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ESL forum >
Teaching material > Reading + Listening - short story
Reading + Listening - short story
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moravc
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White Hands
The girl who came to the door was eighteen perhaps.
She was beautiful - slim with fine features, long black hair.
She carried a child on her hip.
Behind her a carob tree cast shadows over the path that led to the verandah.
The sun was already warm.
I had been up early. I had sorted out all the toys my children had to leave behind.
They filled three large wicker donkey panniers.
I intended to take them into the street and to suggest that each child there could take one.
They had no time to pick up toys when they fled their homes.
The girl had the darkest blue eyes. She looked tired.
The child on her hip slept with his thumb in his mouth.
"Yes?" I asked.
Then I stood away from the door when she stepped into the cool hall.
"Before you say anything... Would you like a drink?... Water? Juice?"
She smiled a little and shook her head.
"I wondered.... I .... We are from "Fama Gusta", you see..."
She
was finding it hard to ask for anything and she would find it equally
hard to take anything from the look of her.
She was proud... Fierce almost...
"My sister needs a blanket. IF you had one to spare us... We had no time to ... " she shrugged a little.
The child stirred and went back to sleep.
I suggested she came with me to the room at the end of the corridor.
I�d spread out my wife �s clothes on the bed.
"If you would like to see if any of these fits you, you�re welcome," I told her.
I opened a drawer and took out a blanket and handed it to her.
"Take your time," I said and left her to choose.
In the kitchen I searched the cupboards and I found two cans of condensed milk.
They were there in case gipsies came begging. This way their children had something to eat.
I put them on the table near the front door.
She walked into the hall carrying the blanket and wearing a blue blouse that I recognised.
Her face was serious. Unsmiling.
She held out her hand. "Thank you," she said. "Thank your wife for me."
Then she said: "Please... now... can I clean your house for you?"
She had never cleaned a house in her life. Her hands were not marked by such work.
Please... now... can I clean your house for you?....
Such dignity. Such courage.
Even now I feel the tears in my eyes.
I thanked her, shook my head and told her I was going to put the baskets of toys in the street for the children.
I asked her if she would see that each child had one toy - no more.
The carob tree cast dark shadows over her as she walked down the path with her little brother.
It was a terrible home-coming.
Corrected thanks to Mariethe, Apodo and Jayho. I really appreciate your help, dearest friends!
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7 Sep 2011
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moravc
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Thanks in advance!
I can �t figure out what sort of tree was mentioned and I can �t decode few words....
I would be very oblidged if you could check the transcript....
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7 Sep 2011
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Mariethe House
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she carried( not was carried)
a carub tree
wicker donkey paniers
from the look of her
if any of these fits you, you can...
even now I feel the tears in my eyes
This is what I could make of it! Have agood day Moravc
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7 Sep 2011
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Apodo
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My suggestions:
she carried (not was)
a carob tree
wicker donkey panniers
the look of her
if any of these fit you
"Thank you," she said. "Thank..
now I feel the tears
I asked her if she would see that each child had one toy
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7 Sep 2011
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Jayho
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WoW Moravc - what a great short story. I loved it.
Here are my suggestions, mostly the same as the others with a few more.
Cheers
Jayho
- she carried a child on her hips
- a carob tree
- three large wicker donkey panniers
- I intended to take them into the street
- from the look of her
- I�d spread out my wife �s clothes
- if you would like to see if any of these fit you, you�re welcome
- wearing a blue blouse
- Thank you she said. Thank your wife
- Then she said
- even now I feel the tears
- she would see that each child |
7 Sep 2011
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moravc
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Thanks a lot for your grrrreat help!!!
I am sorry for so many typos and missing words, I was really tired then...
While listening to this story, my mind was full of images... Vivid reading indeed...
I wish I was able to write like that...
I intend to give this story to my advanced students and ask them to translate it... I think it might be a great opportunity to show their talent for languages...
Every picture tells a story...
"You don�t know what will make what difference." Nick McCarty, author of White Hands.
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7 Sep 2011
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Mariethe House
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Lovely picture and great story Moravc. Ideal for teaching: quite short, not too complicated and meaningful at the same time. Let us know when you find soething that interesting again!
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7 Sep 2011
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Jayho
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Lovely picture Moravc - that is a very famous picture that spanned the decades |
8 Sep 2011
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