My Fair Lady

A L A N J AY L E R N E R
 M y Fair Lady

ALAN JAY L E R N E R
Level 3

R e to ld by D e re k Strange
Series E ditors: A n d y H o p k in s a n d Jo cely n P o tter
 P e a rs o n E d u c a tio n L im ite d
Edinburgh Gate, Harlow,
Essex C M 2 0 2JE. England
and Associated Com panies thro u g ho u t the world.

ISBN 0 582 41671 X

5 7 9 10 8 6 4
Published in Great B ritain by M ax R ein h ard t and Constable 1958
Published by Penguin Books 1959
T h is adaptation first published by Penguin Books 1997
Published by A ddison Wesley L ongman Lim ited and Penguin Books Ltd. 1998
N ew e dition first published 1999

T ext copyright O D erek Strange 1997

All rights reserved

M y F a ir Lady is based on P ygm alion by G eorge B em ad Shaw.

U sed by perm ission o f the Public Tristee and the Society o f A uthors.

T h e m oral right o f d ie a dapter has been asserted

Typeset by D igital Type, L ondon

Set in 1 l/1 4 p t B em bo
P rinted in Spain by M ateu C rom o, S. A. Pinto (M adrid)

A ll rights reserved; no part o f this publication may be reproduced, stored

in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the
prior m itten permission c f the Publishers.

Published by Pearson E ducation Lim ited in association w ith

Penguin Books Ltd, bo th com panies b eing subsidiaries o f Pearson Pic

The songs
Som e o f th e songs in this b o o k have q uite difficult gram m ar and vocabulary in them , but
there are notes o n the language o f the songs on pages 4 2 -4 , w hich w ill help you w hile
you read.
1 Wouldn't It Be Loverly? (Eliza, page 6)
2 With A Little Bit O f Luck (Alfred D oolittle and friends, page 9)
3 The Rain in Spain (Eliza, w ith H iggins and Pickering, page 18)
4 / Could Have Danced A ll Night (Eliza, page 19)
5 On The Street Where You Live (Freddy, page 24)
6 Get M e To 77/e Church O n Time (Alfred D oolitde, page 30)
7 I ’ve Grown Accustomed 7o Her Face (H iggins, page 35)

For a com plete list of the titles available in the Penguin Readers series please w rite to y o u r local
Pearson E ducation office o r to: M arketing D epartm ent, Penguin Longm an Publishing,
80 Strand, London YVC2R ORL
 Contents

page

Introduction iv

Chapter 1 A Terrible Accent 1

Chapter 2 A Little Bit o f Luck 7

Chapter 3 T h e Crazy Professor 10

Chapter 4 T h e R ain in Spain 14

Chapter 5 In Love at the R aces 21

Chapter 6 A R eal Lady 25

Chapter 7 Married in the M orning 28

Chapter 8 A Sad Day for H iggins 32

Chapter 9 W here Are M y Slippers? 35

Activities 39
 Introduction

M y Fair Lady is th e story o f Eliza D o o little — a y o u n g L ondon

w om an w ith a very strong L o n d o n accent - and Professor
H iggins - the m an w h o decides to teach h e r to speak English
w ith o u t h e r accent. T his is a story ab o u t the way the English
th in k ab o u t p eople w h o speak th eir language w ith different
accents. It is also a w onderful story a b o u t the grow ing love
betw een tw o very different p eo p le - a story full o f enjoyable
m usic and songs.

O n W ednesday 30 A pril 1958, Julie A ndrew s, R e x H arrison and

Stanley H ollow ay —three B ritish stars o f b o th theatre and cinem a
— first sang in th e m usical play, M y Fair Lady, at the T heatre
R oyal, D ru ry Lane, L on d o n . Julie A ndrew s was Eliza D oolittle,
R e x H arriso n was Professor H iggins and Stanley H ollow ay was
Alfred D oolittle, E liza’s father.
T h e film o f M y Fair Lady arrived in cinem as all over the w orld
in 1964. In th e film, A udrey H e p b u rn was Eliza, R e x H arrison
was again Professor H iggins and Stanley H ollow ay was again
Alfred D o o little.
T h e play and film o f M y Fair Lady com e from G eorge B ernard
S haw ’s play, Pygmalion. T h e tw o plays have alm ost the same story
and the same people in th em , b u t there w ere n o songs o r music
in S haw ’s play. Two A m ericans, Alan Jay L ern er and Frederick
Loewe, w o rk ed to g e th e r to w rite the w ords and th e m usic o f M y
Fair Lady. Alan Jay L ern er to o k the story from Shaw ’s play and
w ro te n ew w ords for it. H e also w ro te the w ords for the songs.
F rederick Loew e th en w ro te the m usic w h ich is n o w so fam ous
all over th e w orld.
 C hapter 1 A Terrible A ccen t

It was a cold M arch nig h t in the centre o f L on d o n . It was raining

heavily. Eleven o ’clock: the theatres w ere ju st en d in g and crowds
o f theatre-g o ers in th e ir fine evening clothes w ere co m in g o u t
on to the w et streets. In C o v en t G arden,* rich L ondoners w ere
leaving th e R oyal O p era H o u se* and w alking across C o vent
G arden square, lo o k in g for taxis. Som e o f th em stopped and
stood talking to g e th e r for a few m inutes in front o f St Paul’s
C h u rc h ,* on o n e side o f the square. N ear the church a group o f
fru it- and vegetable-sellers w ere w arm in g them selves ro u n d a
small fire before they started th eir n ig h t’s w o rk at C o vent G arden
m arket. T h ree street m usicians w ere singing and dancing; som e o f
the crow d stopped to w atch them . Shouts o f ‘Taxi! Taxi!’ cut
throug h the noise o f th e crow d and the icy night.
Freddy E ynsford-H ill, a ric h -lo o k in g y o u n g m an o f a b out 20
years old, pushed his way thro u g h the crow d ro u n d the dancers;
his m o th e r was ju st b eh in d him . T h ey w ere lo o k in g for a taxi,
too. Suddenly, o ne o f th e dancers kno ck ed in to Freddy and he
ju m p e d back, b u t by m istake h e kno ck ed over a y o u n g w om an, a
flow er-seller at the m arket, and she drop p ed som e o f her flowers
on the g ro u n d .T h a t was ho w Freddy first m et Eliza D oolittle.
Eliza was th en a b o u t 18 o r 20 years old, and she was n o t a very
g o o d -lo o k in g y o u n g w om an. She was w earing a dirty little black
hat, a n o t-v ery -clean w h ite blouse, an old skirt and old shoes; she
had n o t w ashed h e r hair for several days and she clearly needed
to visit a dentist.
Eliza stood up quickly and looked angrily at Freddy, then at
h er flowers, lying o n the g round.
* C o v en t G a rd en ,T h e R oyal O pera H ou se and St Paul’s C hurch arc all real
places in central L on d on .

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 ‘A aaooow w w , you . . . ! ’ she shou ted at him . T h e crow d tu rn e d
to w atch and listen.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Freddy said, g oing red in th e face, and he tried
to pick up som e o f the flowers.
B u t Eliza w en t o n rudely, ‘T h a t’s tw o b unches o f m y flowers
all dirty now. A lo t o f m oney, th at is. W h y d o n ’t you look w here
y o u ’re going?’ She had a very strong L ondon accent.
B u t F reddy’s m o th e r had n o tim e for this y o u n g flow er-seller’s
problem s o r h er L o n d o n accent - she ju st w an ted to get hom e.
‘G o and find us a taxi, Freddy,’ she o rdered him .
‘Sorry, M other. I’m going now,’ and he tu rn ed and disappeared
into the crow d, w ith an o th er quick ‘S o rry ’ to Eliza before he w ent.
Eliza tu rn e d to the old er w o m a n .‘So h e ’s y o u r son, is he? W ell,
h e ’s knock ed m y flowers all over th e g ro u n d and n o w h e ’s run
away w ith o u t paying.’
F reddy’s m o th e r gave Eliza an unpleasant look, tu rn e d away
and follow ed h er son th ro u g h the crow d w ith h e r nose in the air.
Talking unhap p ily and n o t very quietly to herself, Eliza got
dow n on h e r knees and started to pick up th e flowers. O n e o f the
fruit-sellers g o t dow n n e x t to h er and said quietly, ‘Be careful.
T h e re ’s a m an over there w h o ’s w ritin g do w n every w ord y o u ’re
saying. M aybe h e ’s a detective
Som e o f the people near them heard this and tu rn ed to look
at the m an, standing on th e outside o f th e crow d. H e was busy
w ritin g in a small b o o k and he did n o t look up. Eliza was
frig h te n e d .‘Hey! I haven’t d o n e anything w ro n g , speaking to the
gentlem an ab o u t m y flowers, have I? I’m a nice girl. I only
w anted him to pay for m y flowers.’A nd she started to cry.
Som e o f the people in the crow d, im m ediately on Eliza’s side,
told her n o t to w orry, to stop crying. T h e m an w ith the little
bo o k stopped w ritin g and cam e over to her.
‘It’s all rig h t, it’s all rig h t,’ he said. ‘N o b o d y ’s h u rtin g you,
stupid girl! W h o do you th in k I am ?’

