A story by Machado de Assis (1884) — a woman with cards, a man with a secret, and a letter that says 'Come now'.
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Before we read, let's learn the words you'll need. Think first — then click Reveal to check.
Read the sentence. What does the bold word mean? Then reveal.
Read the meaning. Say the word. The first letter helps you.
Read the sentence and choose a, b or c. Then reveal.
This is a famous story from Brazil, told here in simple English. Read each part, then try the questions from memory. The ending is very short — don't read it first!
It was Rio de Janeiro, 1869. Rita was thirty and beautiful. She was married to Villela. But she loved another man: Camillo, her husband's best friend.
One Friday Rita told Camillo a secret. "Yesterday I went to a fortune-teller. She put the cards on the table and she guessed everything! She said: 'You love a certain person. You are worried that he will forget you. But don't worry — he won't.'"
Camillo laughed. "You went to a fortune-teller? That was not clever. Somebody might see you. Villela might hear about it."
"Laugh, laugh," said Rita. "You men don't believe in anything."
It was true. Camillo believed in nothing — not in God, not in cards, not in luck. When he was a child, his mother taught him many beliefs. At twenty, he threw them all away. But he did not want to hurt Rita, so he said nothing more. They said goodbye, happy. On his way home, Camillo walked past the fortune-teller's house and looked at it.
1. What did the fortune-teller tell Rita?
2. What does Camillo believe in?
1. That Rita loved a certain person, that she was worried he would forget her, and that he wouldn't.
2. Nothing — not God, not cards, not luck.
Villela and Camillo were friends from childhood. Villela was a lawyer; he married Rita and came to live in Rio. Camillo found a house for them and welcomed them. When Camillo's mother died, Villela and Rita helped him with everything. They were true friends.
But Camillo and Rita spent more and more time together. They read the same books. They went to the theatre. They played cards in the evenings. And slowly, friendship became love. Villela saw nothing. He trusted his wife, and he trusted his friend.
Then one day, Camillo received a letter with no name on it. "You are a bad man. Everybody knows what you are doing." Camillo was afraid. He stopped visiting Villela's house. That is why Rita went to the fortune-teller — she was worried.
More letters came. "Maybe the writer will tell Villela," said Camillo. "Then he will kill us." Rita said: "Give me the envelopes. I will look at the letters that come to my husband. If the writing is the same, I will tear it up."
But then Villela changed. He became quiet and serious. Something was wrong. The lovers decided to stop seeing each other for a few weeks. They said goodbye and cried.
1. How did Villela and Rita help Camillo?
2. What did the letters say, and what did Camillo do?
1. When Camillo's mother died, they helped him with everything — they were true friends.
2. 'You are a bad man. Everybody knows what you are doing.' Camillo was afraid and stopped visiting Villela's house.
The next day, at his office, Camillo received a note from Villela: "Come to our house immediately. I must talk to you now."
Camillo went white. Why the house, not the office? Was the writing shaking? Villela knew everything! He would be waiting at the door with a gun! Camillo was very afraid — but he went. He took a carriage. "Fast! Faster!"
In a narrow street, the carriage had to stop. Another carriage had broken down. Camillo waited. Then he saw: on his left was the fortune-teller's house. The same house. He was a man who believed in nothing… but he was afraid. He jumped out and ran up the dark stairs.
The fortune-teller was a thin Italian woman of forty with sharp eyes. She put three cards on the table. "You have had a big shock. You are afraid. You want to know if something will happen to you." "To me and to her," he said. She looked at the cards. "Don't be afraid. Nothing will happen to you or to her. The other man knows nothing. Go in peace, young lover."
Camillo was so happy that he paid her five times her usual price. She smiled and put the money in her pocket. Then she ate some raisins.
In the carriage, everything looked different. The sky was blue. The people were smiling. Camillo laughed at his stupid fears. Of course Villela's note was friendly! It was just business. "Faster!" he said. He wanted to arrive.
He ran up the steps and knocked. Villela opened the door. His face was terrible. He said nothing. Camillo went in — and saw Rita on the sofa. She was dead. Villela took Camillo by the neck. There were two shots, and Camillo fell.
1. Why did Camillo go into the fortune-teller's house?
2. What did the fortune-teller say, and what was the truth?
1. His carriage stopped right outside it, and he was so afraid that he wanted somebody to tell him it would be all right.
2. She said nothing would happen to him or to Rita, and that Villela knew nothing. In fact Villela knew everything: Rita was already dead, and he shot Camillo.
A fortune-teller's job is predictions: "You will be happy. He won't forget you." This is will / won't + verb — the simplest way to talk about the future in English.
Complete with will or won't + the verb in brackets.
1. "You (meet) somebody important this year."
2. "He (not / forget) you."
3. "Nothing bad (happen) to you."
4. "Your husband (not / find out)."
1. will meet
2. won't (will not) forget
3. will happen
4. won't (will not) find out
Make the question, then give the short answer.
1. (Villela / read) the letter? — No, he .
2. (Camillo / go) to the house? — Yes, he .
3. (the fortune-teller / tell) the truth? — No, she .
4. (it / be) a happy ending? — No, it .
1. Will Villela read … won't
2. Will Camillo go … will
3. Will the fortune-teller tell … won't
4. Will it be … won't
Write a full sentence with will or won't for each idea. Then say if you were right.
1. Camillo / believe the fortune-teller? → I think .
2. Villela / discover the secret? → I think .
3. Rita / be at the house? → I think .
4. The story / have a happy ending? → I think .
1. Camillo will / won't believe the fortune-teller.
2. Villela will / won't discover the secret.
3. Rita will / won't be at the house.
4. The story will / won't have a happy ending. (Any full sentence with will / won't is correct — then check it against the story!)
In the Speak tab, tell the story and say what the fortune-teller predicted with will and won't — and then what really happened.
Machado de Assis (1839–1908) was born poor in Rio de Janeiro. His grandparents were slaves. He taught himself, worked as a printer and a journalist, and became the greatest writer in Brazil. He loved short, cold, clever stories with a surprise at the end.
The story begins with a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet: 'There are more things in heaven and earth than we can understand.' Then the story shows the opposite. The fortune-teller does not know the future. She looks at a frightened man's face and tells him: 'Don't worry.' He pays her a lot of money. And he goes happily to his death.
This is the heart of the lesson — do all three out loud. The timer helps you keep going: fill the time with details.
Tell 'The Fortune-Teller' to someone who does not know it: Rita and the cards → the three friends → the letters → Villela's note → the carriage stops → the fortune-teller → the house.
Say what the fortune-teller predicted with will / won't, and use at least five key words (fortune-teller, cards, secret, letter, husband, believe, guess, worried, hurry, jealous).
Who is to blame for the ending: Villela, Rita, Camillo, or the fortune-teller? Choose one, give two reasons. Then choose a different person and argue for one minute.
Be a fortune-teller. Make predictions with will and won't — for a person, a country, a football team, or the world in 2050.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: