A short story (English exercise n°14381 - Please quote this number when contacting us)


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A short story

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English exercise "A short story" created by bridg (26-12-2006) with The test builder
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Dinah is one of the most good-natured children that evernever. lived, but she is very, very lazy. There is anything-nothing she likes, or -usedis used to like, so -manymuch as to curl up in some warm corner in the sun and do nothing.

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

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

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

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

Dinah answered that she certainly hashavehad.

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

How Dinah's eyes snapped. For aanthe moment she said nothing, then exclaimed decidedly, ' I hadI haveI'll have those skates, sure.'

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

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

On New Year's -onthe 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 whichwhatwhom 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 for-to her very own the fine roller-skates the box held. And now sitting curled up in the sun, doing nothing, wasiswere not the thing she likes to do best.

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