2
 Talking unhappily and not very quietly to herself, E liza got down on
her knees and started to pick up the flowers.

‘I prom ise . . . I never said a w ord . . . ’ Eliza cried.

‘O h . Stop it! Stop it now! D o I look like a policem an?’ the
m an asked, in a quite friendly way.
‘T h e n w h y are you w ritin g dow n all m y w ords?’ Eliza asked.
‘H o w do I k n o w w h a t you w ro te ab o u t me? You ju st show m e
w h at you w rote.’
T h e m an o p en ed his little b o o k and held it u n d er h e r nose.
‘W h a t’s th is? T h a t isn’t real w ritin g . I can ’t read that,’ Eliza said.
‘B ut / can,’ the m an answ ered, and he started to read from his
bo o k , p ro n o u n c in g the w ords in the same way that Eliza
p ro n o u n c e d th e m w ith h er strong L o n d o n accent. “ ‘W ell, h e ’s
knocked all m y flowers over and n o w h e ’s ru n away w ith o u t
paying.” See? B u t w hy are you in this part o f L ondon - you
com e from w est L on do n , d o n ’t you?’
Eliza was frig h ten ed again. H o w could this gentlem an k n o w

3
w h ere she cam e from ? She started to get angry again. ‘W h y can ’t
I leave the west? W h y can ’t I com e to w o rk here, eh? I’m a good,
h ard -w o rk in g girl, I am. A nd y o u ’re n o gentlem an, trying to
m ake trouble for a p o o r girl like me.’
B ut the people in the crow d w ere interested in the m an now,
and a n o th er gentlem an asked h im h o w he could k n o w w here
Eliza cam e from .
T h e m an w ith the little b o o k tu rn e d to h im .‘I study phonetics
- the different accents o f English and o th e r languages. T h a t’s my
jo b . I can easily h ear if people com e from Ireland o r Y orkshire,*
and I can hear w h ich part o f L ondon people com e from , too. I
can often tell you w h ich street th e y ’re from .
Eliza cut in .‘Well, you lo o k after y o u r business and leave m e to
look after m ine, then
N o w the gentlem an started to get an g ry .‘W om an! Stop b eing
so ru d e to m e, o r go and find a n o th e r church to stand in front of.
Y our English accent is absolutely terrible —it h u rts m y ears to hear
it. G o d has given you o u r w onderful language, and you use it like
an anim al!’
Eliza did n o t k n o w w h at to say, so she ju st said ,‘A o o o o o w !’
‘A o o o o o w ?’ the m an repeated. ‘W h a t kind o f w o rd is that?
O h ,’ he w en t on unhappily, ‘w hy can ’t th e English teach their
children ho w to speak? P eople in every o th e r c o u n try teach their
children to speak th eir languages well, so w h y can ’t the English
do the sam e?’ H e looked carefully at Eliza for a m in ute, then
tu rn e d and spoke to the o th e r gentlem an in the crow d. ‘You see
this person w ith h er street accent, h e r street English that will
always keep h e r in the street? W h y can ’t she w o rk in som e rich
p erso n ’s house o r in a go o d shop? W h y can ’t she go to fine
parties and dances? I’ll tell you w hy: because o f h er accent! All
she needs is six m o n th s’ study w ith m e and
* Yorkshire: part o f the north o f England w h ere p eop le speak English w ith a
local accent.

4
 ‘Aoooow?’ the man repeated. ‘W hat kind o f word is that? O h ,’
he went on unhappily, ‘why can’t the English teach their
children how to speak?’

Eliza was in te re ste d .‘H ere, w h a t’s th at y o u ’re saying?’

‘Yes, you,’ th e m an tu rn e d to h e r .‘A fter ju st six m o n th s’ study
o f o u r language w ith m e and y o u ’ll be able to go to dances w ith
the richest people in L on d o n - and th ey ’ll never guess w here
y o u ’re from !’
Eliza liked this idea. She tu rn e d to the o th e r gentlem an.
‘Aoow! You d o n ’t believe that, do you?’
‘Well, it is possible,’ the m an answ ered.‘I study the languages o f
India, so I k n o w a little a b o u t it, too.’
T h e m an w ith the little b o o k was im m ediately interested. ‘D o
you, sir? D o you k n o w C o lo n el P ickering, the w rite r o f those
books on Indian languages?’
T h e gentlem an sm ile d .‘I am C o lo n el P ickering,’ he answered.
‘A nd w h o are you, sir?’

5
 ‘I am Professor H e n ry H iggins, the w rite r o f Higgins’ Universal
Alphabet.’
C o lonel P ick erin g was very pleased. ‘Professor Higgins! I
cam e from India specially to m eet y ou!’
‘A nd I was plan n in g to go to India to m eet you!’ H iggins
answered. T h e tw o m en sh o o k hands warmly.
‘You m ust com e and stay w ith m e, C o lo n el Pickering. I live at
27a W im p o le Street. C o m e along w ith m e n o w and w e can talk
over som e supper.’ T h e tw o m en started to w alk away, b u t then
H iggins rem em b ered Eliza and th rew som e m o n ey to her.
She picked up som e o f the m oney. ‘A aaah -o w -o o h !’ she said
and quickly picked up th e rest o f it, g ettin g m o re and m ore
excited. T h e n she ran over to the people near the fire to show
them the m oney. T h e y laughed w ith h e r for a m inute o r tw o
ab o u t all h e r m o n ey at last tu rn in g h e r in to a real lady, then she
m oved in to the shadows near the chu rch and started singing to
herself. O n e by o ne th e others tu rn e d and listened to h er
singing.

A ll I want is a room somewhere,

Far away from the cold night air;
With one enormous chair . . .
Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly?

Lots o f choc’latefor me to eat;

Lots o f coal makin ’ lots o f heat;
Warm face, warm hands, warm feet . . . !
Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly?

Oh, so loverly siftin’ absobloominlutely still

I would never budge till spring
Crept over me winder sill.

6
 Someone’s head restin’ on my knee,
Warm and tender as he can be,
Who takes good care o f me . . .
Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly?
Loverly! Loverly!
Loverly! Loverly!

Suddenly a cold w in d blew across the m arket square and they all
rem em b ered w here they w ere, w h o they w ere, and that it was
nearly tim e to start th eir n ig h t’s w o rk - they m oved back to the
fire and w arm ed th eir hands.

Chapter 2 A Little B it o f Luck

Later that evening, at a pub n o t far from C o v en t G arden, Eliza’s

father was in a b it o f trouble too. T h e barm an was th ro w in g him
and tw o o f his friends o u t o f the pub - they d id n ’t have enough
m oney to pay for th eir drinks.
‘C o m e o n , D oolittle. If you can ’t pay for it, you can ’t d rin k it.
I d o n ’t give it away, you know. O u t you go now.’
Alfred D o o little, still w earin g his dirty old w o rk clothes, cam e
o u t in to the street, lo o k in g q uite unhappy.
‘W ell, thanks for b ein g so kind, G eorge,’ he shouted back at
the b a rm a n .‘Send the bill to B u ckingham Palace!’*
Just th en Eliza cam e ro u n d th e corner. H e r father’s face broke
into a big smile.
‘Eliza! W h a t a surprise!’
‘I ’m n o t giving you a penny,’ she said and w alked past him .
B u t Alfred caught h e r arm . ‘N o w com e on, Eliza. Just give
yo u r old dad a few p ence for a d rin k on his way hom e.’

* B uckingham Palace: T h e h o m e o f the British qu een (or king) in L on d on .

7
Alfred Doolittle, still wearing his dirty old work clothes, came out into
the street, looking quite unhappy.
 Eliza to o k som e m o n ey from h e r p o ck et and looked at it.
‘Well, I had a b it o f luck to n ig h t, so here.’ She p u t the m o n ey in
his h a n d .‘B u t d o n ’t th in k I ’m g o in g to give you so m eth in g every
day.’ She w e n t on dow n th e street.
Im m ediately, arm in arm , Alfred and his friends tu rn e d and
w e n t back in to the p u b .‘George! T h re e beautiful beers, please!’
A nd Alfred and his friends started singing happily.

