A Strange Story

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Everyday English New Course 3 (Heisei 2) pg. 63-67

A Strange Story
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Details
Word count389
BookEveryday English
Grade3
Year1990

One day John Roy, a farmer, was looking for his cows on the top of a hill. When he looked up, he saw something which was going very fast in the air.

"That must be the 'little people' carrying someone away," he thought. At once he threw his hat into the air and shouted, "Mine is yours. Yours is mine." He knew that is he used these words, they had to make an exchange.
With an angry cry, the "little people" caught his hat and went away. On the ground was a lady who was sleeping like a log.
Roy took the lady home. She was very ill, but by and by she began to eat and drink. She looked better every day.

Roy and his wife wanted to help the lady, but they couldn't understand her language. So they began to learn it, and she also learned the language which they spoke - Scottish.
Soon they found that she was a young woman whose home was in England. She said, "I really don't know what happened. I was ill in bed, and when I woke up I found myself here. How can I go back to my family now? England is so far away."

Seven years passed. One day Roy heard that the English army was coming to Scotland. The English were going to build a road to the north. When he told the lady the news, she got very excited. She wrote some English words of welcome on a piece of paper and put it on the door.
A few days later an English captain came along. He saw the words written in beautiful English on the door. He was very surprised. He opened the door and was even more surprised. There stood a woman who looked just like his dead wife!

"Surly you can't be my wife! She died seven years ago. I can't believe my eyes. It's too good to be true." The lady couldn't say a word.
"Oh, my dear, you must see our son!" said the captain. "I've brought him with me."
When their son came into the room, she ran up to him and wept for joy. The three of them held each other tightly for a long time.
They thanked Roy and his wife again and again, and started for home together.

See also