A short story - English

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A short story

Conte trouvé sur Children's Short Stories for New Year's Day
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English exercise "A short story" created by bridg with The test builder
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Dinah is one of the most good-natured children that lived, but she is very, very lazy. There is she likes, or to like, so as to curl up in some warm corner in the sun and do nothing.

Dinah's mother wished very much that her child learn to read, but the lady who tried to teach her soon it up. 'It is no use,' she said, 'Dinah will not learn. She not a stupid child, but she is too lazy for anything.'

It happened, soon after this that a young man Massachusetts came to the house where Dinah lived. He brought with him something no one else in the neighbourhood had before--a pair of roller-skates.

When Dinah saw the young man going rapidly up and down the piazza on skates she was so she hardly knew what to think. She ran after him a cat, her black eyes shining as they had never before.

One day the young man her to try on the skates. The child was happy for words. Of course she fell down, and sprawled the floor, but did not mind at all. 'Look here, Dinah,' said the young man, 'I understand that my aunt has been to teach you to read.'

Dinah answered that she certainly .

'Why didn't you learn?' the young man. 'You need not trouble to answer,' said he, 'it was just because you are too lazy. Now, , on the first of January, you can read, I tell you what I will do. I will you as good a pair of roller-skates as I can buy in Boston.'

How Dinah's eyes snapped. For moment she said nothing, then exclaimed decidedly, ' those skates, sure.'

And she did. When she bent her mind on her work she always do it well, no matter what it was.

The lady who had before this found her difficult child to teach, now had no trouble. If Dinah showed the least sign of her former laziness the word SKATES! was enough make her bend her mind on her lesson instantly.

On New Year's morning she received a box marked in large printed letters:
MISS DINAH MORRIS, /Care of Mrs. Lawrence Delaney, NEW ORLEANS, LA. If she can read is on the outside of this box she can have what is inside.

And as Dinah read every word plainly and quickly, of course she had her very own the fine roller-skates the box held. And now sitting curled up in the sun, doing nothing, not the thing she likes to do best.

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