Alfred:
The Lord above gave man an arm o f iron
So he could do his job and never shirk.
The Lord above gave man an arm o f iron — but
With a little bit o f luck,
With a little bit o f luck,
Someone else’II do the blinkin’ work!

T h e three m en together:
W ith a little bit . . . with a little bit . . .
W ith a little bit o f luck
You’ll never work!

Alfred:
The Lord above made liquorfo r temptation,
To see i f man could turn away from sin.
The Lord above made liquorfo r temptation — but
With a little bit o f luck,
W ith a little bit o f luck,
When Temptation comes you’ll give right in!

T h e three m en together:
W ith a little b i t . . . with a little bit . . .
W ith a little bit o f luck
You’ll give right in!

9
 Alfred:
O h , you can walk the straight and narrow;
But with a little bit o f luck
You’ll run amuck!
The gentle sex was made for man to marry,
To share his nest and see his food is cooked.
The gentle sex was made for man to marry - but
W ith a little bit o f luck,
W ith a little bit o f luck,
You can have it all and not get hooked.

T h e three m en together:
W ith a little bit . . . with a little bit .. .
W ith a little bit o f luck
You won’t get hooked.
With a little bit . . . with a little b i t . . .
With a little bit o f luck
With a little bit o f bloomin’ luck!

A w o m an p u t h er head o u t o f an upstairs w in d o w fu rth er up the

street and shou ted , ‘S h u t up dow n there, will you? H o w do you
th in k I can sleep w ith all that noise?’
‘I’m try in g to keep th em quiet,’ Alfred sho u ted back, and the
three m en m oved o ff do w n the street, still singing, b u t a little
m ore quietly.

C hapter 3 T he Crazy Professor

The n e x t m o rn in g Professor H iggins and his new friend,

C o lo n el P ickering, w ere in the Professor’s w o rk -ro o m in his flat.
T h e C o lo n el was sitting in a com fortable arm chair. T h e room
was very dark b u t he co u ld see a desk w ith u n tid y papers all over

10
it and a telephone. R o u n d the ro o m there w ere different
m achines and pictures o f m o u th s and lips and tongues on som e
o f th e walls. O th e r walls w ere full o f lines o f books - thousands
o f books. Strange sounds w ere co m in g from a small recording
m achine in o n e corner. H iggins was standing n e x t to the
m achine, listening carefully.
‘C an w e have the lights on in a m in u te?’ P ick erin g asked.
‘N o t yet,’ H iggins answ ered. ‘You can hear m u ch b etter in the
dark.’
‘B u t I th in k I’ve heard en o u g h strange noises for this
m o rn in g . M y h ead ’s g o in g ro u n d and ro u n d w ith them .’
Just th en , M rs Pearce, th e Professor’s housekeeper, cam e in.
‘Are you in here, M r H iggins?’
‘W h a t is it, M rs Pearce?’ H iggins asked, and tu rn e d dow n the
recording m achine a little.
‘A y o u n g w o m an w ants to see you, sir.’
H iggins tu rn e d the m achine o ff.‘A y o u n g w om an! W h a t does
she w ant?’ H e sw itched o n the light. ‘Has she got an interesting
accent? Show h er up, M rs Pearce.’
M rs Pearce w en t o u t and re tu rn e d after a m in u te w ith Eliza,
w h o was w earin g h e r best, cleanest clothes and a very large
orange, blue and red hat. P ickering, a k in d -h ea rted m an,
im m ediately felt quite so rry for her, b u t for H iggins she was ju st
an o th e r person he could listen to and study.
‘O h ,’ he said w h en he tu rn e d and saw h e r —and he was clearly
n o t very pleased to see h er again —‘it’s th at girl I was listening to
last night. T h a t’s n o g o o d —I’ve already g o t recordings o f all those
w est L o n d o n accents. I d o n ’t w an t to see you, y o u n g w om an.
G oodbye.’
B ut Eliza did n o t m o v e .‘D o n ’t be so rude. You haven’t heard
w h y I’m here yet, have you? You said you gave lessons to people,
b u t if m y m o n ey isn’t g o o d en o u g h , I’ll keep it.’
‘G oo d e n o u g h for w h at?’ H iggins asked.

11
 I

‘G o o d en o u g h for you. I’ve com e to have lessons, see? A nd I’ll

pay for th em , to o —m ake n o mistake.’
Surprise show ed on H iggins’ face.‘Well! W h a t can I say?’
‘W h a t ab o u t “ Please sit d o w n ” ?’ Eliza answ ered. ‘I f y o u ’re a
gentlem an, that is. I’m b rin g in g you business, aren ’t I?’ H iggins
was n o t am used. H e tu rn e d to P ickering. ‘Shall w e ask this thing
to sit dow n, o r shall w e th ro w it o u t o f the w in d o w ?’
Eliza th o u g h t that he really m eant to throw her o u t o f the
w indow and she m oved quickly towards the door. ‘A h -ah -o h -o w -
ow -oo! You can’t call m e a “ thin g ” w hen I’ve offered to pay you!’
She tu rn ed to P ick erin g .‘I ju st w ant to learn to speak good English
and he said h e ’ll teach me. So here I am w ith my money, ready to
pay for lessons, and he calls m e a “ th in g ” ! T h a t’s n o t right, is it?’
‘Sit dow n, th en . G o on, sit dow n, girl! D o w h at I tell you,’
H iggins said ru d ely .‘W h a t’s y o u r nam e?’
‘Eliza D o olittle.’
‘A nd ho w m uch do you plan to pay m e for the lessons?’
‘W ell, a friend o f m ine gets F rench lessons from a real French
g entlem an for eighteen pence an hour. B u t y o u ’re ju st g oing to
teach m e English, w h ich I can speak already, so I w o n ’t give you
m ore than twelve pence. Take it o r leave it.’
H iggins tu rn e d to P ickering. ‘You know, P ickering, twelve
pence probably m eans the same to this y o u n g w om an as sixty
pounds m eans to you o r m e .T h a t’s n o t a bad offer, is it?’
‘Sixty pounds! W h a t are you talking ab o u t!’ Eliza ju m p e d u p .‘I
d id n ’t offer you sixty po u n d s!’
‘O h , sit dow n and be quiet,’ H iggins said.
N o w P ick erin g spoke for th e first tim e. ‘I th in k it’s a very
interesting offer, H iggins. You know, if you can teach h e r to speak
English w ith o u t a L o n d o n accent, and then take h e r to som e o f
L o n d o n ’s finest dances and parties w ith o u t anyone k n o w in g that
she isn’t really a lady, th e n I’ll say th at y o u ’re th e greatest teacher
in the world! Listen — I’ve got an offer for you, too: if you can do

12
that, then I’ll pay for all th e costs o f the girl’s lessons. H o w ’s that?’
‘O h , y o u ’re a g o o d m an, you are, sir,’ Eliza said to him .
H iggins was lo o k in g at her, starting to see that this was a very
interesting idea. ‘M m m ,’ he said. ‘S h e’s so w onderfully low, so
terribly dirty — I’ll do it! I’ll tu rn this thing in to a real lady!’
‘A oooooow ! I’m n o t dirty: I w ashed m y face and hands before
I came, you know.’
B u t H iggins was n o t listening. H e was n o w q uite excited by
the plan. ‘I’ll start today! N ow ! T his m inute! Take h er away and
clean her, please, M rs Pearce. Take o ff all h e r clothes and b u rn
them , then o rd er som e n ew ones for her.’
‘Take m y clothes off? Y ou’re n o gentlem an, y o u ’re n ot, talking
ab o u t things like that! I’m a g o o d girl, I am.’
‘Take h e r away, M rs Pearce. If she gives you any trouble, hit her
on h er b e h in d !’
“ A ooooow ! I’ll call th e police!’
‘B ut, sir . . . ’ M rs Pearce was starting to get w o rrie d a b o u t this
id e a .‘I haven’t got a ro o m for her. A nd you can ’t ju st take a girl
o ff the street like this - you d o n ’t k n o w an ything ab o u t her!
W h a t a b o u t h er parents? O r perhaps she’s m arried .’
Eliza la u g h e d .‘M e? M arried? M en d o n ’t m arry girls like m e!’
‘N o, Eliza,’ H iggins said, laug h in g loudly, ‘b u t m en will be
sh o o tin g them selves in the streets, dying o f th eir love for you, by
the tim e I’ve finished w ith you!’
‘H e ’s strange — a b it w ro n g in the head, he is,’ Eliza said. ‘I
d o n ’t th in k I w an t him teach in g m e . . . ’
‘W ro n g in the head, am I? M rs Pearce, forget everything I said
ab out n ew clothes. Just th ro w h e r o u t, please.’
M rs Pearce was n o t at all am used. ‘M r H iggins, please stop!
T his is n o t right. G o h o m e to y o u r parents, girl.’
‘I haven’t g o t any parents.’
H iggins was pleased. ‘See? She hasn’t g o t any parents. She
do esn ’t b elo n g to anybody.Take h er upstairs and

