Two men were going through a forest.

“I am afraid,”said one, “that we may meet with wild animals”Fear nothing, friend Quickwit,” cried the other, whose name was Braggart. “If they come at us, we shall stand by one another like men. I have a strong arm, a strong heart, and”“Hark!”cried the first in fear, as a low sound was heard from somewhere nearby, Braggart, who was light and nimble, climbed up a tree like a squirrel(松鼠), leaving his friend, who was not so active, to face the danger alone! Quickwit could do nothing but throw himself on the ground and pretended(假装) to be dead; for he had heard that bears would never touch a dead body. In no time the bear camp up to him, sniffed(用鼻子吸气) at him. Quickwit did not dare to move; and the bear, thinking him dead, went off into the wood again, leaving him quite unharmed!

 When Braggart saw that the danger was over, he came down from the tree and tried to pass off the matter with a joke. “Well, my friend Quickwit,” he said, “what did the bear say to you when he put his mouth close to your ear?”

“He told me,” replied Quickwit, “never again to trust a man who talks big like you!”

    One day a big red hen is playing with her chickens in the garden. After some time, she wants to eat something and she takes out her chickens to look for food.

    When they are eating, she finds a grain of wheat(一粒小麦). So she asks her chickens to plant it in the back garden. But no one wants to do it. The big red hen has to do it herself.

    After a few months, they get a lot of wheat. She says to her chickens, “Who will take the wheat to the store to get some flour(面粉)?” But they don't want to do it. So she takes the wheat to the store and brings the flour home.

    After she gets home, she says,“ Who will make some bread with the flour? ”They all say they are very busy, so they can't do it.

    When she makes the bread, she says to her chickens,“ Who wants to eat the bread?”

    “I will,” they say. “No, you can't. You don't want to do anything before I make the bread. You must know ‘No pains, no gains（不劳无获）'.”She doesn't give any bread to her chickens and she eats the bread herself.

C

    My daughter Eyen is ten years old. She is in Grade Three in a primary school. She is a cute girl though(虽然) she has some strange ideas sometimes.

    One day she asks me, “Mum, what's your favourite subject?” I think for a while(一会儿) and answer，“It is difficult to tell. I love singing, so music is my favourite. And I am good at English. My history teacher also says I am excellent. Well, I can say I don't like science. But science is important for us, you know. So you must do well in it. What is your favourite subject, Eyen? Tell me something about your subject, dear.”

    “I like Chinese. It is easy. I like English because my English teacher likes me very much. I can't stand maths. It's serious and sad(悲哀的).”

    “Do you mean(意味)your maths teacher is serious and sad?”

    “No, it is maths, not the maths teacher.”

    “Why do you think so?”

    “Because maths has so many problems! Isn't it sad all day?”

    It was a very hot day in the middle of summer, and there were no trees along the street. Mr. Read closed his shop at half past four. His bike didn't work. So he went out into the street and began walking to the bus stop. He was very fat. The sun was high up in the sky, and soon Mr. Read felt very hot.

    A boy came out of another shop in the street and followed Mr. Read. He stayed very near him all the time, and he kicked Mr. Read's shoes some times. Mr. Read looked at him angrily each time.

    After the fourth time, Mr. Read stopped, turned around and said to the small boy, “What are you doing? Stop following me like that! You're going to hurt my feet.”

    “I'm sorry, but don't stop me, please!” the boy said. “It's very hot today and there aren't any trees in the street!”