The Browns have a very nice garden around their house. It has some tall trees and many flowers. Mr. and Mrs. Brown work hard in their garden. Now Mrs. Brown is in the garden getting some flowers. She will put the flowers in the dining room and the sitting room.

    Susan is sitting in a chair in the garden. She is reading a book. Susan doesn't go to work today. So she is at home. David is saying goodbye to his mother. He is running through the gate. He is going to school. He will go to school by bus. At school he studies with his friends. He has lunch at school. Mrs. Brown and Susan will have lunch at home. Mr. Brown went to London yesterday. He is in London now and will have his lunch there. This afternoon he will come back by train and he will drive from the station to his house in his own car. Mrs. Brown will be at home. Susan and her friend Tom will go to the town this afternoon, and have tea there.

    I grew up in a small town in South Canada. Every autumn, there was a week—long fair in the town. Thousands of people from other towns came to sell and buy things. It was the most exciting time of the year.

    When “Fairtime” came, my grandma became the busiest person of the family. Grandma was a kind, well—educated old lady. She was good at cooking. During “Fairtime”, relatives would come to live in her house and have meals there. Grandma was always happy to look after them.

    Year after year, many people moved to big cities. There was no longer “Fairtime”. Grandma became very old and was going a little blind. My parents and I did our best to make her life as comfortable as possible. I was at high school then. What I often did at home was to help Grandma with the daily newspaper's crossword puzzle. However, she didn't look happy. She often sat in her room for hours, without saying a word.

    To attract people to move back, the Town Hall decided to reopen the Fair. One day, when I came back from school, I saw Grandma wearing her glasses, washing the dishes in the kitchen. With a big smile on her face, she looked excited and a lot much younger. She told me that her two of her cousins would come. "They said they missed hometown and wanted to enjoy my food again."  Grandma said happily. "They will stay here for one week and we can have a big party. That must be the busiest week I've had in years!”

    I suddenly realized that Grandma didn't want to be looked after. She wanted to be “useful”, appreciated and helpful.

    Once there was a parrot on sale in a pet store. It was a beautiful red and blue bird.  It sat on a perch in the middle of the store so that everyone could see it when they came in. The owner was very proud of it and asked a high price for it.

    One day a man went into the store. "That's a beautiful bird," he said to the pet store owner. "But why is it so expensive? Is it an unusual bird?"

    "No, it's not very unusual. It's expensive because it can talk," the pet store owner said.

    "I see. How can I make it talk?" the man asked.

    The pet store owner asked him, "Do you see those strings tied to each of the bird's legs?"

    "Yes," the man answered.

    "Well, you pull those strings," the pet store owner told him."That will make the parrot talk."

    The man asked, "Do you mind if I try?"

    "Not at all," the pet store owner said.

    The man walked up to the parrot and pulled the string on its left leg. The parrot said, "Good morning."

    The man pulled the string on the parrot's right leg. This time the parrot said, "How are you today?"

    "That's not very interesting," said the man."Any parrot could do that." Then he laughed, "But what would happen if I pulled both strings at the same time?"

    "I'll fall off my perch, you fool!"the parrot said.

    Donny, an 11-year-old boy, is playing with a ball. The ball goes into the street, and Donny runs for the ball. A car hit Donny.

    His parents take him to the hospital. The doctor tell Donny's parents, "Donny is in a coma. Maybe he will wake up tomorrow. Maybe he will wake up next week. Or maybe he will never wake up."

    Every day Donny's parents visit at the hospital. They sit next to Donny's bed and talk to him. But Donny never talks to them. He just sleeps.

    One day Donny's father says, "Wake up, Donny. Wake up and come home. Come home and play with Rusty." Rusty is Donny's dog.

    When Donny's father says "Rusty", Donny moves his arm.

    "Rusty!" Donny's father says again. Again Donny moves his arm.

    Donny's parents have an idea. They tell the nurse, "We want to bring Donny's dog to the hospital, is it OK?"

    "A dog in the hospital?" the nurse say, "That's very unusual. But, yes, it's OK."

    The next day, Donny's parents bring Rusty to the hospital. When they put the dog on Donny's bed, Donny opens his eyes and takes the dog in his arms.

    Donny's parents bring Rusty to the hospital every day. One day, Rusty jumps on Donny's bed and scratches Donny's arm. Donny says his first words, "Bad dog!"

    After seven weeks Donny is well. He leaves the hospital and goes home. Rusty goes home with him.