Mr. Banks went to the City every day except Sundays. In the City he sat on a large chair in front of a large desk and made money.
Mrs. Banks went into the drawing-room and wrote letters to the newspapers. In the letters she asked to send her a nurse at once6 because she was waiting. Upstairs, in the Nursery, Jane and Michael stood at the window and looked into the street. They were waiting for the nurse.
In the evening Jane and Michael stood at the window again. They were waiting for Mr. Banks to come from the City. The strong East Wind was blowing, and the trees were bending. It was already dark.
“There he is!7” said Michael.
“That is not Daddy,” said Jane. “It is somebody else.”
And really it was not Mr. Banks. It was a woman. She was holding her hat with one hand and was carrying a bag in the other. And then something curious happened. When the woman opened the gate of the garden, the East Wind caught her and carried her quickly to the door of the house.
“How funny!” said Michael.
“Let’s go and see who it is!” said Jane. The children went out of the Nursery to the landing. They looked down into the hall.
The door of the drawing-room opened, and their Mother came out with the visitor. The woman had very black hair, large feet and hands and small blue eyes.
“They are very good children,” said Mrs. Banks. The woman did not answer. She only sniffed.8
“The Nursery is upstairs,” said Mrs. Banks. She went upstairs, and the woman followed her. And at that time Jane and Michael saw another curious thing. The woman did not go upstairs. She slid up the banisters!9 Jane and Michael could slide down the banisters and often did it, but slide upstairs – no! They could not do that! They were looking at their new nurse with great surprise.
“Children,” said Mrs. Banks, “this is your new nurse, Mary Poppins. Jane, Michael, say how do you do!” Mrs. Banks turned to Mary Poppins. “And these are the Twins,” she said to her and pointed to the babies in their cots.
Mary Poppins looked at the babies, then looked at Jane and Michael. Then she sniffed loudly.
“All right,” she said, “I’ll stay with you.”
Mrs. Banks left the Nursery. Mary Poppins was standing in the middle of the room. Jane and Michael went up to her.
“How did you come?” asked Jane. “Did the Wind blow you here?10”
“Yes, it did,” said Mary Poppins and took off her hat. Then she opened her bag. And again Jane and Michael were very surprised, because the bag was empty!
“Why11,” said Jane, “there is nothing in the bag!”
Mary Poppins looked at her. “Did you say ‘nothing’?”
And then she took out of the empty bag an apron and tied it round her waist12. Then she took out a piece of soap, a toothbrush, a bottle of scent, and a small folding armchair13.
“But I saw,” whispered Michael. “It was empty.”
Mary Poppins turned to the children.
“Now,” she said, “quick! Into bed!”
In a minute she undressed them and put them into bed.
Jane and Michael were sitting in their beds and watching how Mary Poppins was unpacking her bag.
She took out of the bag ten night-shirts, a pair of boots, a box of dominoes, two caps. Then she took out a folding bed with pillows and blankets and put it on the floor between John’s and Barbara’s cots.
“Mary Poppins,” said Michael, “will you never leave us?” Mary Poppins looked at him.
“One more word from you,” she said, “and I’ll call the Policeman.”
“I only want to ask,” said Michael, “we hope you won’t go away soon?”
Mary Poppins sniffed.
“I’ll stay till the Wind changes14,” she said. Then she turned off the light15 and got into bed.
And that is how Mary Poppins came to live at Number Seventeen, Cherry-Tree Lane.
1. Practice the pronunciation of the following words.
2. Agree or disagree.
1. The family consists of Mr. Banks, Mrs. Banks and their three children.
2. Mr. Banks went to the City every day except Sundays.
3. Mrs. Banks went into the drawing-room and read a book.
4. Upstairs in the Nursery, Jane and Michael stood at the window and looked into the street.
5. When the woman opened the gate of the garden, she quickly walked to the door of the house.
6. The children went out of the Nursery to the corridor.
7. The woman had blond hair, small feet and hands, and large blue eyes.
8. Mrs. Banks went upstairs, and the woman followed her.
9. Jane and Michael could slide up the banisters and often did it.
10. She took out of the empty bag an apron and tied it round her waist.
3. Put the following sentences in the right order.
1. Mary Poppins took many things out of the empty bag.
2. Then she turned off the light and got into bed.
3. Mr. and Mrs. Banks and their four children lived at Number Seventeen in Cherry-Tree Lane.
4. In the evening a strong East Wind was blowing, and the trees were bending.
5. “Children,” said Mrs. Banks, “this is your new Nurse, Mary Poppins.”
6. One day their nurse left the house.
7. “I’ll stay till the Wind changes,” said Mary Poppins.
8. A woman came up to the gate of their house.
9. Mr. Banks went to the City every day except Sundays.
10. “Mary Poppins,” said Michael, “will you never leave us?”
11. When the woman opened the gate, the East Wind caught her and carried her quickly to the door of the house.
12. Mrs. Banks wrote letters to the newspapers, asking to send a nurse for the children.
13. The children went out of the Nursery to the landing and looked down into the hall.
14. The children remained at home with Mrs. Banks and the nurse.
15. Mrs. Banks went upstairs, and the woman followed her.
4. Fill in the blanks with the following words:
consists, lays, care, blowing, money, drawing-room, waiting, bending, curious, surprise, unpacking
1. And then something ________ happened.
2.