Learn English through story | Graded reader level 1 | Rich man, poor man | English Skills
man by tc jup
chapter one a letter for adam
one day a postman came to my village
the postman brought me a letter from my son Saul.
"Is your name adam?"
the postman asked. yes i said
i've got a letter for you the postman
read the envelope
adam of the village of minta
a letter for me who is it from
i asked the postman looked at the
envelope again
from saul he said
he gave me the letter and walked away
martha martha i called to my wife
come here we have a letter from our
son's soul
martha came out and looked at the letter
she was excited but she was also worried
a letter from seoul she said
is he alive and well i'm going to find
the school teacher
he can read the letter
there was no school 50 years ago
so i cannot read or write
i live in a small village the only work
is farming
my only son saul left the village two
years ago
and my three daughters are married seoul
is making a lot of money
in a foreign country
martha and the school teacher came back
a lot of other people came everyone
wanted to hear my letter the school
teacher
opened the envelope and read the letter
20 taylor street london e19
england 16th of march
dear father i am living in london
i have a job in a factory the work is
very hard
i often work at night but the pay is
good
i am well and i live with people from my
country
i am sending you 100 pounds
in this letter this is for you
and my mother love to you and mother
soul
100 pounds i said to the school teacher
you're wrong it's a mistake
no the school teacher said i'm not wrong
it's not a mistake here is the money
and he gave me a piece of paper
what is this i asked a money
order the school teacher said go to
darpur
take this money order to the post office
in darpur
the money order is worth 100 pounds
the post office official will give you
the money
100 pounds i said again
everyone laughed and said adam you are a
rich man
you can buy many things for your farm
and for your house
and i can buy some good food and drink
in darpur
i am going to give a party for you all
i told my friends martha said
saul is a good son
that evening the village people talked
about the money order
and my money martha and i also talked
about the money
we needed many things for the farm
chapter 2 adam
next morning i got up very early it was
dark
and everyone was asleep but i was going
to darpur
i washed and dressed carefully i put on
my best clothes
and i carried my best stick i put the
money order carefully in my pocket
and i said goodbye to martha
i walked 10 miles to the main road
i sat down at the main road and ate my
breakfast
i waited for the bus i waited for two
hours then the bus came
and i got up
[Applause]
it is a long way to darpur the bus
takes three hours i arrived in darpur
and walked to the post office
immediately
i do not often go to darpur i only know
the market
and one shop this is the shop of rick
i buy things for my farm from rick
there were a lot of people in the post
office
i asked about money orders a man
showed me the cue there was a long line
of people
and i waited at the back
finally it was my turn i was at the
front of the queue
but the official did not serve me
excuse me i said it's my turn
i'm next you are next
old man i'm very busy the official said
look at my papers look at all these
people
i am very busy and you must wait
so i waited finally the official looked
at me
what do you want he asked i gave him my
money order
this is my money order for 100 pounds
i replied the official held out his hand
identity card he said
excuse me i don't understand i replied
your identity card the official said
again
give me your identity card
what is an identity card i asked
i can't give you any money for this
money order
first i must see your identity card
your identity card gives your name and
your address
your identity card describes you there
is a photograph of you
in your identity card i don't know you
who are you the official was a little
angry
but i was also angry who am i
i said everyone knows me i am adam of
the village of minta
i haven't got an identity card and i
don't need an identity card
old man i'm very busy and you're very
stupid the official said who are you
where is minter give me my money
give me my 100 pounds i said
the official looked angry and said show
me
your identity card i don't know you
the official gave back my money order
and he turned away
where can i buy an identity card i asked
the official
he did not speak to me he did not answer
go to the ministry of the interior a man
said
he was standing in the queue and he told
me the way
chapter 3 an identity card
i walked to the ministry of the interior
i waited in another queue i spoke to
another official
i asked for an identity card
fill in this application form the
official said and bring the form
and three photographs of yourself and
two pounds
come back tomorrow tomorrow
i said can i have an identity card today
please
i live in minta i live five hours
journey from darpur
i'm an old man yes come back tomorrow
and the official turned away
i walked away from the ministry of the
interior
i walked to the market at the market i
looked at everyone
i was looking for a man from my village
but i could not find a villager
so then i walked to the shop of rick
i spoke to rick i want an identity card
i told him but i need three photographs
of myself
i see you need some photographs
and he showed me the way to a
photographer
i found the house the photographer was
asleep but he came to me quickly
the man's clothes were dirty and he
looked tired
i need an identity card i said i want
three photographs of myself yes
you want three photographs of yourself
the photographer replied and i take
very good photographs come and see my
camera
we walked into his room in the middle of
the room was a large camera
this is the best camera in darpur this
camera is
very very good the photographer said
proudly i've never seen a camera
i said i don't know about cameras hurry
up and take a photograph of me
please do not hurry me old man
the photographer said i am an artist
and he gave me a mirror and a comb
i don't want a mirror i don't want a
comb please
take my photograph i'm going to minter
this afternoon
and i'm in a hurry i said yes
he said but first the price this
is the best camera in darpur and i'm the
best photographer
three photographs will cost you two
pounds fifty
two pounds fifty and i laughed
two pounds fifty and pay me now please
the photographer answered i did not know
the price of photographs
what could i do then the photographer
said
you're an old man for you the price is
two pounds
so i gave him the money and he took the
photographs
come back tomorrow morning he said i
want my three photographs now
immediately i said don't be stupid
the photographer said photographs take
24 hours
come back tomorrow what could i do
so i said yes tomorrow morning
good said the photographer now go i have
a lot of work
i'm very busy i went back to the bus
station
i sat on the bus for three hours i
