Death and Money

This is a very old story. There were three young men. They liked to eat, and they liked to drink a lot.  One day they were in the bar of the Grand Hotel. Through the window, they saw some men. They had the body of a dead man.

 "What's that?" said the 1st young man. He said to a child, "Boy, come here!" The boy came. The young man said, "Who is dead? Go and ask." The boy went, and came back. "That was one of your old friends," he said. "He was often here at the Grand Hotel with you."

"Why is he dead?"

"I don't know," said the boy. "Death takes all lives."

"The boy is right," said the barman. "Death is going to take your life some day. Perhaps today. Perhaps tomorrow."

 "Oh no," said the 1st young man. "Death is not going to take my life."

"You must be ready for Death," said the barman.

The 1st young man said, "Where is Death? I am going to find  him and kill him. Are you coming with me?"

"Yes," said his friends.

The three young men walked up the road. An old man came along the road. He knocked

the ground with his stick. "Open for me, Mother," he said to the ground. "Old man," said the 1st young man. "Why do you knock the ground with your stick?"

"I am old. I don't want to live. But Death is never going to take me. The ground is not going to open for me. I walk along the road and I say, 'Mother, I want to die. But I can't die."'

"Where is Death?"

"I saw him under a tree, up on the mountain there," said the old man. "Go there, find the

tree, and Death too."

The three young men walked up the mountain. They came to the tree. Under the tree was money, a lot of money. The 1st young man said, "Now my friends, are we going to take this money? Or are we going to find Death and kill him?"

"The money," said his friends.

"Where are we going to take it?"

"To my house," said the 2nd young man.

"Not in daylight," said the 3rd young man.

"People mustn't see us."

"No," said the 1st young man. "We must take it home by night. We want some beer now, beer and food. Who is going to the town, to buy beer and food?"

"I am," said the 2nd young man. "Give me some money."

He went down the road to the town. The 1st young man said to the 3rd young man, "Are we going to give him some of this money?" "No," said the 3rd young man. "How can we kill him?"

"I have a knife. And you have a knife."

The 2nd young man walked to the town and he said, "I want all the money. Why not? But how can I get it? They are two and I am one."

Then he said, "I'm going to kill them." He went to a shop. He asked for poison. "I want something to kill the rats in my house," he said to the man in the shop. "They eat all my

food."

"I have some very good rat-poison," said the man .

The young man went away with the rat-poison.

He went to the Grand Hotel. "Three bottles of beer, please," he said.

He put poison in two of the bottles. Then he went back to his friends. His friends put their arms round him. They killed him with their knives.

"Now," said the 1st young man. "Have some beer. "

They opened all the bottles of beer. Before night, they were dead. The old man was right. Death was under the tree.

Tobermory the Cat

One August afternoon, Lady Blemley was in her sitting room. Some of her friends were with her. She liked to have her friends for the weekend. Their names were Miss Resker, Miss Pellington, Mrs Cornett, and Mr Cornelius Appin. Mr Appin was a young man.

He said, "I can teach English to animals."

"Can you?" said Lady Blemley.

"Yes. Your cat, Tobermory, can speak English now."

"No," they all said. "It's not true."

"Yes it is," said Mr Appin.

Lady Blemley said to her husband, "Wilfrid, get Tobermory, please."

Sir Wilfrid went out. He came back without Tobermory .

"It's true!" he said. "Tobermory was on my bed. I said, 'Tobermory, come with me!' And he answered me!"

"He didn't!" they all said.

"He did," said Sir Wilfrid. "He said, 'I'm not ready. Is my milk in the sitting room?' "

Then a girl came into the room with tea. Tobermory came too.

"Good afternoon, Tobermory," said Lady Blemley .

"Where's my milk?" said Tobermory.

Lady Blemley put some milk on the floor for him .

They all looked at him.

"Must you look at me?" he said. "More milk."

Lady Blemley put down some more milk.

Miss Resker said, "Tobermory, can I ask you a question?"

"Must you?"

" Tobermory, do you like me?" said Miss Resker.

"I don't think about you much," said Tobermory. "Sir Wilfrid likes you. I saw you two in the garden this morning."

Miss Resker's face was red. Sir Wilfrid's was, too.

"But you like me, Tobermory," said Miss Pellington .

"Lady Blemley doesn't like you," said Tobermory.

'Tobermory ¡' said Lady Blemley. "She's my old friend!"

"Perhaps," said Tobermory "She's going to buy your car, isn't she? It's no good. Too old, like her."

Lady Blemley's face was red. Miss Pellington's was, too.

"Tobermory," said Mrs Cornett. "Lady Blemley and Sir Wilfrid are buying your food."

"They're buying yours, too," said Tobermory.

"You said, 'I don't like the Blemleys much, but  the food is good.' "

Mrs Cornett's face was red.

