隽永英文小故事 (39)
The DecisionThe Dickensons lived on the eastern coast of the United States and the three boys, Simon, Jud, and little Ben loved the water. The two oldest boys were usually busy helping their dad on his farm or taking care of their spoiled little brother. That was their least favorite thing to do. Just because their Mom died giving birth to Ben, their Dad thought he was the most special and treated him that way. It made them both mad. They would do little mean things to Ben just to get revenge on his being treated special and then threaten Ben with torture if he told on them. That was kind of fun.Finally one Saturday the two oldest got the whole day off to go adventure. They both had one thing in mind. There was an island off shore in the distance and they had wondered what was on it.Just when they were about to leave, their father said, “Boys, I have to go to town and I need you to take care of Ben for me. You can take him with you exploring but just be careful!” He said those last words slowly so the older boys wouldn’t miss it.“What a bummer!” they pouted when their dad was gone. They were going to have some fun and now had to take the spoiled brat with them. Oh well, they didn’t have any choice so off they went with Ben tagging along behind.When the three arrived at the shore, they couldn’t believe their stroke ofluck! An old abandoned rowboat was hidden in the grass and it had one and a half oars. OK, the half oar wouldn’t do them any good since it was the top half, but the other one would get them out to the island to explore.Being the oldest, Jud paddled with the oar, first on one side, then on the other so they would go in kind of a straight line. When he got tired, then Simon took a turn. Of course, Ben was too young to take a turn, plus he’d probably complain that they asked him to help.As they paddled, they started to notice their feet getting wet. “This thing leaks,” Simon said, pointing to a trickle of water coming in the front.“Don’t worry about it,” Jud answered. “It’s not that much, and when we get there, we can empty it to get back.”As the boys neared the shore of the island they suddenly struck a rock hidden just under the water. It enlarged the hole, sending twice as much water pouring in. They were glad to be safely on shore!“How are we going to get back?” Simon wondered. “That boat will fill up and sink with the weight of all three of us.”“I got that all figured out,” Jud answered tapping his head with his finger. “You row Ben across, then come back for me. That way we only have two of us inthe boat at a time. If you move fast, it won’t sink with only two in the boat.” Simon thought Jud was a genius with that idea.The boys started to explore the island. It was very flat with a few scrawny trees. They had a lot of moss or seaweed stuck in the branches. That seemed strange. Then Simon said, “Look at this. It’s the skeleton of a fish in the tree. It must have been a pretty good jumper!”Jud laughed. “I guess so. Or maybe someone hid it there to eat later and then forgot.” They both liked his idea better.In a couple of hours they had gone all around the island and then through the middle. But when they headed for their boat, they got the shock of their life! The shore was gone and their boat was bumping against some trees. The tide was coming in! The island was disappearing! Suddenly the two oldest realized why the fish was in the tree! It swam there! Since their boat was crippled, they had to quickly decide what to do and get at it!If you were Jud or Simon, what would you do?1) Leave Ben there because the two of you could paddle fastest to get help.2) Get some sticks and try to rub them together to make a fire to signal for help.3) Leave Ben there as a revenge toward your dad for spoiling him.4) Volunteer to stay even though you know you could drown before help arrived.5) Draw straws to see which of you would have to stay.6) All try to get back in the broken boat even though all three of you would probably drown.7) Try to build a raft with the scrawny trees and branches on the island.8) Let the others go in the boat and you try to swim back, even though it was a long way and you were a lousy swimmer.9) Dial 9-1-1 even though you don’t have a phone.10) All climb the scrawny trees in hopes of staying alive until the tide went down again.11) Start screaming!12) Your own plan:ConclusionThe boys took a rock and tried to wedge it into the hole in the boat but they immediately saw they could make the hole worse because of the old, rotting wood. Jud thought a minute. “OK.Here’s what we’re going to do. Simon, you take Benand paddle as fast as you can for home. Then run for the house, and, if Dad isn’t home, call Mr. Crowder and see if he can come to rescue me.”“Are you sure-”“Just go,” Jud interrupted. “I know how much Dad loves Ben. If something happened to him, he’d die of grief. I can climb a tree or something which will give me maybe another hour. But. . . if I don’t make it . . .” His words trailed off and the brothers hugged. Then they turned the boat around, helped Ben get in and Jud pushed them as hard as he could toward home.A half hour passed and only the top of a hill was above water now. The sun was setting; darkness was overtaking Jud. He selected the strongest and tallest tree to climb and was about to ascend to the first branch when he heard a motor noise. He gazed toward home and could see a lantern flashing in the distance, then voices calling. In a few minutes, their dad jumped out of his motorboat and, standing in the shallow water, hugged his son. “Oh, wonderful. We’re in time.”