friend would ask, “How long have you been in my army?” and the Swede would answer, “Three years, sir.” To the third question, “Did you serve in either of my last two campaigns?” the Swede would answer with pride, “Both, sir!”
For many days this practice continued. The Swede would walk about, saying to himself, “Twenty-three, sir. Three years, sir. Both, sir!” Before the day of the inspection, his friends were satisfied. He knew his answer. There ought to be no trouble.
Napolen arrived. Stading in front of the straight lines of soldiers, he looked at them with great satisfaction. Then he began to walk along the lines, smiling sometimes, and saying a few word here and there. The Swede stood quite still, except that his lips moved slightly. He was still practicing.
Napoleon suddenly caught sight of the tall soldier and realized at once that he had never seen him before. He stopped in front of the Swede. For some reason, this time the great man began with the second question.
“How many years have you been in my army?” he demanded. “Twenty-Three, sir,” said the Swede clearly and well.
Napoleon was surprised. He look at tall man and asked, “How old are you then?” “Three years, sir,” replied the Swede quickly.
Napoleon was astonished. “Either you are mad, or I am,” he declared. “Both, sir!” cried the Swede proudly.
18. THE STORY OF WILLIAM TELL
A long time ago the tiny country of Switzerland was ruled by Austria. But the Swiss did not take their fate lying down. Every week there was a rebellion somewhere, and the Austrian soldiers were kept busy hurrying from one town to another in order to put down the rebellions. The town of Altorf was particularly trouble some.
The emperor of Austria finally decided to teach the Swiss a lesson. He sent a special governor to Altorf, a man named Gessler, who would rule with a firm hand.
One of Gessler's orders required all Altorfers to bow before him. Anyone who refused to bow was thrown into prison. Although most of the people bowed to Gessler, they spat into the dirt as they did so. So Gessler decided to get even tougher. He placed his hat on a pole in the marketplace and ordered the Altorfers to bow before it whenever they passed.
One day, William Tell, a famous hunter, came to Altorf with his little son. He saw that ten soldiers were attationed beside the pole. He knew about the order, and he knew why the soldiers were there, but he would have none of it.
Holding his head high, he walked past the pole and the soldiers as if they didn't exist. Immediately the soldiers surrounded him and his son, saying:\ \
\
\
\show you whose order it is,\said the soldiers, and they led the father and son to Gessler.
Even before the cruel governor himself William Tell did not bow. He held his son's hand firmly to be sure that the boy did not bow either.
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\
\ Gessler turned red with anger. He then thought of a plan to punish William Tell.
\a hunter,\he said. \see how good you are.\Picking an apple from a tree overhead, he turned to a soldier and said, \place this apple on his head.\arrow.
The people who had gathered around gasped at the cruelty of the order.
Without saying a word, William Tell drew two arrows. He looked at his son, one hundred paces away with an apple on his head. The soldiers had him stand with his back to his father. \ The boy turned around and faced his father.
William Tell studied the two arrows, selected one, and placed it in his bow. Slowly he raised the bow, pulled back the cord, and after taking careful aim, let the arrow fly. It split the apple in half!
The people raised a shout of joy. William Tell turned and looked calmly at Gessler. \
\you.\
The story of the bravery of William Tell and his son quickly got round throughout Switzerland. It filled the hearts of the Swiss with pride and courage, and it was not long before the whole country rose up and drove the Austrian soldiers from their homeland.
19.I HAVE SUNG ALREADY
Once a rich woman invited Martin Brown, a famous singer, to her house. She wanted him to sing for her friends. But she didn’t invite him to have dinner with them. She told him to eat downstairs with the servants.
The singer was surprised. But he said nothing and went downstairs. After the meal he stood up and said to the servants: “Now, my good friends, I shall sing for you.”
Of course, the servants were quite pleased. He sang them several songs. There was no piano in the room, but he didn’t mind. When they asked for more, he sang more.
At nine o’clock the rich woman asked the singer to come up to the sitting-room. When he came in the guests were all seated and waiting for the concert.
“We are ready now, Mr Brown,” said the woman, “you may begin.” “Ready for what?” asked the singer.
“For your songs of course,” she answered.
“But I have sung already,” said Mr Brown, “and I can’t sing twice in one evening.”
“You have sung already!” said the rich woman in surprise. “But when? And where did you sing?”
“Just now, downstairs.”
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“Impossible!” she cried.
“But it’s quite true, madam,” said the singer. “I sang for the people after I had supper with them, you know.”
And with a polite “Good night”, he left the rich woman’s house.
20.THE PIANO CONCERT
A young woman in a small German town was going to give a piano concert. Her posters said she was a pupil of Franz Liszt, the great Hungarian pianist.
This was not true.
One day the woman learned that Liszt himself was in town. Now people would find out and she would never be able to give a concert again. What should she do?
Finally she went to see the famous man himself. She told him everything. Her parents were dead and she was alone. She had to make a living. She decided to give piano lessons to rich children. But who would send their children to an unknown young woman? So she told people Franz Liszt was her teacher.
“I believe you,” Liszt said. “You’ve done wrong, but I can see you are truly sorry about it. That’s enough. Now let me hear you play.”
