英语小故事reading

I Owe You for a Float

Mr Smith worked in a post office and three years ago ,when he was sixty ,he retired .Now he and his wife stay at home and his children work in another city .The old woman does all housework and he has nothing to do at home .He likes neither reading nor watching games .At first he didn’t know how to spend the spare time .Mr Hunt who was two years older than him asked him to go fishing with him .

“It’s a good sport ,”said Mr Hunt .“I’m sure you will soon be interested in it .”

“But I cann’t fish at all ,you know .”

“That’s easy .Go fishing with me tomorrow morning and I’ll teach you .”Mr Smith decided to try his luck .The following day the two old friends came to a river and began to fish .Suddenly Mr Smith said ,“How much do those little red things cost ?”

“You mean the floats ?Oh ,they are cheap .What made you ask me such a question ?”

“I owe you one .Mine has just sunk .”

Something Is Wrong with Your Cars

Robert was a clever young man and got on well with his classmates .They all liked him and played with him though he often boasted .He was strong and often had sports .He hoped to join the army when he left the middle school .Bad luck !His leg was hurt in a traffic accident and he couldn’t walk .He had to go to his home village and help his father to manage the farm .He read a lot of books on farming and did well in it .He got much money and bought a few farms next to hs and ten years later he became the richest farmer in his village .

Once Robert met several friends in the capital .Some of them were famous in their country .They knew nothing about their lame friend .It made him unhappy and he asked them to visit his farm .They agreed and went there with him .They saw a beautiful house with a big garden when they got there .They found he had a lot of sheep ,pigs and cows .Robert and his family warmly received the guests from London .The next morning he took them to his farm .It was so large that they couldn’t see the other end and it surprised them all .

“It’ll take you two days to reach the other end of my farm by car !”Robert said happily .

“I think something is wrong with your cars !”one of the guests said with a smile .

A Foolish Chicken

Christmas was coming .Mr Smith had no money to buy any presents for his children .His wife was ill and he spent a lot of money on her medicine .And the harvest was bad and all his family were going go be hungry the next spring .He was quite worried about it .

“We had only a cock ,”said Mrs Smith one day .“You’d better take it to the town .Sell it there and buy some cakes and sweets for our children .”

“It’s a good idea !”the man said and caught the cock the next morning and put it into a box .It was difficult to walk on the road covered with thick snow .Two hours later he was very tied and wanted to have a rest .He put the box to the ground and sat down .

“The air in the box must be close ,”the man said to himself .“I’d better let the cock walk outside for a while ,or it’ll die .”

So he put the cock to the ground .When he started again ,he couldn’t catch it any longer .

“How foolish you are !”Mr Smith called out angrily .“You can herald the break of day at night but you cann’t find the way to the town in the daytime !”

Mrs Turner lives in a small town .Her husband died in a traffic accident and left her little money .She was hungry and lived a cold room in winter .A shopkeeper had pity on her and told her to cook for him .He pays her some money and she doesn’t worry about food or clothes any longer .

The woman is often ready to help others .She does her best to give something to the poor persons .Sometimes she would rather be hungry ,she gives her food to the poor .And she’s liked and everybody knows her .

One Sunday Mrs Turner rested at home .A few men came to beg something .She hardly gave all to them and left only some food for supper .That is evening ,while she was doing some sewing in the room ,she heard somebody knocking at the door .She opened the door and saw an old man standing outside .

“Please have a pity on me ,Mrs Turner ,”said the old man .“I’ve eaten nothing for days .Could you give me some food ,please ?”

“Oh ,I’am sorry ,sir ,”said the woman .“I have neither money nor food now .I can do some sewing for you if you clothes are worn out .”

“It’s very kind of you ,madam ,” the old man said happily .“I Have a button here .Please sew a jacket on it .”

One day ,the North Wind met the Sun .They began to quarrel .The North Wind is a cold wind .It blows with great force .In Europe it brings rain and snow ,especially in northern Europe .

“I’am stronger than you ”,the North Wind said to the Sun .“I can blow the roofs off houses .I can make typhoons and huge waves on the sea .”

“No ,”said the Sun quietly ,“I’am stronger than you .I can melt ice and snow .I make the trees blossom and the flowers bloom. ”

A man came walking along ,wearing a big coat .

“Look at that man ,”said the North Wind .“I can blow off his coat .You can’t do that .”

The North Wind blew hard at the man .The man’s coat blew open. The North Wind blew with more force .The man said “I’am cold ”.He did up his coat and turned up his collar .The North Wind howled and blew harder still .The man was nearly blown off the coat .He put his hands deep into the pockets of his coat and he kept on walking .The wind could not blow off his coat .

The Sun smiled .

“Now watch me ,”he said .“I’ll show you a better way to take off the man’s coat .”

The Sun came out from behind a cloud .It shone down on the man .The man said ,“I’am warm .”He turned down the collar of his coat .The Sun shone more strongly upon the man .The man began to feel hot .He looked up at the sky .

“The sun is shining ,”he said ,“and the wind has gone .I’am hot .I’ll take off my coat .”

He undid his coat and took it off .He put the coat on his arm and walked away .The Sun laughed ,but the North Wind howled angrily and rushed away to the hills .

Persuasion is better than force .说服比武力好(事实胜于雄辩)

THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE

Once upon a time there was an old fisherman. He went fishing very early every morning, but he never cast his net more than four times a day.

One morning, he went out early to the sea. He cast his net for the first time, and drew in the body of an animal. He cast it a second time, and drew in an old basket full of sand. He cast it a third time, and drew in a lot of stones. It seemed he would have nothing to take home that morning.

Day had now broken, and he cast his net for last time. After some time, he began to draw the net in. He found it was very heavy. But there were not any fish in it. Instead he found a jar with a lid. He shook the jar, but could hear nothing. So he took off the lid and looked inside. He could see nothing. After a while a light smoke came slowly out of the jar. Then little by little, the smoke

grew heavier and thicker till finally it turned into a terrible Genie!

"Get down on your knees," said the Genie, "for I'm going to kill you." "Why? Didn't I set you free from the jar?"

"That's why I'm going to kill you, but I'll let you choose how you're going to die." "But why?"

"Listen, and I will tell you my story."

"I was one of the spirits in heaven. But I did not want to obey Solomon's orders. So one day, he put me in this jar and threw it into the sea.

"During the first hundred years of my stay in the sea, I made a promise that if anyone set me free I would make him very rich. But no one came. During the second hundred years, I promised that if anyone set me free I would show him all the treasures in the world. But still no one came. During the third hundred years, I promised that if anyone came to set me free, I would make him king over the earth.

"Still no one came. Then I became very angry, and decided that if anyone should set me free I would kill him at once. Now you have come and set me free. So you must die, but I will let you say how you want to die."

The fisherman was not frightened. He said: "Since I must die, I must. But before I die, answer me one question."

"All right, but be quick."

"Were you really in the jar? You are so big and the jar is so small that it could hardly hold one of your feet."

"Of course I was in the jar. Don't you believe me?"

"No, and I won't until I've seen you in the jar with my own eyes."

When he heard this, the Genie changed into smoke. Slowly the smoke went back into the jar. When all of it was in the jar, the fisherman quickly put the lid on and threw it back into the sea.