“Wonderful is right!” Jud said. “You’re the most wonderful sight in the whole world!”On the way back, his dad explained, “When I got home from town, I wasn’t surprised you weren’t nearby. But after a while I become concerned and started looking for you. I tracked you through the grass to this shore. I had a feeling you might need help so I went back for the motorboat. I had just returned when Simon and Ben pulled up. The rest is history.”“I guess we were stupid but we just wanted to find out what was on that island. We found out all right. Half the day it’s water!”“But Son, what you did in risking your life for your brother was wonderful. You demonstrated what it means to truly love someone.”“To tell the truth, Dad, it wasn’t so much a love for Ben, but a love for you. I couldn’t have lived with myself if I broke your heart by losing Ben through something stupid I did.”Things changed in their home after that. The older boys were kinder to Ben, and their Dad tried harder not to spoil him. It was a day they never forgot.。
隽永英文小故事 (19)
The Tale of Asao and AyatoLong ago in ancient Japan, there lived two brothers named Asao and Ayato. Asao was the older brother and Ayato was the younger one. Now, these brothers were quite different from each other. While Asao was greedy and selfish, Ayato was a kind and helpful man. Both of them lived with their wives in houses that stood next to each other.One day, Ayato had to go to another town for business. On the journey, he had to make his way through a forest. While walking through the forest, Ayato spotted a freshwater lake. Tired and thirsty, he drank some water. Just then, he noticed a forlorn child crying nearby. There was no parent or guardian to be seen. Overcome by pity, Ayato approached the boy and asked him his name and where he had come from. The boy replied that he was from a nearby town and that he had lost his way in the forest, where he had come to collect fruits.Ayato comforted him and offered him the bread that his wife had packed for him. As the child ate hungrily, Ayato told him that he would get him home and he would soon be with his parents. Upon hearing this, the boy smiled and hugged Ayato.Immediately, there was a clap of thunder. To his amazement, Ayato saw the boy disappear, and in his place, stood a tall old man with white hair and a flowing white beard. “I am the Spirit of the Lake,” he said, “and the child was me in disguise. Iam impressed by your goodness and kindness. As a reward, I am giving you a magic conch. Blow it only when you are in trouble and it will take care of everything. And remember not to misuse it.”Saying so, the Spirit gave Ayato a conch that had all the colors of the rainbow. As Ayato bowed low in gratitude, the old man vanished into thin air. Soon, Ayato resumed his journey and reached his destination. Having done good business, he earned a huge amount of money. However, it was late afternoon, when he set off for home and it grew dark when he got to the forest.Soon, a group of thieves attacked Ayato and asked him to hand over all his valuables. Scared, Ayato did as he was told. The thieves grinned in glee when they saw the big booty that they got. Having robbed him of all his money, they let Ayato go. Ayato however, had the magic conch in his pocket, and no sooner than he was let free, he remembered the words of the Spirit of the Lake. “I am doomed,” he thought, “As all the money that I have earned has been taken away from me. Now is the time for me t o blow the conch. Let me see what magic it does.”Taking out the rainbow-hued conch, Ayato blew it. Once. Twice. Thrice. Now, the robbers were only a little distance away and Ayato could hear their laughter. However, with the blowing of the conch, their laughter stopped and there was silence. Curious, Ayato, ran in the direction of the robbers, blowing the conch from time to time. When he came to the thieves, he found them fast asleep with Ayato’s bundle of cash lying next to them. He realized that the peals of the conch put its hearers to sleep and hence, the thieves had dozed off all of a sudden.Ayato quickly collected his money and made his way out of the forest. When he reached home, it was quite late into the night.Asao soon came to know that his brother had been blessed with good fortune while doing business in the other town. He was very jealous and wanted to get equally rich, if not more. So he and his wife invited Ayato and his wife to dinner one night, and Asao asked his brother about where he had gone and how he had conducted business, in order to follow the same path himself. Helpful by nature, Ayato gave Asao the business details and then, told him about the Spirit of the Lake and the magic conch. “Had it not been for the Spirit’s gift, the conc h, I would have lost all