Christmas in Prague
Christmas in Prague
Christmas in Prague
(V W V M 1 C W W V
CHRISTMAS IN
JOYCE HANNAM
life
I
C H R IS T M A S IN P R A G U E
Jan lives in O xford with his English wife Carol, and his
father Josef, who is Czech. Jan was born in Prague, but
he came to England with his father when he was a baby.
He never knew his mother - she died soon after he was
born. And he knows nothing about her because his
father never talks about her. But Jo sef still carries a
photograph of his wife in his pocket - after all these
years.
Christmas in Prague
Stage 1 (400 headwords)
Christmas in Prague
(_Z'585
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/
2000
CONTENTS
ST ORY IN TR O DU CT IO N i
1 Christmas 1957 1
2 England 1995 5
3 The accident 10
4 Nobody understands Carol 18
5 Some visitors for Carol 23
6 Who is Pavel? 28
7 The music must come first 35
g lo ssa ry 40
a c t iv it ie s: Before Reading 44
a c t iv it ie s: While Reading 46
a c t iv it ie s: After Reading 48
ABOUT THE AU THOR 52
ABOUT BOOKWORMS 53
1
Christmas 1957
/ t is night, and the fields near the village are white with
snow. The village is quiet3but not everybody is sleeping.
Eyes are watching the roads and the fields near the village,
because this is Czechoslovakia and the year is 1957. Across
the fields, only h alf a kilometre aw ay, is the Austrian
border, but the people o f Czechoslovakia are not free to
go to Austria. The border guards watch day and night -
and they carry guns.
In a house in the village a man and a woman are talking.
The woman holds a six-month-old baby boy in her arms.
1
The border guards watch day and night.
1
Christmas in Prague
2
Christmas 1957
Christmas in Prague
England 1995
5
Christmas in Prague
Josef Vlach was sixty-eight years old, and his eyes were
bad. He couldn’t see very well, so he lived with Carol and
Jan.
‘Josef can come with us,’ Carol said. ‘He often talks
about Prague at Christmas. He says it’s the most beautiful
time of the year there because of all the snow on the old
buildings.’
‘I know,’ said Jan. ‘But he only talks about Prague.
He never wants to go there. Every time we ask him to
come with us, he says no. I don’t know why, but I think
it’s because of my mother. When he thinks about Prague,
he remembers her. You know, sometimes he cries when
he looks at his photo of her - after all these years!’
Just then the door opened and Ja n ’s father came slowly
into the room.
‘Good morning,’ he said, and sat down at the table. ‘Is
there any coffee?’
‘It’s cold now,’ said Carol. ‘Shall I make you some more?’
‘Thank you, my dear,’ he answered. ‘You’re very good
to me.’
Carol went out for some coffee. Jan looked at his father
carefully. ‘I must ask him now,’ he thought, ‘while Carol
is out of the room.’
‘You’re very quiet, Ja n ,’ said the old man. ‘Is something
wrong?’
‘No, no,’ said Jan quickly. ‘Nothing’s wrong. It’s ju st. . .
7
mmM,
6
Christmas in Prague
The accident
10
The accident
11
The accident
11
Christmas in Prague
12
The accident
13
I
12
13
Christmas in Prague
The accident
15
Christmas in Prague
16
The accident
16
4
C
arol slowly opened her eyes. Her head hurt. She closed
her eyes again.
A man said something. What was it?
‘Carol,’ she heard. ‘Carol, can you hear me?’
‘f can hear you,’ Carol said. ‘But I don’t want to open
my eyes. My head hurts. Who are you?’
18
Nobody understands Carol
19
‘Who are
18
Christmas in Prague
20
Nobody understands Carol
21
Christmas in Prague
23
Christmas in Prague
24
Some visitors for Carol
In Carol’s room Jan put the red flowers on the bed and
took his wife’s hands.
‘ Oh, my love, are you all right?’ he said. ‘I can ’t
understand it. Why did you run in front of a bus? How did
it happen?’ 0 fc M '
Carol didn’t answer his questions.
25
He saw Pavel, and stopped suddenly.
24
/
\
Christmas in Prague
cWho-is-that?’
26
/
\
Christmas in Prague
‘Who-is-that
‘Jan ?’ She looked up into his face. ‘You are Jan? Tell
me that you’re Ja n .’
‘Of course I’m Jan! What are you talking about?’
The doctor came up to the bed. ‘Wait a minute,’ she
26
Some visitors for Carol
said. ‘You told me that your name was Pavel Brychta. Are
you Mrs Vlach’s husband, or not?’
Just then Carol looked behind Jan. She saw Pavel with
Ja n ’s father through the window of her door. Her eyes got
bigger and bigger.
‘Who - is - that?’ she said.
Jan and the doctor turned and saw Pavel.
‘My G od!’ said Jan. ‘I don’t know!’
The doctor looked back at Ja n ’s face. ‘Two men, but
only one face,’ she said quietly.
Then Ja n ’s father opened the door of Carol’s room and
the two men came in.
Jan stood up. He looked at his father. ‘Who is this man?’
he asked.
‘His name is Pavel Brychta,’ answered his father. ‘Please
bring me a chair and some water. I need to sit down before
I can answer your question.’
Jan got a chair for his father and the doctor gave him
some water. Then she left the room quietly.
6
Who is Pavel?
28
Who is Pavel?
29
Christmas in Prague
they were not free. Lenka and I, and a lot of our friends,
wanted to change things. But it was dangerous work. The
Russians knew about us and they watched us all the time.
Then you two boys were born on a wonderful day in June
1957:
‘But you went away,’ Pavel said angrily. ‘Your wife died,
and you left the country. You went away to England and
began a new life. You didn’t write, you didn’t telephone.
You weren’t interested in me —your son!’
Jo sef’s face was very sad. ‘Pavel,’ he said. ‘I thought you
were dead. Look. I must show you something.’ From
30
Who is Pavel?
behind the photo of his wife he took out a letter, and gave
it to Pavel.
The letter was old and yellow. Pavel opened it and
began to read. The letter was in Czech, and it was his
grandmother’s writing.
31
fYou weren't interested in m e-y ou r son!'
I 30
Christmas in Prague
see that now. But she never liked me. And after that letter,
how could I go back to Prague? You were dead, Lenka
was dead . . .’ He put his face in his hands.
The room was very quiet. Then Pavel put his hand on
his father’s arm. ‘Stanislava is dead now,’ he said. ‘You
and I can begin again . . . ’ He smiled. ‘And learn to be father
and son.’
Jo sef’s face was wet with tears. He put his hand over
Pavel’s hand and smiled back at him, but he could not
speak. Now there were tears in everybody’s eyes.
Aft^r a minute or two Jan said, ‘Dad, I know it’s difficult
for you. But can you tell us about that Christmas in 1957?
How did it all happen? I’d like to know . . .’
‘Yes,’ said his father. ‘You, and Pavel, must know.’ He
turned to Pavel. ‘But what did Stanislava tell you?’
‘Very little,’ Pavel said. ‘She never wanted to talk about
it. She told me that my mother died in hospital. And you
went away to England. That was all.’
‘I can understand that,’ said Josef. ‘Poor Stanislava! She
lost her daughter, because of me. And she never liked our
work for freedom, you see. She didn’t understand. She just
wanted a quiet family life.’
‘Christmas 1957 . . .’ said Jan.
‘Yes,’ said Josef. ‘In October and November of that year
things got more and more dangerous for Lenka and me.
Our friends told us: “Leave, before the Russians get you.
32
Who is Pavel?
33
Christmas in Prague
F
or some minutes nobody in the room said anything.
They looked at the old man in his chair, and they all
thought about a snowy night in 1957.
Then Pavel turned to Jan.
‘Let’s forget 1957 for now,’ he said quietly. T o r me,
this is a wonderful day. I have no family in Prague.
My grandmother died many years ago. But now I have a
35
‘Let’s forget 1957 for now.’
35
Christmas in Prague
36
The music must come first
37
Christmas in Prague
40
Glossary
moon the big round thing that shines in the sky at night
music when you sing or play an instrument, you make music
orchestra a group of people who play musical instruments
together
police people who look for bad people and send them to
prison, and who help when dangerous things like accidents
happen
poor when you say ‘poor’, you are feeling sorry for somebody
present something which you give to somebody at Christmas,
on birthdays, etc.
rehearsal when you practise music, etc. before you do it in
front of other people
sad not happy
shoot (past tense shot) to send a bullet from a gun and kill or
hurt somebody
shout (v) to speak or call out very loudly
snow rain which is very cold and white; it comes down slowly
and lies on the ground
tears water which comes from the eyes
terrible very, very bad
turn to move your body round
twin one of two children who are born of the same mother at
the same time '
university a place where people go to study after they leave
school
violin a small musical instrument with four strings
violinist a person who plays the violin
wet not dry; full of water
41
Christmas in Prague
A C TIV IT IES
ACTIVITIES
Before Reading
1 Where is Prague?
2 Was life in Prague in 1957 very different from life there
in 1995? How?
3 Read the back cover of the book. How much do you know
now about the story? Tick one box for each sentence.
YES NO
1 Carol and Jan are married. □ □
2 Carol’s father is called Josef. □ □
3 Josef is English. □ □
4 Josef lived in Prague a long time ago. □ □
5 Josef is afraid to go back to Prague. □ □
44
/
5 What are the family secrets in the story? Can you guess?
Tick one box for each sentence.
YES NO
1 Someone in the family is dead. □ □
2 Someone in the family is alive. □ □
3 Someone in the family is in prison. □ □
4 Someone in the family has got a lot of
money. □ □
5 You guess!
45
ACTIVITIES
While Reading
Who
1 . . . wanted to go to Prague to play in some concerts?
2 . . . was writing a new book?
3 . . . talked about Prague but never wanted to go there?
4 . . . went shopping in Prague?
5 . . . looked at Carol in the street, but didn’t smile?
6 . . . couldn’t stop because there was no time?
7 . . . was angry because Carol was not at the rehearsal?
46
a c tiv itie s: While Reading
47
ACTIVITIES
After Reading
1 Fill in the names in this family tree, and then write ten
sentences about the people. Use these words.
48
a c tiv itie s: After Reading
49
a c tiv itie s: After Reading
4 Here is a new illustration for the story. Find the best place
in the story to put the picture, and answer these questions.
Caption:
50
a c tiv itie s: After Reading
51
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
52
ABOUT BOOKWORMS
O X F O R D B O O KW OR M S LIBRARY
Classics • True Stories • Fantasy & Horror • Human Interest
Crime & Mystery • Thriller & Adventure
More than fifty titles are also available on cassette, and there are many
titles at Stages 1 to 4 which are specially recommended for younger
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Bookworm, resource material includes photocopiable test worksheets
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library and using cassettes, and the answers for the activities in the books.
53
mu’-
CHRISTMAS IN
PRAGUE
I h n U U L In a house in Oxford three
people are having breakfast
- Carol, her husband Jan,
and his father Josef. They are talking about Prague, because
Carol wants th e m all to go there fo r Christmas.
Josef was born in Prague, but he left his home city when
he was a young man. He is an old man now, and he would
like to see Prague again before he dies. But he is afraid.
He still remembers another Christmas in Prague, many long
years ago - a Christmas th a t changed his life fo r ever . . .
OXPORD 9780194229388
U N IV E R SIT Y PRESS