman went fishing with a musical instrument.
3. The fish were afraid of the fisherman's music.
4. The fisherman went fishing in a lake.
5. The fisherman thought the fish would like his music.

2. Match the vocabulary words and their definitions.

      1. "a net" 
      2. "to throw" 
      3. "a tune" 
      4. "to attract"
      5. "a melody" 
      6. "to cast" 
      7. "to haul" 
      8. "to leap" 
      9. "perverse" 
      10. "creatures" 
      11. "merrily" 
      12. "upon" 
    • to jump
    • a series of musical notes
    • something that is harmful or nreasonable
    • on top of
    • a woven cloth with many holes
    • to throw something
    • without regard to possible problems
    • to toss something quickly
    • unknown living things
    • to cause something to come near
    • the formal word for a tune
    • to pull something that is heavy

3. Complete the following story using the correct words.

Fill in:
creature   merrily   net   hauled   cast   tune   upon   melody   leapt   perverse   threw   attract

At the U.S. Open tennis match this afternoon there was some very strange entertainment. Between matches a large ............................ in the shape of a tennis ball ..........................    ......................... he court. First, it ...................   ................... itself into the ..................... and rolled to the edge of the court. Then it stood up and began to sing a ....................... I recognized the ...................... but was glad when it was over. After the song, this tennis ball creature ..................... a basket of tennis balls from the edge of the court and proceeded to .......................... them into the audience. I was lucky not to be hit by them.

I've never seen such ......................... entertainment at the U.S. Open. It was of course an advertisement for a new brand of tennis ball. It is surprising to see what advertisers will do to ......................... attention.
 
 

4 . Discussion