my money and returned home empty-handed,” he replied.A few days later, Asao set out for business like his brother. Soon, he came to the lake in the forest. Now, Asao was on the lookout for a crying child whom he could help and in return, get a reward from the Spirit of the Lake. However, it so happened that this time, the Spirit assumed the guise of a poor old woman carrying two pails of water. “Ooh!” signed the old woman, “These buckets are so heavy! If only I were younger, it wou ld not be such trouble.” But in spite of seeing her pitiable plight, Asao did not come to help her. “Pooh! Why should I carry thebuckets for her?” he thought, “She will not be able to give me anything. I will only help a crying child as I know it will be the Spirit of the Lake.” So he stood there even as the old woman grunted in pain.At last, there was a clapping of thunder and the Spirit of the Lake appeared in his true form. “You are a very mean person!” he boomed, “You did not come forth to help a poor woman. Such a selfish man! You will not prosper in whatever that you are on your way to do.” And while a disappointed Asao stared, the Spirit disappeared. Just as the Spirit had predicted, Asao was not able to fare well in business. In fact, he lost a lot of money. He returned home angry, with lesser money than he had left with.However, instead of repenting for his selfish act in the forest and trying to be a good person, Asao kept wondering about how he could get rich. He was so greedy that he was ready to go to any length to get money. Asao remembered the powers of the magic conch and hit upon a plan. One night, when Ayato and his wife were sound asleep, Asao stealthily stole the rainbow-colored conch from their house. That same night, he broke into the King’s palace and entered the room containing the royal treasury. When the alarm was raised and the guards came running, Asao began blowing the magic conch, intending to lull them to sleep.But none of the guards fell asleep! On the other hand, the sound of the conch helped them to easily locate Asao and nab him. Actually, the conch could only work its magic if it was used for a good purpose, as the Spirit had told Ayato. As Asao had misused it, it worked just like an ordinary conch and did not put any of its hearers to sleep. Therefore, Asao ended up in prison for his greed.- Ananya Sarkar。
隽永英文小故事 (45)
The Old Man, His Young Wife and The ThiefOnce, a rich merchant lived in a town. Even though he owned a big house, he lived alone. His wife died a few years ago due to an accident. He was a widower and had become an old man. He would feel lonely every day and even during the night. He, therefore, decided to get married again. He persuaded a poor old man and convinced him to give his daughter’s hand in marriage.He finally got married to a young and beautiful girl. However, the young girl did not like the old merchant at all. She would not even look at him. She hated that he was very old. The old merchant would bring gifts, crack jokes and provide all the luxuries just to please his young wife. In spite of his best efforts, he was unable to make his wife like him. Finally, one day he realized that his young wife did not understand his love and affection towards him.One night the couple was sleeping in their room. They both were sleeping on the sides of the bed, separately from each other. That night, when both husband and wife were fast asleep, a thief entered the room. Suddenly the wife woke up to the sound of a thief entering through the window. On concentrating on the noise, she realized that someone else has come inside the room. She steadily moved and hugged her husband tightly. The husband was elated, delighted at this action of his wife. However, he was also very surprised by his wife’s action.“This may not be true affection. There must be some other reason also,” he thought. Suddenly, he saw a shadow emerging from behind the curtains. A big thief with a huge mustache with a terrifying smile emerged in front of the couple. The wife hid behind her husband and clasped on to her husband tightly. The thief had a big sharp knife in his hand and he showed it to the couple. The merchant, however, was unfazed. He rhetorically said “Oh dear thief!! Take whatever you want from the house. You don’t know what a mighty favor you have done to me.” The thief was very surprised by the offer and thought something was fishy and ran away. Meanwhile, his wife understood how much his husband loved her. She embraced his husband and displayed her never-ending love and affection thereon.The next morning, the merchant was surprised to see the same thief. He came to the merchant and said, “Please let me know if you seek love and affection for your wife again. I will come to your house with a more terrifying look in the night.” The merchant laughed uncontrollably and gave him a bunch of gold coins as a reward for something he could n’t have accomplished without the horrifying thief’s help. The thief happily went on his way and the couple lived on happily ever after.MORAL: Sometimes your enemy can do some good to you.。
隽永英文小故事 (40)