13
 B ut M rs Pearce sto p p ed h im a g a in .‘M r H iggins. I m ust know
w h at sh e’s goin g to do here. W h a t w ill happen to h er w hen
y o u ’ve finished teaching her? W h a t a b o u t that, sir?’
‘W h e n I’ve finished w ith her, w e can th ro w h er back into the
street.’
‘O h , y o u ’ve g o t n o heart, have y o u ?’ Eliza said. ‘You only
th in k ab o u t yourself. I’ve had en o u g h o f this. I’m going.’ She
stood up.
H iggins to o k h er arm and w alked w ith h er tow ards the
w in d o w .‘Listen, Eliza. T h in k o f rid in g in taxis, w earing gold and
fine clothes . . . and I’ll give you boxes o f chocolates every day.
Y ou’ll stay here for the n ex t six m o n th s and learn to speak
beautiful English. A nd at the end o f the six m o n th s, y o u ’ll go to
B ucking h am Palace in a beautiful n ew dress, and y o u ’ll m eet the
K ing.’ H e tu rn e d to M rs Pearce and C o lo n el P ickering. ‘There!
Are you happy now, M rs Pearce?’
M rs Pearce was n o t really very happy a b o u t it, b u t she tu rn ed
to leave and said ,‘C o m e w ith m e, Eliza.’
Eliza w alked to th e door, th en tu rn e d and said to H iggins.
‘Y ou’re a bully, th a t’s w h at you are. B u t you w o n ’t bully m e, you
k n o w . . . ’ and she left the room .
‘In a few m o n th s I’m g o in g to tu rn th at thing in to a lady, a
queen,’ H iggins said quietly. ‘S h e’ll be able to go anyw here, mix
w ith anyone. I’m n o t a bully — I’m a nice, ordinary, quiet m an. I
ju st d o n ’t th in k very m u ch o f w o m en , th a t’s all, and I like to live
in my way. I’ve had a nice q u iet tim e w ith o u t w o m en up to now,
and no w om an is ever g oing to change that!’

C hapter 4 T he R ain in Spain

Alfred D o o little was back at the pub near C o v en t G arden three

days later, b u t again the barm an was th ro w in g him o ut. Again,

14
Alfred and his friends h a d n ’t got en o u g h m o n ey to pay for their
drinks. A large, u n tid y L o n d o n w o m an , w h o loved to talk about
all the local new s to anyone w h o listened, was sitting at the bar,
w atching.
‘You can buy the drinks now, A lfred.Y ou’re a lucky m an.’
‘M e? Lucky? W h y ?’
‘T h a t d au g h ter o f yours, Eliza. S h e’s living w ith a rich
gentlem an now, you know. Fine n ew clothes and rid in g ab out in
taxis, and she asked m e to send h er things to 27a W im p o le Street
- a Professor H ig g in s’ place.’
Alfred was very pleased w ith the n e w s.‘I always k n ew it! S h e’s
going to do well for herself, I always said. M y friends, w e ’re going
to have a few drinks! A t last the sun is shining on Alfred P.
D o o little !’

Later that sam e aftern o o n , H iggins was in his w o rk -ro o m , at his

flat. P ick erin g was there too, reading the new spaper. M rs Pearce
cam e in. ‘M r H iggins,’ she said, ‘th e re ’s a m an dow nstairs, M r
Alfred D oolittle. H e w ants to see you — he says you have his
d au ghter here.’
‘Send him up.’
P ickerin g looked up from his paper. ‘I th in k w e ’re g oing to
have som e trouble w ith h im ,’ he said.
‘I th in k lie’s g oing to have som e trouble w ith me, n o t I w ith
him ,’ he said.
M rs Pearce cam e b a c k .‘M r D oolittle, sir.’
Alfred w alked in, h o ld in g his h a t.‘Professor H iggins?’
‘H ere!’ H iggins was by the w indow .
‘I’ve com e ab o u t so m eth in g very serious, sir. I w an t my
d au ghter back. See?’
‘O f course you w ant h er back. S h e’s y o u r daughter, isn’t she?
S he’s upstairs.You can take h e r away im m ediately.’

15
 T his was n o t th e answ er Alfred w anted to h e a r.‘W hat?!’
‘Take h e r away,’ H iggins said. ‘I’m n o t g o in g to keep y o u r
d au g h ter away from you. A nd d o n ’t try asking m e for m o n ey
because sh e’s stayed here w ith us, o r I’ll call the police.’
‘I haven’t asked for a penny,’ Alfred said. H e tu rn e d to
P ic k e rin g .‘H ave I?’
B u t H iggins w e n t o n , ‘M rs Pearce, Eliza’s father has com e to
take h e r away. Give h e r to him .’
‘N o w w ait a m in u te, sir,’Alfred said .‘You and I are m en o f the
w orld, aren ’t we? If you really w ant to keep Eliza here, m aybe we
can com e to som e ag reem en t a b o u t it. I can see y o u ’re an honest
sort o f m an —well, w h a t’s five po u n d s to you, and w h a t’s Eliza to
m e?’
‘You know , P ickering, this is a clever m an, w ith a very clever
tongue. I th in k I’m g oing to give him ten pounds, n o t ju st five,’
H iggins said and p u t his h and in to his pocket.
‘O h no, sir,’ Alfred sa id ,‘n o t ten pounds. You give m e w h a t I
asked for, and n o t a pen n y m ore. See, w ith five p ounds I can go
o u t for a g o o d evening w ith m y lady-love, and w e ’ll be perfectly
happy.’
H iggins p u t five po u n d s into A lfred’s hand.
‘O h , th an k you, sir,’ Alfred said and h u rrie d towards the door.
Just then , th e d o o r flew o p en and a w ell-dressed, clean, b u t very
angry y o u n g w o m an sto rm ed in, w aving a b o o k in front o f her
and alm ost k n o ck in g Alfred over w ith it.
‘I w o n ’t! I w o n ’t! I w o n ’t!’ she shouted. ‘I w o n ’t say those
stupid sounds o ne m o re tim e!’ T h e n she saw h er father and
looked m o re angry than ev er.‘W h a t are you d o in g here?’
‘You h old y o u r tongue, m y girl,’ Alfred answ ered, ‘and d o n ’t
give these gen tlem en any trouble, ever. You hear?’ T h e n he
tu rn e d politely to H iggins and P ickering. ‘G o o d afternoon,
sirs,’ he said, and he w e n t o u t o f the door, laughing.
‘T h e re ’s a clever m an for you,’ H iggins said, sm iling.

16
 ‘W h a t did he com e here for?’ Eliza asked, still angry.
‘Just say those sounds again,’ was H ig g in s’ answer.
Eliza sh o u ted the sounds at h im .‘Ahyee, Eeee, Iyee, O w ,You!
I’ve said th em again and again for th e last three days, and I w o n ’t
say them again! You haven’t g o t a h eart!’
‘Eliza,’ H iggins said quietly ,‘you w ill learn to p ro n o u n c e those
sounds in the rig h t way before this evening, o r you will have no
supper and no chocolates!’ A nd he w alked out, closing the d o o r
hard b eh in d him .
Eliza th rew the b o o k on th e floor and ju m p e d up and dow n
on it, shouting, ‘Just you w ait, H e n ry H iggins! Just you wait!
Y ou’ll be so rry — I’ll pay you back for this!’

T h e day w e n t past. Eliza practised and practised different sounds

and w ords, all day, every day. H iggins gave h e r sentences to say,
w ith difficult sounds in them : The rain in Spain stays mainly in the
plain and In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever
happen and H ow kind o f you to let me come. B u t Eliza c o u ld n ’t say
them in th e rig h t way, so she had to repeat th em fifty tim es . . .
sixty tim es . . . a h u n d re d times! H iggins asked h er to try saying
things w ith small stones in h e r m o u th and o n e w en t dow n h e r
throat by mistake. H e asked h e r to say things w hile he played
music. Eliza tried and tried, b u t she was never g o o d enough.
‘ The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain,’ H iggins said at the
end o f o n e lo n g evening. It was very late.
‘I can ’t,’ Eliza said .‘I’m so tired. I’m so tired.’
‘I k n o w y o u ’re tired, Eliza,’ H iggins said, his voice suddenly
kind. ‘B ut th in k o f w h at y o u ’re try in g to learn - the beautiful
English language! It’s th e greatest th in g w e have — and you will
learn it. N ow , try again.’
Slow ly Eliza tried again. 'T h e rain in Spain stays mainly in the
plain’ She p ro n o u n c e d it perfectly!