walked
10 miles back to my village
it was night time and i was very tired
martha and my friends were waiting for
me
where is the money marta asked
i have no money i cannot change the
money order
first i must have an identity card
and i told martha everything
tomorrow i'm going to darpur again i
said
then i did not talk again i was very
tired
and it was late at night i lay on my bed
and i slept
chapter four no
i woke up late the next morning the sun
was already high
i did not walk to the main road and
catch a bus
all the buses go to darpur early in the
morning
so i stayed at home on wednesday i was
still very tired
i rested and talked to the villagers
about the money order
i told them about the identity card and
the photographer
the school teacher said yes the official
is correct
in a post office you always show your
identity card
the school teacher filled in my
application form for an identity card
application form for identity card
name adam jamai
address village of minta
age 72 years
place of birth village of minta
occupation farmer
color of eyes brown
on thursday i traveled to darpur again
i walked to the main road and i caught a
bus
in darpur i walked to the house of the
photographer
i knocked on the door of the house
[Music]
no one came to the door i knocked again
loudly with my stick
a woman opened the door who are you
what do you want she asked can i have my
photographs please
i said your photographs i have no
photographs
the woman replied i came here on tuesday
where is the photographer i asked he's
out
he's not here and the woman closed the
door
i shouted at her i'm waiting here for
him
after a long time the photographer came
back
he looked tired and he smelled of beer
give me my photographs i said i have
waited a long time for you
the photographer looked at me and said i
don't know
you old man what photographs are you
talking about
my three photographs from my identity
card
i paid you two pounds for them on
tuesday give me my photographs
immediately all my money
your photographs your money what are you
talking about the photographer said show
me the paper show me the receipt for
your money
my receipt i asked yes
where is your receipt the photographer
asked
you didn't give me a receipt i shouted
give me my photographs on my money
immediately
and i hit the photographer hard with my
stick
i am old but i am still strong
the photographer fell on the ground he
shouted
help help this old man is killing me
and i hit him hard again lots of people
ran
out of their houses i hit the
photographer again
and two men held me i could not get away
from the two men
the photographer was very angry and i
was very angry
lots of people were shouting then a
policeman came
the photographer shouted to the
policeman this old man hit me three
times with his stick
he's a thief and a murderer he wants my
money
the policeman held my arm and said come
with me to the police station
i did not say anything we walked to the
police station
at the police station the policeman
asked me
did you hit that man three times
yes i said he didn't give me my
photographs
show me your identity card said the
policeman
i am adam of minter village i replied
and i haven't got an identity card
old man said the policeman go back to
your village
don't come here and fight keep out of
darpur
and he pushed me into the street
i went back to my village i was tired
and angry
chapter five adam changes his money
order
next day i told my story to all the
villagers
the villagers were angry martha was very
unhappy
she said saul is working very hard
he is sending money and we can't have
the money what are we going to do
i did not know then in the evening the
school teacher came to my house again
adam perhaps i can help you the school
teacher said
here is a letter to mr sheth mr sheth
i said who is he he's an important man
in darpur and he's a friend of my wife's
cousin
replied the school teacher this letter
is to mr sheth
the letter is about your money order
perhaps he can help you
i took the letter and thanked the school
teacher
so i traveled to darpur again on
saturday
for the third time after a long time i
found mr sheth's house
the door was opened by a tall man
can i see mr sheth i asked
and who are you the tall man asked i
have a letter from mr sheth
i replied i see can i have the letter
please
and the tall man held out his hand the
letter is here
i said and i took the letter out of my
but i must see mr sheth many people want
to see mr sheth
the tall man told me he is a very busy
man and a very
important man mr sheth is not here at
the moment
but give me your letter and mr sheth
will read it later
i gave the tall man the letter then i
waited
later a large black car came
and the man went into the house
a long time later the tall man opened
the door again
come in now please and follow me he said
i followed the tall man we went into a
large room with fine
carpets and big chairs another man was
in the room
he was drinking this is mr sheth
he said the tall man i am adam
of minter village i replied
yes i know said mr sheth
thank you for the letter i hope i can
help you
i like to help people please
sit down mr sheth smiled
his clothes were new and smart
thank you i said can i see the money
order please
mr sheth asked i took the money order
out of my pocket
by now the money order was dirty and
looked very old
i gave it to mr sheth
this money order is for 100 pounds
i said my son sent it from a foreign
country
mr sheth unfolded the money order and
looked at it
you can't change this money order he
said
this money order is not worth 100 pounds
but this money order is worth nothing
worth nothing worthless
i asked then mr sheth looked at the
money order again
yes worthless your son does not
understand about
money orders this money order is not
correct for our country mr sheth said
then he looked at the money order again
and said
and this money order is also old
it is out of date
i said nothing mr sheth gave me the
money order back
then mr sheth smiled and said
i am very sorry you are an old man
you came a long way from your village
what can i give you to eat and drink
i was not hungry but mr sheth went out
of the room
then he brought me some coffee and some
cakes
i drank my coffee old man
said mr sheth i like to help people
i am a rich man give me your money order
i gave my money order to mr sheth
yes this money order is worthless
he said again but i am going to help you
i am going to change this money order
for you
i am going to give you some money
mr sheth went out of the room i felt
very happy again
after a few minutes the tall man came
into the room
he gave me an envelope this is from mr
sheth
you can go now the tall man said
i went out of the house i walked along
the road to the bus station
i opened the envelope and i took out my
money
i counted the money
it was 10 pounds
i thought about my only son's soul
my son saul had sent me a money order
for one
hundred pounds mr sheth had given me
ten pounds i felt old
and i felt poor again
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