The Greedy Cobra and the King of Frogs Froggy was the king of all frogs who lived in a well. However, his relatives used to treat him without any respect. One fine morning, he decided he had enough. So he left the well. After getting out of the well, he saw a cobra entering a hole. He thought that cobra could help him get revenge on his relative frogs. So, he went near his house and said: “Hello, I am Froggy, king of frogs”. The cobra remained silent. Froggy again said, “I want to be friends with you”. The cobra was surprised and said “I am your enemy, don’t you know? I love eating frogs! GO AWAY!!” Froggy was clever, he replied “I know of a well, full of frogs, lots of frogs to eat” The cobra was very surprised, so he asked “why do you want me to eat the f rogs, they are your friends, I don’t understand.” Froggy replied, “Some of the well frogs are my friends others are not, you can leave my friends and eat the others.” After listening, cobra became happy and came out of his hole. However, cobra asked Froggy, “How can I enter a well and even if I enter, how I can leave later? I cannot climb the slippery walls?” Froggy said I know a secret entrance. You can enter and leave easily.Froggy then made a deal with cobra to eat only his relatives and not his friends. The cobra agreed. Froggy and cobra then went to the well. The cobra then started eating the frogs and ate all the relatives of Froggy. Now only Froggy’s friends were left and cobra became hungry with every passing day. One day, the cobra could not contro l his hunger and ate one of Froggy’s friends.Froggy became angry and confronted cobra about eating his friend. He reminded cobra about the deal. The cobra declined and said he remembers no such deal. Froggy and his friends now became afraid of the cobra. Every day, the cobra caught a new frog and ate him. Soon, in a few weeks, he ate all of Froggy’s friends. Now only the cobra and Froggy were left in the well. Froggy now feared for his life and hid himself for 3 days. On the fourth day, he became very hungry and came out.As soon as the cobra saw Froggy, he wanted to eat him up. Froggy was clever, he told him “please don’t eat me! I am the king of frogs, I know plenty of other frogs you can eat.” The cobra thought it was a far better offer, so he agreed. Fr oggy told him, “I will go out of the well and bring other frogs”. So he climbed the well and left. He also closed the secret entrance from outside. After several days, Froggy didn’t come back. The cobra became hungrier. One day the cobra asked a lizard on the wall to tell Froggy to return with the frogs. The lizard told Froggy about the cobra. Froggy asked the lizard to tell the cobra that he was his enemy and he wanted to eat him. He made him a fool and told him to lie. He won’t come backand the cobra should die in the well.Alas…one day the cobra died in the wellMORAL: Choose good friends and never trust your enemies.。
隽永英文小故事 (43)
Don’t desire to walk when you have wings to flyOnce upon a time, there lived a generous and kind-hearted king. He was fond of birds and animals, and had a huge bird sanctuary in his kingdom. He disliked harming the animals and birds. He did not kill them even for meat.In appreciation of his generosity and kindness towards birds, the king was gifted two beautiful falcons by a businessman. Those two falcons were used to different climatic conditions. The king thanked the businessman and ordered the Head bird trainer to provide all the facilities to those beautiful falcons and make them feel comfortable in their country. The Head trainer took care of the birds.G radually, the birds got adapted to the country’s climate.One day, the king wanted to see the falcons fly as he had heard that one of those falcons could fly to great heights at very high speed. The bird trainer let the falcon out of the enclosure. It flew very high, very quickly, and came down to the enclosure within minutes.The king was quite surprised, and rewarded the bird trainer with a handful of gold coins. He enquired about the other falcon. The bird trainer stated with regret that the other falcon had not moved even a step from day one and had just sat on the branch. The trainer also added that he had tried everything he could but still failed to make the bird move.The king consoled him and told him that he would bring someone more experienced than him to try to train the other falcon.Soon, the king announced that he needed someone to make the falcon move and fly.Hearing this announcement, an old man reached the King’s palace and assured him that he would make the bird fly like the other one.The king asked the head trainer to take the old man to the sanctuary to train the falcon. He said that he would visit them the next day to see if there was any change.The next day, the king was very surprised to see the other falcon fly like the first one to great heights in rapid speed. The king was very happy and gifted the old man a handful of gold coins.Then the king asked the old man what he had done to make the bird fly in a day. The old man simply replied, “I just cut down the branch of the tree where the falcon used to sit.”Many of us are like this. We have wings to fly; we know how to fly, and where to fly. Still we sit doing nothing or doing something that makes us inferior to others.Don’t sit still when you have wings to fly!。