17
 The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!

H iggins sat up straight in his c h a ir.‘W h a t did you say?’

Eliza repeated it, again perfectly, w ith n o L on d o n accent at all!
H iggins stood up. H e c o u ld n ’t believe his ears.
‘Again.’
Eliza started to sing the sentence and soon H iggins and
P ick erin g w ere singing w ith her.

Eliza: The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.

H iggins: I think she’s got it! I think she’s got it!
Eliza: The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.
H iggins: By George, she’s got it! By George, she’s got it! N ow once
again, where does it rain?
Eliza: On the plain! On the plain!
H iggins: A n d where’s that soggy plain?
Eliza: In Spain! In Spain!
P ickering ju m p e d to his feet and they all sang together:

18
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!
H iggins tried an o th e r sentence: In Hertford, Hereford and
Hampshire . . . ?
Eliza: Hurricanes hardly happen.
T h e n she sang an o th e r one: How kind o f you to let me come!
H iggins: N ow once again, where does it rain?
Eliza: On the plain! On the plain!
H iggins: A n d where’s that blasted plain?
Eliza: In Spain! In Spain!
A nd they all sang together:
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!

H iggins to o k Eliza in his arm s and they danced ro u n d the room

together, u n til they fell on th e sofa, laughing.
‘P ick erin g ,’ H iggins said, ‘I th in k the tim e has com e to take
her o u t to m eet o th e r people and see h o w she does. W e m ust buy
h er a n ew dress - n o th in g to o flowery, o f course.’
T h e d o o r o p en ed slowly and M rs Pearce, w ith a w o rrie d face,
looked in to th e room . ‘Is everything all rig h t, sir? T h ere was a
terrible noise from do w n here.’
‘E v ery th in g is w onderful, th an k you, M rs Pearce. Eliza, you go
on w ith y o u r w ork,’ H iggins answ ered, and he w e n t out.
P ick erin g follow ed him .
‘W ork? At this tim e o f the n ig h t?’ M rs Pearce said. ‘Eliza, it
do esn ’t m atter w h a t M r H iggins says, you m ust go to bed.’
B ut Eliza was so happy, she ju st w anted to sing.

Bed! Bed! I couldn’t go to bed!

M y head’s too light to try to set it down!
Sleep! Sleep! I couldn’t sleep tonight!
N ot fo r all the jewels in the crown!

19
But Eliza was so happy she ju st wanted to sing . . .
I could have danced all night!

I could have danced all night!

I could have danced all night!
A n d still have begged fo r more.
I could have spread my wings
A n d done a thousand things
I ’ve never done before.

I ’ll never know

W hat made it so exciting;
W hy all at once
M y heart took flight.
I only know when he
Began to dance with me,
I could have danced, danced, danced all night!

20
 C hapter 5 In Love at the R aces

It was a sunny Ju n e aftern o o n for th e horse races at Ascot, near

L ondon. P ick erin g was there in his best black suit and hat, and
w ith h im was M rs H iggins. She loo k ed w o rrie d .
‘C o lo n el P ickering, do you m ean th at m y son is co m in g to
A scot today? T h a t’s an unpleasant surprise, you k n o w —A scot is
the one place I can com e w ith m y friends w ith o u t m eetin g
H enry. W h e n m y friends do m e e t him , I never see th em again.’
‘H e had to com e, M rs H iggins.Y ou see, h e ’s taking the girl to
the big Em bassy Ball soon, and he w anted to take h er som ew here
to m eet people first.’
‘W h at girl?’
‘O h , d id n ’t I say? Miss D o o little —she lives w ith H enry.’
‘Lives w ith H enry? Is he in love w ith her?’
‘O h no! N o th in g like that! S h e’s a flow er girl, from the street.
H e ’s try in g to teach h er to speak g ood English.’
‘B ut C o lo n el, are you saying th at H e n ry is b rin g in g a flow er
girl here, to A scot?’
‘Yes, M rs Higgins! T h a t’s right! Very good, M rs H iggins!’

H iggins was am o n g the crow ds w atch in g the races w h en he m et

his m o th e r a few m inutes later.
‘I hear y o u ’ve b ro u g h t a flow er girl from C o v e n t G arden to
A scot w ith you, H enry,’ she said .‘Is that tru e?’
‘O h , m o th e r dear, she’ll be all right. S h e’s only going to talk
ab o u t the w eather. Perhaps you can help h e r a bit?’
Just then , Freddy E ynsford-H ill and his m o th e r cam e across to
say hello to M rs H iggins, and P ick erin g arrived w ith Eliza. She
was w earin g a w onderful dress and lo o k ed very beautiful. Freddy
c o u ld n ’t take his eyes o ff her. H e was im m ediately, hopelessly in
love w ith her.

21
Pickering arrived with Eliza. She was wearing a wonderful dress and
looked very beautiful.
 ‘T h e first race was very exciting, Miss D o o little. D id you see
it?’ he asked her.
‘T h e rain in Spain stays m ainly in th e plain,’ Eliza said. ‘B u t in
H ertfo rd , H ereford and H am pshire, h u rrican es hardly ever
happen.’
Freddy th o u g h t this was very funny, b u t soon Eliza started to
talk ab o u t things th at she did n o t k n o w h o w to say and h er
L ondon accent cam e back to her. M rs H iggins did n o t k n o w
w h at to do - all h e r fine friends w ere listening w ith surprised
faces. H iggins and P ick erin g tried to stop Eliza and finally
P ickering to o k Eliza by th e arm and said, ‘C o m e along, m y dear.
L et’s go and w atch the n e x t race, shall w e?’
B ut M rs H iggins stopped h im . ‘You can w atch th e race from
here, C o lo n el.’
‘I’ve g o t som e m o n ey o n a horse called D over — it’s n u m b er
seven in this race,’ Freddy said to Eliza. ‘H ere, please take my
ticket for it —it’s yours.’
Eliza to o k th e tic k e t.‘H o w kind o f you,’ she said.
T h e race started and th e horses ran. A t first Eliza ju st said
‘C o m e on, D over!’ quite quietly, b u t th en she g o t m ore and m ore
excited. H e r L o n d o n accent g o t stronger and stronger, u n til she
was shouting , ‘C o m e on, D over! M ove y o u r fat b eh in d !’ in her
loudest voice. P ick erin g quickly left and H iggins started to laugh
and laugh.

T h a t evening Freddy was in W im p o le Street. Sm iling, he

k n ocked on the d o o r o f 27a. M rs Pearce o p en ed it and Freddy
asked if Miss D o o little was at h om e. H e gave M rs Pearce som e
flowers for Eliza and said th at he w o u ld wait.
‘D o n ’t hurry,’ he said .‘I w an t to d rin k in this street w h ere she
lives.’ A nd he tu rn e d to lo o k lovingly at the street. A song cam e
in to his head and he sang w h ile he w aited.

23
E liza ’s Loudon accent got stronger and stronger, until she was shouting,
‘Come on, Dover! Move yourfa t behind!’ in her loudest voice.

I have often walked down this street before;

But the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before.
A ll at once am I
Several storeys high,
Knowing I ’m on the street where you live.

Are there lilac trees in the heart o f town?

Can you hear a lark in any other part o f town?
Does enchantment pour
O ut o f every door?
No, it’s ju st on the street where you live!

A n d oh, the towering feeling

Just to know somehow you are near!
The overpowering feeling
That any second you may suddenly appear!

24
 People stop and stare. They don’t bother me.
For there’s nowhere else on earth that I would rather be.
Let the time go by,
I won’t care i f I
Can be here on the street where you live.

T h e d o o r o p en ed again. M rs Pearce lo o k ed o u t. ‘M r Eynsford-

Hill? I’m very sorry, sir, b u t Miss D o o little says that she never
w ants to see anyone again.’
‘B ut w hy? She was w onderful! Tell h er I’ll w ait.’
‘B ut, sir, m aybe it’ll be days . . . o r w eeks!’
‘B u t d o n ’t you see? I’ll be h appier here,’ Freddy said, and he
sang the last part o f the song again:

People stop and stare. They don’t bother me.

For there’s nowhere else on earth that I would rather be.
Let the time go by,
I won’t care i f 1
Can be here on the street where you live.