"Tobermory," said Sir Wilfrid, "out."

Tobermory looked out of the window.

"Out now," said Sir Wilfrid.

Tobermory went out of the room.

"Mr Appin," said Lady Blemley, "can Tobermory teach how English to all his cat friends?"

"Yes," said Mr Appin.

"Then, Wilfrid, we must...."

"Yes," said Sir Wilfrid. "Tonight."

But Tobermory listened at the door. He went away and didn't come back again. Where is Tobermory now? They don't know. Is he in your house?

You Can't Have Everything You Want

This is a story from India. Gopal lived with his wife, Nataki, in a small house near a river. They were very poor. Every day Gopal went to the river to get fish. He had a net. Sometimes there were two or three fish in the net. Then he went home to Nataki and said, "We can eat today." Sometimes there were no fish in the net. Then Gopal didn't eat.

Gopal was always happy, because he liked the river. But Nataki was not happy. One day Gopal saw a very big fish in his net. "Good," he said. "We're going to eat today, and tomorrow too." But the fish opened its mouth and said, "Don't kill me. Put me back in the water. I want to live."

"But...." said Gopal.

"Please," said the fish.

"My wife isn't going to be happy about this," said Gopal.

"Then tell her about me," said the fish, "but please, put me back in the water." So Gopal put it back. He went home without any fish.

"No fish today?" said Nataki. "Oh Gopal."

"There was one very big fish," said Gopal, "but I put it back in the water."

"You what?"

"I put it back in the river."

"You had a big fish and you put it back in the water? But we have no food."

"The fish talked," said Gopal.

"What?"

"It talked. It said, 'Tell your wife

"Oh," said Nataki.

Then she said, "Tomorrow morning, Gopal, go to the river. Get the big fish in your net

again. Then ask for something."

"Ask for what?"

"Some food," said Nataki. "And a new red dress for me."

So Gopal went to the river in the morning and the big fish jumped into his net.

"Yes?" it said.

"Nataki wants some food for us, and a new red dress."

"Then put me in the water, and go home, Gopal."

Gopal went home. There was food on the table, and Nataki had a new red dress.

"Beautiful," said Gopal. "Are you happy now?"

"No, I want a good dinner and a new dress every day. Ask the fish tomorrow."

So in the morning Gopal went to the river. The big fish jumped into his net.

"Yes?" it said.

"Nataki wants a good dinner and a new dress every day."

"She can't have everything she wants," said the fish.

"I know," said Gopal.

"Then put me in the water, and go home."

Gopal went home. There was a good dinner on the table, and Nataki had a new blue dress.

"Beautiful," said Gopal. "Are you happy now?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I want a big house," said Nataki, "and some new tables and chairs. Ask the fish."

So in the morning Gopal went to the river, and the big fish jumped into his net.

"Yes?" it said.

"Nataki wants a big house and some new tables and chairs."

"She can't have everything she wants."

"I know," said Gopal.

"Put me in the water and go home," said the fish. Gopal went home. Nataki, in a new white dress, was in a new armchair.

"Happy now?" said Gopal.

"No."

"You can't have everything you want."

"Can't I? This is a big house now. I want two girls and a man—three servants for the work in the house. I can't do it all."

Gopal went back to the river in the morning and the big fish jumped into his net.

"Yes?" it said.

"She wants servants."

"How many?"

"Two girls and a man," said Gopal.

"Put me in the water and go home."

Gopal went home. Nataki had three servants.

"Aren't you happy now?" said Gopal.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I want some money," said Nataki. "I want money for the servants. And I want some rings for my ears."

In the morning Gopal went to the river, and the big fish jumped into his net.

"Yes?" it said.

"She wants money for the servants, and some earrings. "

"She can't have all the things she wants."

"I know," said Gopal.

"Put me in the water and go home."

Gopal went home. There was a lot of money on the table, and Nataki had some new earrings.

"Beautiful," said Gopal. "Now you must be happy. You have all the things you want."

"No," said Nataki.

"What?"

"I want this country. It must all be mine. I want to be Queen of this country."

"You're my Queen."

"I want to be Queen of this country. Tell the fish tomorrow."

In the morning Gopal went to the river and the big fish jumped into his net.

"Yes?" it said

"She wants to be Queen of this country."

The fish said nothing.

"I know," said Gopal. "She can't have everything she wants."

"That's right," said the fish. "Put me back in the water and go home. Oh, and Gopal...."

"Yes?"

"Goodbye" said the fish.

Gopal went home. Nataki was in the old house. She had no food, no new dresses, no new tables and chairs, no servants, no earrings, nothing.

She looked at Gopal. "Go back to the river now!" she said.

Gopal went to the river. But the big fish wasn't there. It never jumped into his net again.