隽永英文小故事 (90)
Over the PorridgeTHEY sat down to eat their porridge. The naughty little girl turned her back upon her sister, and put a large spoonful into her mouth.“Oh oh oh!" she cried, "I have burnt my tongue."“Eat it slowly," said the good little sister. She to ok up her porridge carefully, and after blowing it very gently, and waiting for a minute or two while it cooled, ate it, and found it very nice."I shall not eat mine until it is quite cold," said Totsey, getting cross."Then it will be nasty," said the good little sister, still going on with her own porridge."Oh, dear," said Totsey, "if I eat it too hot it burns me, and if I eat it too cold it's nasty. What shall I do?“Take it as I do mine," said the good little sister. "It is the right way."“There are two wrong ways and only one right way; it isn't fair," sighed the naughty little girl. "And, oh! my porridge is so nasty." Then she asked, “Did you ever eat your porridge too hot and burn your tongue?""No," answered the good little sister; "I never ate my porridge too hot and burnt my tongue."“Did you ever eat your porridge when it was quite cold and very nasty?”"No," answered the good little sister again; "I never ate my porridge when it was quite cold and very nasty.""Well, I have," said Totsey ; " and so I know about two things that you do not know about." And the naughty little sister got up and walked away, and the good little sister sat still and thought about many things.。
隽永英文小故事 (40)
Don't Drink and DriveOne of the most important lessons you should learn is when you drink, you shouldn't drive. I learned this the hard way. Last year, I got a DUI, which means Driving Under the Influence. If you get pulled over and you smell like alcohol, the police will ask you to take a breathalyzer test. When you do the test, you have to blow really hard into a machine, which will then tell you if you are over the limit to drive a vehicle. The limit is usually .08 blood alcohol volume. So, if you pass that, you are going to jail.Even though you won't go to jail for a long time, you will be suffering the consequences of your mistake for a long time. Here is a list of the things you will have to do if you get a DUI: go to court, go to alcohol education classes, go to Alcoholics Anonymous, pay a lot of money in fines. If you don't want to pay, you will have to do community service. I got my DUI almost two year ago, and I am still suffering the consequences. I still have 56 hours for community service.I have to update my insurance policy, and deal with the Department of Motor Vehicles. You waste a lot of time and money. It gets difficult to get a job, because you have to let your future employer know that you have been arrested. It's not worth it. If you are thinking about going out to celebrate and party with friends and family, do one of the following: get a designated driver, take the bus or train, or call a cab. It may cost you a little bit of money, but compared to how much money you will lose if you get a DUI, it's nothing. Don't drink and drive.。
隽永英文小故事 (38)
Don't Get Mad—Get Even "Look out!" Kane heard the shout and turned around to see who was shouting.A second later, a mountain biker whooshed past him. The biker turned his head and shouted "Bikes only, asshole!" and disappeared from view. Kane was walking on a mountain bike trail. He had already seen a sign saying Bikers Only, but he had figured that the trail in the woods was wide enough for him and for the bikers.This was public land. Who were bikers to hog this trail for themselves, he thought. Where was he supposed to take his nature walks—through the spider webs and the underbrush? And who did that biker think he was, to call Kane a name? The more he thought, the angrier he got. He'd fix them.The next Saturday, he visited the trail again, but this time with a shovel. It was an old GI shovel that he still had from his Army days. It was small but efficient. He found a slight curve in the trail and, just after sunrise, he started digging. He dug a ditch all the way across the bike trail. The ditch was four inches deep and twelve inches wide. He would have liked to hang around and watch the action, but there was no place to conceal himself. Maybe later he could set up one of those spy cameras people use for home security, he thought as he walked back to his car. Then he could upload the really good crashes to the Internet.An hour later, a 15-year-old girl hit the ditch. She flew through the air and landed among some small trees. Because she was wearing a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads, all she suffered were bruises, scratches, and a sprained wrist. Her $700 bike was moderately damaged. She used her cell phone to call her dad. Despite her soreness, she stood guard on the trail to warn others.Police investigated the scene of the "accident." An officer said if they caught who dug the ditch, the culprit would be charged with felony vandalism, which might result in a year in prison.。
短的英语小故事