T h e n he sat do w n outside Eliza’s front d o o r to w ait.

C hapter 6 A R eal Lady

O n e evening, six w eeks later, H iggins and P ick ering w ere in

H iggins’ w o rk -ro o m at th e flat in W im p o le Street. T h ey w ere
b o th in black evening suits, ready to go out.
‘W h a t happens if she makes a n o th e r terrib le mistake at the
Embassy Ball to n ig h t, H iggins?’
‘T h e re are no horses at the Ball, P ickering. Stop w o rrying.’
M rs Pearce cam e in .‘T h e car is here, sir.’
A few m inutes later Eliza w alked in to the room , lo o k in g very

25
beautiful in an expensive n e w evening dress. P ick erin g stood up,
his m o u th open.
‘Miss D o o little, you lo o k beautiful.’
‘T h a n k you, C o lo n el P ickering.’
H iggins studied Eliza carefully. T h e n he said, ‘N o t bad. N o t
bad at all.’
Pickering, always gentlem anly, offered Eliza his arm and they
w en t dow nstairs together, to the car.

T h ey arrived at the Ball and a d o o rm an called th e ir nam es w h en

they w alked in to th e ballroom . M rs H iggins im m ediately cam e
over for a w o rd w ith C o lo n el Pickering.
‘People th in k she’s charm in g , M rs H iggins,’ he told her. ‘Lady
T arringto n asked m e w h o that beautiful y o u n g w om an w ith
Professor H iggins was and I had to th in k for a m in u te before I
said “ Eliza D o o little ” .’
‘T h a t was very quick o f you C o lo n el. You know, she is
charm ing. I’ve com e to like th at girl so m u ch in the last few
weeks. W h e re is she?’
‘Upstairs,’ P ickering answ ered at the same tim e as the doorm an
called out, ‘Miss Eliza D o o little ’, and Eliza cam e dow n the stairs
to the ballroom . E verybody in the ro o m tu rn e d to w atch her.
H iggins m oved to m eet h er at the b o tto m o f the stairs.
T h e n the Q u e e n o f Transylvania cam e in to the room w ith h er
husband and, w alking past Eliza, she stopped and p u t o ne hand
up to to u ch Eliza’s face.
‘C h arm in g ,’ she said.‘A bsolutely charm ing.’A nd she m oved on
into the room .
T h e m usic began and people m oved on to the d an ce-flo o r in
pairs. H iggins to o k Eliza on to the d an ce-flo o r and they danced
away to g e th e r am o n g the o th e r dancers.

26
 The music began and people moved on to the dance-Jloor in pairs.

T h ey arrived h o m e from the Ball at three o ’clock in the m o rning.

Eliza was tired. She stood quietly near H iggins’ desk in the co rn er
w hile H iggins and Pickering talked excitedly together.
‘You did it, Higgins! You did it! W ell d o n e!’
Eliza stood w ith o u t m o v in g and listened. She got m ore and
m ore angry. A t last, w h e n P ick erin g left the room and H iggins
told h er to b rin g him his slippers, she could n o t stop h erself.T he
slippers w ere by his desk; she picked th em up and threw them at
him , sh o u tin g ,‘T h ere are y o u r slippers . . . and th ere!’
‘W h a t’s th e m atter w ith you? W h a t’s w ro n g ?’ asked H iggins,
very surprised.
‘N o th in g ’s w ro n g - w ith you. You did it, d id n ’t you?’ she
shouted at H iggins. ‘You did it! W h a t ab o u t me? D id n ’t I do it
too? B u t I d o n ’t m atter, do I? I’d like to kill you, you b ig-headed
bully! Y ou’re ju st pleased that it’s all finished now, aren’t you?
N o w you can th ro w m e back o n the street!’ Eliza tried to hit h im

27
on the side o f th e face, b u t he caught h e r arm and pushed h er
dow n on to the sofa.
‘You w ant to h it m e, do you? Just sit do w n and be quiet.’
Eliza sat, feeling sad and hopeless. ‘W h a t’s goin g to happen to
m e now ?’ she asked, and she started to cry.
‘D oes it m atter w h a t happens to y o u ?’ H iggins answ ered
angrily. ‘Are you suddenly saying that I hav en ’t b een good to
you? T h a t I haven’t h elp ed you? . . . Perhaps y o u ’re ju st tired after
the Ball. H ave a chocolate. T h e re ’s n o th in g m o re to w o rry ab out
now.’
‘N o th in g m ore to w o rry about. I’d like to be dead,’ Eliza said
q u ietly .‘I heard you say “ T h a n k G o d it’s all finished!” W h a t do I
do now ? W h ere do I go?’
‘O h , th a t’s w hat y o u ’re w o rry in g about, is it? I d o n ’t th ink you'll
have any trouble finding a good jo b now, you know. Perhaps m arry
som eone - you see Eliza, n o t all m en dislike w om en, like I do. G o
to bed and have a good n ig h t’s sleep and y o u ’ll see everything
differently in the m o rn in g , I’m sure. Perhaps m y m o th er can find a
nice yo ung m an for you to marry. B ut I’m tired now, too. I m ust
go to bed.’ He walked to the door and w ent out.
Eliza fell on to a chair and started to cry again

C hapter 7 M arried in the M orning

Som e tim e later, Eliza cam e q uietly o u t o f th e front d o o r o f the

house, carry in g a small suitcase. Freddy was still there, having
been there every day, only leaving to eat, sleep and change his
clothes. H e d id n ’t see Eliza im m ediately, b u t th e n he did . . .
‘M y love!’ he cried.
‘W h a t are you d o in g here?’
‘O h , n o th in g m u ch . I spend m ost o f m y tim e here. T his is the
only place I .. .You k n o w I’m in love w ith you, Eliza!’

28
Freddy said, 7 ... you know I ’m in lone with you, E liza! Eliza had no
time for this.

Eliza had n o tim e for this. She w alked o ff dow n the street,
w ith Freddy b eh in d her, saying,‘M y love . . . m y love!’

It was five o ’clock, early in the m o rn in g o f th at same night. T h e

fruit and flow er sellers at C o v en t G arden m arket w ere ju st
starting th eir day’s w o rk and a few o f th em w ere near a small fire
again, talking and keeping w arm . Som e o f th e m w ere singing a
few lines o f Eliza’s song: . . . Warm face, warm hands, warm feet . . .
Oh, wouldn’t it he loverly?
Eliza cam e in to the square and w alked shyly over to the fire.
T h e m en stopped singing.
‘G o o d m o rn in g , Miss. C an w e help you?’T h e y did n o t kn o w
w h o she was. T h e n o n e o f th em looked at h er closely.
‘Yes?’ Eliza asked.

29
 ‘Sorry, Miss,’ the m an said, ‘for a m in u te I th o u g h t you w ere
som ebod y I k n ew . . . C an I get you a taxi?’
‘N o , th an k you,’ Eliza answ ered sadly.
S uddenly the d o o r o f a p u b o n the side o f the square o p en ed
and Elizas father cam e out. H e was w earin g a new black
m o rn in g suit, w ith shining black shoes.
‘Father!’ Eliza said.
Alfred stopped and tu r n e d .‘O h no! S h e’s co m e back to spy on
m e, m y girl has!’
‘C o m e along now, Alfred,’ o n e o f his friends said and to o k him
by the a r m .‘W e’ve g o t to get you to th e church.’
‘C h u rc h ? ’ Eliza asked.
‘Yes, ch u rch ,’ h er fath er answ ered. ‘T h a t’s th e terrib le thing.
W h y do you th in k I’m w earin g all these fine clothes? M y lady­
love w ants to m arry m e, n o w th at I’ve g o t som e m oney. T h a t’s
why. You can com e and see th e m finish m e o ff this m o rn in g , if
you w an t - St G e o rg e ’s C h u rc h , H an o v er Square at ten o ’clock.’
‘N o, th an k you, D ad. B u t g o o d luck.’ She tu rn e d and slowly
left the square.
Alfred tu rn e d to his frie n d s.‘H o w m u ch tim e have I still got?’
he asked. ‘T h ere are drinks and girls all over L o n d o n, and I m ust
find som e o f th e m in th e n e x t few hou rs!’ A nd he suddenly
started to sing.

I ’m getting married in the morning!

Ding dong! The bells are gonna chime.
Pull out the stopper!
Let’s have a whopper!
But get me to the church on time!

I gotta be there in the mornin’

Spruced up and lookin ’ in me prime.
Girls, come and kiss me;
Show how you’ll miss me.

30
 ‘You can come and see them finish me off this morning, if you want -
St George’s Church, Hanover Square at ten o’clock.’

