The Unicorn in the Garden
by JAMES THURBER (1894 - 1961)
James Grover Thurber (December 8, 1894 – November 2, 1961) was an American humorist and cartoonist. Read more about him here on wikipedia.
You can read the story here.
1. KEY WORDS – PART 1
Thurber liked word plays very much. There is also one in this story.
Match the words and the definitions to find out more about the moral.
booby, hatch, booby hatch
1. To produce (young) from an egg.
2. Any of several tropical sea birds of the genus Sula. AND A person regarded as stupid, crazy.
3. An institution for the mentally ill.
2. KEY WORDS – PART 2
Fill the gaps using the key words and expressions.
browse, crop, gloat, horn, jay, leap, moral, mythical beast, nook, rouse, seize, strait jacket, subdue, unicorn
1. A ___________ is a place where light meals are taken; usually has a built-in table and seating.
2. To _________is the same as to harvest.
3. A __________ is a fabled creature symbolic of virginity. It looks like a horse with a horn on its head.
4. A ________________ is a legendary creature such as the dragon or the griffin.
5. To _____________ is to feed on plants. A synonym of ’to graze’.
6. To ____________ somebody means to awaken him or her.
7. A _________ is a hard, pointed, usually curved outgrowth on the heads of cattle, deer and some other animals.
8. To _____________ means to look at with selfish delight.
9. A ________________ is a long-sleeved jacket used to bind the arms of a mentally ill person to the body and prevent him or her from struggling.
10. When you ___________, you jump.
11. When you __________ somebody or something you take hold of him/her/it.
12. To _____________ means to overcome or bring under control.
13. A _____________ is a noisy European bird with brightly coloured feathers.
14. The ____________ is the „lesson” of the story.
3. LISTENING
Listen to the story
4. HAVE FUN
Visit this website and play with words.
You can find quite a lot of anagrams and palindromes here.
Read more for the answers
ANSWERS
1. KEY WORDS – PART 1
1. hatch
2. booby
3. booby hatch
2. KEY WORDS – PART 2
1. nook
2. crop
3. unicorn
4. mythical beast
5. browse
6. rouse
7. horn
8. gloat
9. strait jacket
10. leap
11. seize
12. subdue
13. jay
14. moral