短的英语小故事Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Lily. She lived in a small village surrounded by beautiful mountains and lush green forests. Lily was a kind and curious girl who loved to explore the world around her.One sunny day, Lily decided to go for a walk in the forest. As she wandered through the trees, she heard a faint chirping sound. Following the sound, she came across a tiny bird with a broken wing. The bird looked up at Lily with big, pleading eyes.Feeling sorry for the bird, Lily carefully picked it up and cradled it in her hands. She knew she had to help the bird, so she took it home with her. She made a small nest for the bird and fed it with grains and water. Every day, she would check on the bird and make sure it was comfortable.As days passed, the bird's wing slowly healed, and it started to chirp and hop around the nest. Lily was overjoyed to see the bird getting better. She knew it was time to set it free, but she was also worried about letting it go.One morning, Lily took the bird outside and opened her hands. The bird hesitated for a moment, then spread its wings and flew off into the sky. Lily watched as the bird soared higher and higher, feeling a sense of happiness and fulfillment.From that day on, Lily learned that sometimes, the smallest act of kindness can make a big difference. She realized that helping others, no matter how small, can bring joy and happiness to both the giver and the receiver.As time went by, the little bird would often visit Lily, chirping happily as if to say thank you. Lily would smile and wave at the bird, knowing that she had made a friend for life.The end.In this short English story, we learn the value of kindness and the joy of helping others. It shows us that even the smallest act of compassion can have a big impact. Lily'ssimple act of caring for the injured bird not only helped the bird recover but also brought her a sense of fulfillment and happiness. It reminds us to always be kind and compassionate towards others, as it can make the world a better place for everyone.。
隽永英文小故事 (139)
The Cave that TalkedKharanakhara was a lion who ruled over a certain part of a jungle.One day, he could not prey upon a single animal after wandering around the jungle in search of food. It was almost sunset, and the lion started returning in spite of being very hungry.On his way, he saw a big cave, and thought to himself, "It is for sure that some animal must be living in this big cave. Such a nice cave cannot be un-inhabitated. At sunset, whatever animal lives here is bound to return. I shall hide inside the cave and wait for my dinner to arrive."The cave was the home to a jackal, who arrived a while after the lion had hidden himself inside. While entering he noticed the footprints of the lion leading into the cave, but could not find any footprint coming out.He thought, "If a lion is indeed entered, I will be dead as soon as I enter. But, how can I be sure? There is no reason for me to stay away from my home if there is no lion inside. I must find out a way to confirm if the lion is still inside."The jackal thought of a plan, and standing in front of the cave, began to shout, "Hello Cave! Hello Cave! Can I come inside?"For some moment, he waited in silence and shouted again, "Hello Cave! Have you forgotten our understanding of all these years? I always wait for your reply before I enter. Why are you silent today? I shall then go to some other cave if you do not reply."On hearing this, the lion thought, "The cave must reply to the jackal when he returns at sunset. It is because I am inside that the cave is not replying today. I must invite on behalf of the cave, or the jackal will go away."So, the lion replied from inside the cave, "Hello Jackal, you may enter. It is safe inside."The reply was even more frightening due to the echo from the walls of the cave. The jackal at once knew that the lion was waiting for him to enter and make a meal out of him. He ran off, as fast as he could and saved himself.The wise indeed say:Use your tactics to protect yourself from destruction.。
隽永英文小故事 (50)
Laundry DaySaturday morning meant one thing for Susan—doing the laundry. She hated doing the laundry. Unenthusiastically, she took the pillow cases off all the pillows. Then she removed the fitted sheet from the mattress. She took the towel off the towel bar in the bathroom.She grabbed a couple of dirty dish towels out of the kitchen, and looked all around her apartment for anything else that needed washing.In the corner of her living room, a can of coins sat on top of the file cabinet. She fished out seven quarters. She opened the cabinet under her kitchen sink and grabbed a plastic bottle of liquid detergent.Finally, she set her electronic timer for 35 minutes. The timer would remind her that the washing was done, and that it was time to go back downstairs and put the clothes into the dryer for 40 minutes. Without the timer, Susan would completely forget to check her clothes.Susan carried the laundry basket downstairs. How happy she would be when her laundry was done for this week. As she approached the laundry room, she heard a familiar sound. The sound was the washer washing and the dryer drying. One of her neighbors had got there before her. Muttering, Susan took her basket back upstairs.。