But get me to the church on time!

I f I am dancin ’
Roll up the floor.
I f I am whistlin ’
Whewt me out the door!

For I ’m getting married in the mornin’

Ding dong! The bells are gonna chime.
Kick up a rumpus
But don’t lose the compass;
A n d get me to the church,
Get me to the church,
For G aw d’s sake, get me to the church on time!

Alfred and all his friends started to sing and dance a final
‘good b y e’ dance for Alfred all th ro u g h the m arket. T h e sun was
alm ost up now. It was m o rn in g .

31
 The crowd lifted Alfred above their heads and carried him off towards
the church.

T h e crow d lifted Alfred above th e ir heads and carried him o ff

towards the church.

C hapter 8 A Sad D ay for H iggin s

Back at H iggins’ flat, at ab o u t eleven o ’clock that same m o rn in g ,

H iggins was sh o u tin g from his room . ‘Pickering! Pickering!
Eliza’s g o n e!’
P ickerin g cam e i n .‘G o n e?’
‘Yes. G one! R u n away! W h a t am I g o in g to do? I can ’t find
w here an ything is and I d o n ’t k n o w w h o ’s co m in g to see m e this
m o rn in g . Eliza k n ew all that, b u t sh e’s gone.’
‘H iggins, did you bully h er again last night? Is that w hy she’s
ru n away?’ P ick erin g asked.

32
 ‘J ust the opposite - she bullied m e. She th rew m y slippers at
m e. I d o n ’t u n derstand it - w e w ere so g o o d to her. Please,
Pickering, do som ething! Call the police! I w an t to find her! She
belongs to me! I paid five po u n d s for her!’
‘T h e police? G o o d idea.’ P ick erin g picked up the phone.
H iggins w en t o n , ‘W h y did she go? I c a n ’t u n derstand it at all!
W o m en are never sensible! T h e y ’ve got heads full o f w ool, stupid
things! W h y can ’t w o m en be m ore like m en , th a t’s w h a t I w an t to
know ? W h y can ’t w o m en be like usV

A t ab out the same tim e, Eliza was at M rs H ig g in s’ house.

‘You m ean that you did this w onderful th in g for them at the
Ball, w ith o u t one mistake, and they never said h o w w onderful
you were? N ev er said th an k you?’ M rs H iggins asked.

Higgins went on, ‘W hy did she go? I can’t understand it at all! Women
are never sensible! . . . W hy can’t women be more like men, that’s what
I want to know?’

33
 ‘N o t a w ord,’ Eliza answ ered.
‘T h a t’s terrible, m y dear. R eally terrib le!’
Eliza started to smile, b u t h e r sm ile quickly disappeared w h en
she heard H ig g in s’ voice from th e front door.
‘M other! M o th e r!’
‘Stay w h ere you are, m y dear,’ M rs H iggins said to Eliza.
‘M other! T h e m ost terrib le th in g has h ap p en ed . . . ’ H iggins
said, h u rry in g into the ro o m . H e stopped w h en he saw Eliza.
‘You!’ he shouted.
‘H o w are you, Professor H iggins. Q u ite well, 1 h o p e?’ Eliza
said.‘W ill you have a cup o f tea?’
‘D o n ’t you try that gam e on m e!’ H iggins shouted back. ‘I
taught you! N o w get up and com e h o m e and stop b eing so
stupid! Y ou’ve given m e en o u g h trouble for o ne m o rn in g !’
‘Very polite, H enry! W h a t a nice way to ask a you n g lady to
com e to y o u r house!’ M rs H iggins said to h er s o n .‘N o w you be
polite to Eliza o r I’ll ask you to leave. W h y d o n ’t you talk to h er
ab out the w eath er o r so m ething?’T h e n M rs H iggins tu rn e d and
left th em together.
H iggins sat do w n and to o k a cup o f tea.
‘W ell, Eliza, y o u ’ve paid m e back now. Have you finished? O r
do you w an t m ore? I ’ll be q uite all rig h t w ith o u t you, you kn o w
.. . ’ B u t th e n his voice c h a n g e d ,‘B u t I w ill miss you, Eliza.You’ve
taught m e a few things, too.’
‘Y ou’ve g o t m y voice o n y o u r recording m achine. You can
tu rn that o n any tim e you w an t to hear m e, and you can ’t h u rt
m achines, can you? W h a t do you w ant m e back for?’
‘O h , I see,’ H iggins an sw ered .‘You w an t m e to be in love w ith
you or som ething, do you? Like Freddy? Is that it?’
Eliza did n o t k n o w w h a t to say for a m inute. T h e n she said,
‘N o, th a t’s n o t it. I ju s t w an t you to be k in d er to me. I stayed w ith
you, n o t for the n ew dresses and th e taxis, b u t because w e w ere
pleasant together. I felt friendly towards you.’

34
 ‘Yes, o f course. W ell, P ick erin g and I feel the same. Y ou’re
b ein g stupid.’
‘O h! I c a n ’t talk to you: y o u tu rn everything against me. I ’ll
m arry Freddy, th a t’s w h a t I’ll do. H e loves m e.’
‘Freddy! Freddy is a g o o d for nothing! W om an, you d o n ’t
understand! I have tau g h t you to be a real lady - you can’t go and
m arry a m an like Freddy!’
Eliza ju st laug h ed at him . ‘O r perhaps I ’ll be a teacher — I’ll
teach phonetics. I d o n ’t like y o u r big talk and y o u r bullying, you
see, H e n ry H iggins! Y ou’re n o t th e b eg in n in g and the end! T h e
w orld will still go ro u n d w ith o u t you, you know ! T h e re ’ll still be
rain d o w n o n th at plain in Spain w ith o u t you! I can lo o k after
m yself w ith o u t y o u !’
H iggins ju st sat and lo o k ed at her. ‘Eliza, y o u ’re w onderful! I
like you to be strong like this!’
Eliza looked at him coldly, tu rn ed away and walked to the door.
‘Goodbye, Professor Higgins. I w o n ’t be seeing you again.’ She went.
H iggins co u ld n o t speak. H e w alked slowly to the d o o r and
called w eakly.‘M other! M o th e r!’
H is m o th e r cam e in. ‘W h a t is it, H enry? W h a t’s h appened?’
‘S h e’s gone,’ he said, alm ost to him self. ‘W h a t can I do?’

C hapter 9 W here Are M y Slippers?

H iggins was outside his house in W im p o le S treet late that

afternoo n . H e c o u ld n ’t stop th in k in g ab o u t Eliza. N o w he kn ew
that he w an ted h e r w ith him . She was part o f his w orld.

I ’ve grown accustomed to herface!

She almost makes the day begin.
I ’ve grown accustomed to the tune
She whistles night and noon.

35
 •Higgins ivas outside his house in Wimpole Street lute that afternoon.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Eliza . . .
I’ve grow n accustom ed to h er face!

Her smiles. Her frowns.

Her ups, her downs,
Are second nature to me now;
Like breathing out and breathing in.
I was serenely independent and content before we met;
Surely I could always be that way again - and yet
I’ve grown accustomed to her looks;
Accustomed to her voice:
Accustomed to her face.

H e stopped sin g in g .‘M arry Freddy!’ he said angrily.‘W h at a stupid

idea! W h at a heartless thing to do! She w o n ’t be happy. She’ll com e
knock in g on m y d o o r o ne night . . . I’m really a m ost forgiving
m an . . . b u t I’ll never take her back! Never! M arry Freddy! H a!’

36
 H e to o k his key o u t o f his p o ck et b u t suddenly stopped. H e
did n o t k n o w quite w h a t to do w ith o u t Eliza. H e needed her.

H e was in his w o rk -ro o m th at evening, b u t he c o u ld n ’t w ork. H e

w alked ro u n d and ro u n d the room . H e stopped nex t to his
recordin g m achine and tu rn e d it on. Eliza’s voice cam e o u t into
the roo m . H e sat d o w n w ith his back to th e m achine and
listened, his head dow n.
‘I w an t to be a lady in a flow er shop,’ h e r voice said,‘instead o f
selling flowers at the c o rn e r o fT o tte n h a m C o u rt R o a d . H e said
he could teach m e, b u t he bullies m e all the tim e.’
Very softly Eliza w alked in to the ro o m b e h in d him . She stood
lo oking at him .
‘She was so w onderfully low, so terrib ly dirty] H iggins said
sadly to him self, re m e m b e rin g h er first visit to this room .

7 washed my face and hands before I came, you know,’ E liza said.