The young woman was shy at first. But then she saw Liszt smiling. It made her feel better. Now she wasn’t afraid any more. She started playing. She put her heart into it and she played wonderfully. Liszt was quite pleased.
When she finished, she turned to look at Liszt. There was a smile on his face. She could see he was pleased. Then Liszt gave her some advice. After he finished, he said, “Now you really are my pupil. Go ahead with your concert. And you can add a note to the posters. Say that your teacher himself will be there. He will play the last piece.”
21.PORTRAIT OF A TEACHER
The night before last, just before dinner, while my father was looking through the evening paper, he suddenly let out a cry of surprise. Later he explained:\least twenty years ago. But can you believe that my first teacher, Mr. Crossett, is still living? He is eight-four years old and yesterday the Department of Education gave him a medal for having completed sixty years of teaching. Sixty years! Can you imagine it? He gave up teaching only two years ago. He lives in Deleville, which is only about an hour's ride from here. Henry, tomorrow is Saturday. Let's drive over there and say hello to him.\
The next afternoon my father and I drove over to Deleville to see Mr. Crossett. Everyone in the town knew him so we had no trouble in finding his house. When he came to the door, my father recognized him at once though, of course, he was now a very old man.
\ Mr. Crossett looked at us curiosly.
\
My father told him his name - Albert Borden, the year in which he had studied, and the name of the school.
The old man dropped his head and began to murmur my father's name. Suddenly he looked
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up.
\ \
Later my father and Mr. Crossett talked for about half an hour of things and persons they remembered in the school. The old man's hands shook constantly, and he explained to my father how this shaking had begun two years before, and how he had been forced to give up his teaching because of this. Otherwise he would still be working, because his heart and soul were still in the schoolroom with his students. He went to a closet and after a moment brought out package, marked with name and date. Out of the package he drew a paper and gave it to my father. It was marked with my father's name and with the month and the year. It was one of my father's own copybook exercises! Mr. Crossett thus kept a record of all his old students. My father read the exercise and tears came to his eyes.
On the way home my father told me of an incident that took place on his first day at school in Mr. Crossett's class. During the course of the lesson Mr. Crossett noticed that one of the students looked sick and feverish. He walked to the student's desk and put his hand on the child's forehead. While his back was turned another student in the class got up from his seat, and began to make faces just to make the other students laugh. Mr. Crossett turned rapidly and glared at the student. \with the lesson. After a while he put down his book, looked at the students in silence for several minutes, then said:
\You should study hard and be good students. I do not want you simply to promise me with words that you will be good. I want you to show me with your hearts that here we are all part of own big family. I want to be proud of you.\
At the moment the bell rang announcing the end of the class. One by one the students got up from their seats and left the room quietly. The boy who had made faces, however, went up to Mr. Crossett's desk and in a trembing voice said: \
Mr. Crossett patted him affectionately on the head and said:
\
The tiger and the monkey
A long time ago, there was an tiger.
He did not often go to look for food himself.
Every day he made one of the smaller animals bring him something to eat. One morning the tiger was very, very hungry.
He said to a monkey, “I’m hungry, Monkey. Go and bring me a fat pig.” “I can’t do that, Mr. Tiger.” said the monkey. “There’s another tiger in the forest. He’s younger and stronger than you are！ He told me not to bring you anything.”
“What!” shouted the tiger. “Another tiger? Show me that beast. I’ll speak to him.”
“Come with me, Mr. Tiger,” said the monkey. “You’ll see yourself.”
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Then the monkey took the tiger to a big river.
“Look into the river,” said the monkey. “There he is! Look at his big teeth. Isn’t he bigger than you?”
“Grr…! So you told Monkey not to bring me anything！ Grrr … I’ll kill you! “Grr…”
With these words the tiger jumped into the river. He did not come out again.
“Ha,ha, ha! Goodbye, Mr Tiger,” said the monkey and he went away.
The Fox and the Goat
An unlucky fox fell into a well, it was quite deep, so he could not get out by himself.
A goat passed by. He asked the fox what he was doing in the well.
“Oh, have you not heard?” said the fox,” There is going to be a great drought, so I jumped sown to get some water. Why don’t you come down here too?”
The goat believed his words, and jumped down into the well.
But the fox immediately jumped on the goat’s back and up to the edge of the well .
Good---bye, friend.” said the fox. “Remember next time don’t trust the advice of a man in difficulties.”
A Fox, a Wolf and a Lion
Long, long ago, a fox and a wolf became good friends. They always played together just like two brothers,
One day they caught a chick. The fox was so polite that he gave it all to the wolf for dinner.
“NO, no, no,” said the wolf, “you are my younger brother. You can have it first.”
Just then a lion came before them suddenly.
The wolf said quickly, “King Lion, I know you will come here, so I get a chick for your supper.”
The fox said politely, “I know only a little chick is to a little for King’s evening meal, so l bring a wolf to you besides the chick.”
Kitty goes fishing
*Flying, flying, little bird. Flying, flying, little bird. Beautiful, beautiful, little bird. Beautiful, beautiful, little bird.
Bird: A little lake! How beautiful! Mummy: It?s sunny. Let?s go fishing. Kitty: Ok.
They walk to the lake. They walk to the lake. Kitty: Oh, the lake! How beautiful!
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