Oliver Asks For More Исполнитель

Oliver Asks For More

It was a cold winter night in 1830. A poor girl was alone in a town in England. She had no home and no money. She walked through the streets and looked for a room with a bed. She was going to have a baby and she was very tired.

“Oh!” she cried. “I can’t walk any more!” She fell down in the street and did not move.

Some people found her and took her to the ‘workhouse’ – a home for very poor people.

In the cold, unfriendly workhouse, the girl’s baby arrived. His name was Oliver Twist.

The young mother kissed her little boy. She looked sadly round the room and cried. “Oh, my poor baby!” she said. “I hope they’ll be kind to you here.” Then she closed her eyes – and died.

Poor Oliver was alone in the world, without any friends.

The workhouse did not keep young children. The men there said “We don’t want the baby! We must send him away!”

They sent Oliver to an old woman, who was called Mrs Mann. They paid her to give him a home. Mrs Mann did not want the child – but she wanted the money! She was unkind to Oliver and gave him very little food. She gave the boy just enough food for life. No more.

Oliver stayed with Mrs Mann for nine years.

Then one day Mr Bumble, a fat keeper from the workhouse, called at the house. He wore a big hat and a coat of bright colours. “Oliver Twist can live in the workhouse now. He’s old enough. I’ve come to take him away,” Mr Bumble said.

 “Oh – I’ll get him,” she said, and left the room.

She quickly washed Oliver’s face and hands, and brought him to Bumble. The old woman thought: “I’ll show them that I’m kind to the boy!” She gave Oliver a thousand kisses – and a piece of bread.

“Come with me, boy!” Mr Bumble cried.

Oliver was pleased when he left the unkind old woman. “I’m going to a better home!” he thought. But when the boy saw the cold, dark workhouse, he cried.

Bumble took Oliver to a large room. Fat men with red faces sat at a long table. They looked at Oliver with cold eyes.

“What’s your name, boy?” a man in a high chair asked.

Oliver was afraid of the fat men. He did not answer. Bumble gave Olive a kick, and he cried.

“Why are you crying, boy?” asked a man in a white coat. “You can’t be unhappy! You have no mother or father, but we are being kind and giving you a home. Thank us – and stop crying!”

“Thank you, sir,” Oliver said quietly.

“Boy!” said the man in the high chair. “You are going to work to pay for your home here! You will begin tomorrow morning at six o’clock. You will work in the vegetable garden – all day!”

Poor Oliver had a very hard life.

All the children had a very hard life in the workhouse. Their rooms were cold; they had no warm clothes; and they had very little food. The boys had only a small cup of soup for their dinner. They were always hungry.

One day one of the boys was ill from hunger. He finished his soup, and looked at the others. “If I don’t have some more, I’ll eat one of you!” he said.

The boys believed him and were afraid. They all looked at Oliver Twist. “You’re the youngest,” they said. “Go and get some soup for him – quick!”

Oliver went to the cook, with his cup. “Please, sir,” he said. “I want some more soup.”

The cook’s face became white. “What?” he cried.

“Please, sir, I want some more,” said Oliver.

The cook banged him on his head with his large spoon. Then he called for Mr Bumble.

The keeper ran to the fat men with red faces. “Oliver Twist has asked for more!” he told them.

The fat men dropped their pens and looked at him. “What?” they said. “The boy had his supper? Then he asked for more?”

“He did, sir,” answered Bumble.

“That boy is bad!” said the man in the high chair. “We must teach him better ways!”

“I’ll teach him, sir!” Bumble said. The keeper shut Oliver up in a cold, dark room – all alone. The boy cried all day. At night, he slept on the stone floor. In the morning, Mr Bumble kicked Oliver to wake him up. He led him into the garden and took off his clothes. Then he put him in a bath of cold water.

At dinner time, he carried Oliver to the dining room. He pointed to the hungry boys at the table. “I’ll teach boys not to ask for more!” he cried. “I’ll show you!” The keeper gave a loud cry – and kicked Oliver round the room.

This happened every day for a week.

Then one night Oliver could not sleep. He sat in the darkness and cried. Suddenly he thought of a way of escape. “I’ll run away!” he cried. “I’ll go to London and get a job!”

Oliver quietly opened the door and listened. No sounds! The keepers were asleep in their beds. The boy moved quietly through the dark building, like a cat. He found his way to the garden door. Then he opened the door and went into the garden. Oliver climbed over the wall – and escaped from the workhouse.