37
 Eliza tu rn e d o ff th e m achine. ‘I w ashed m y face and hands
before I cam e, you know,’ she said.
H iggins sat up straight in his chair. M ost o f all he w an ted to
laugh loudly, to ru n to her. Instead, he sat back in th e chair again,
pushed his hat do w n over his eyes and very softly said, ‘Eliza,
w here are m y slippers?’
Eliza w an ted to cry. She u n d e rsto o d h im so well.
 ACTIVITIES

Chapters 1-3
Before you read
1 Look at the picture on the front of the book, and the pictures on
pages 5 and 8. Describe all the people in the pictures.Who do you
think is rich and who is poor?
2 Find these words in your dictionary.
accent gentleman lady phonetics play
Which words mean:
a the study of how we speak
b something people go to see at the theatre
c the way a person says the sounds in his or her language
d a man from a good family, often very rich
e a woman from a good family, often very rich
3 Find these words in your dictionary.
absolutely bully machine pronounce recording
Now think of other words which mean almost the same as these
five words.

After you read

4 Who are these people? Write two sentences about each one.
a Eliza Doolittle
b Professor Henry Higgins
c Colonel Pickering
d Alfred Doolittle
e Mrs Pearce
5 Which sounds are most difficult for you to pronounce in English?
Which sounds are easiest? Do you try to make your accent better
when you speak English? How?

Chapters 4 -6
Before you read
6 Professor Higgins thinks that he can teach Eliza to speak beautiful
English, without her London accent. He says people will think she’s a
fine lady. Do you think this is possible in six months? Why/why not?

39
 7 Find these words in your dictionary.
ball charming races slippers
Use the words to finish these sentences.
a People go to th e to watch horses run, and win money.
b At a people dance and enjoy themselves.
c Eliza w a s at the ball, and everybody liked her.
d Some people w e a r inside the house, not shoes.

After you read

8 Where are the people in the pictures
a on page 18
b on page 24
c on page 27?
9 Answer these questions.
a Why does Alfred Doolittle come to Higgins’s house?
b Who meets Eliza for the second time, at the races? What
happens?
c What is Eliza’s big mistake at the races?
d What do people think of Eliza at the ball? Why?
e Why is Eliza angry after the ball?
10 Eliza says: ‘What’s going to happen to me now?’ Was Higgins right
to change Eliza into a lady? Why/why not?

Chapters 7-9
Before you read
11 Look at the picture on page 29. How do the people feel about each
other? What are they thinking?

After you read

12 Are these sentences right or wrong?
a Freddy spends a lot of time outside Eliza’s house,
b Eliza’s father, Alfred, is going to a friend’s wedding,
c Higgins misses Eliza when she leaves,
d Eliza goes to Mrs Higgins’ house to find Higgins,
e Eliza decides to go back to Higgins because she doesn’t want
to be poor again.

40
13 Work with another student. Have a conversation.
Student A: You are Eliza. You are at Mrs Higgins’ house. You are
talking to her about her son, Professor Higgins. You
are very unhappy. Tell her why.
Student B: You are Mrs Higgins. Ask Eliza questions about her
time with your son. Ask what happened after the
ball?

Writing
14 You are Higgins. Write a scientific report about how you taught
Eliza.
15 Six months after the end of the story Higgins writes a letter to
Pickering in India. He tells Pickering all his and Eliza’s latest news.
What has happened to them? Are they happy? Why/why not?
Write the letter.
16 Do you know the music for the songs in this book? If you do, which
is your favourite song, and why? If you don’t know the music,
which song words do you like best, and why? Think of a song in
your language. Now write the words in English. Use your dictionary
to find new words.
17 The play by George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion, from which the
story of My Fair Lady comes, ends in a different way. In Shaw’s
play, Eliza ends with Freddy, not Higgins. What do you think of this
different ending? Read the last part of the story on pages 37-38,
from ‘He was in his work-room.’ Now rewrite the ending. This time,
Eliza tells Professor Higgins that she is going to marry Freddy.

Answers for the A ctivities in this book are published in our free resource packs for teachers, the
Penguin Readers Factsheets, or available on a separate sheet. Please write to your local Pearson
Education office or to: Marketing Department, Penguin Longman Publishing, 80 Strand,
London WC2R ORL

41
 N o tes on the songs

Use your dictionary to check the m eaning o f any o f the words below that you
do not know, o r any o f the words in the songs w hich have no notes.

1 Wouldtt ’t It Be Loverly? (Eliza, page 6)

enormous — very big
loverly = lovely = very nice, very pleasant
choc'hue = chocolate
makin ’ = making
siltin’ = sitting
absobloominlutely two words mixed together
1. absolutely 2. blooming = very (an English slang word, not very polite)
budge = move
itHudcr sill = w indow sill (= the outside o f a window)
reslin' = resting
tender = kind and loving

2 W ith A Little B it o f Luck (Alfred Doolittle and friends, page 9)

the Lord above = God
an arm o f iron = a very strong arm
• shirk = to try not to do som ething difficult o r unpleasant (e.g. hard work)
blinkin’ means almost the same as bloomin’ in the last song - it is also a slang
word
liquor = strong drink, alcohol
temptation = wanting to do something that you know is wrong or stupid
sin = som ething you do that is bad or wrong
you’ll give right in = you’ll immediately stop fighting against something
(e.g. a temptation) or somebody
walk the straight and narrow = live in a good, honest way
run amuck = go wrong, make a bad mistake (e.g. sin)
the gentle sex = w om en
share his nest = live with him
hooked = caught, m arried

3 The Rain In Spain (Eliza, w ith Higgins and Pickering, page 18)
plain = a large piece o f open land with no hills and very few trees
By George . . . ! - a way o f saying that you are very surprised, like
M y Goodness! or I don't believe it!

42
 soggy — very wet
hurricane = a storm with very strong winds
hardly = almost never
• blasted = very windy; people also sometimes use this word with a slang
m eaning = very unpleasant

4 I Could Have Danced A ll N ight (Eliza, page 19)

jewels = very expensive, colourful stones; people put them in gold rings, for
example
crown = a gold thing with jewels in it which kings o r queens sometimes
wear on their head
begged = asked
spread my wings = started to fly like a bird
took flight = started to fly

5 O n T he Street Where You Live (Freddy, page 24)

pavement = the part o f the side o f the road where people walk
storeys = the floors o f a tall building
' lilac trees = trees with beautiful, sweet-smelling white, purple o r pink
flowers
a lark = a small bird which sings beautifully
enchantment = the feeling that everything is wonderful
towering = very big and strong
overpoivering = very strong
stare = look for a long time

6 Get M e To The Church O n Tim e (Alfred Doolittle, page 30)

'Ding dong!' are words which sound like a church bell
gonna = going to
chime = make the sound o f a bell
• stopper = the thing inside the neck o f a bottle o f beer o r wine, it stops the
beer or w ine from com ing out
' a whopper = som ething very big —here, a big drink
I've gotta = I have got to, 1 must
spruced up = very tidy
lookin’ in me prime = looking as good as possible
whistlitt' — whistling = making music through your Ups
‘W liewt'h not a real English word - Alfred uses this for the whistling noise;
he means hurry me (out of the door)

43
 kick up a rumpus ~ m ake a lot o f trouble
compass = th e th in g w h ich travellers use to find th e ir way across deserts or
the sea - it always points to the n o rth , so, w ith a map, you know w here
you arc going
G awd’s = G od's: For G awd’s sake m eans the sam e here as Please don't forget
to . . . !

1 I ’ve G rown Accustom ed To H er Face (H iggins, page 35)

accustomed to = w h en you are ‘accustom ed to ’ som ething, it is not strange to
you; you k n o w it very well
rune - th e m usic o f a song, w ith o u t th e words; people often w histle tunes
frown = people ‘frow n’ w h e n they are n o t pleased o r angry - they pull their
eyebrows to g eth er
second nature = n o t at all strange
serenely independent = quietly happy to he free
content = happy
looks = w hat h e r face looks like
 P E N G U I N R E A D E R S L E V E L 3

A1y Fair Lady - th e fam ous film w ith th e beautiful

A u d rey H e p b u rn as Eliza D o o little .

W h e n Professor Higgins m e ets Eliza D o o little he

understands th a t it is h e r strong London accen t th a t
w ill always keep h er in th e s tre e t. In this w onderful
sto ry ab o u t tw o ve ry d iffe re n t people, Higgins decides
to teach Eliza to speak English w ith o u t h e r accent.
B ut w h a t w ill happen to Eliza w hen he’s finished?

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Easystarts (200 words) to Advanced (3000 words).

Series Editors: Andy Hopkins and Jocelyn Potter

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