A Troublesome Call

We were going, on Saturday, ever so far,-- My mamma and I,--to the Dollies' Bazaar, Where fifty wax dollies,--the loveliest show, Went walking about when they wound 'em, you know.

You wouldn't believe half the things they could do: Why, one said "Good morning," as plainly as you. One played the piano, and one, dressed in lace, Walked up to a mirror and powdered her face.

Well, when we were ready we stepped in the hall, And there was a lady a-coming to call. She said she just chanced to be passing that way, And she really had only a minute to stay.

We waited and waited, and hoped she would go, Till I saw it was almost the time for the show, For I heard the clocks striking all over the town, And I knew that the dollies would all be run down.

And so I just said, "I should s'pose, Mrs. Black, Your little girl wonders why don't you come back." That's all that I spoke, every 'dentical word; But she said, "Little girls should be seen and not heard."

I guess that's a proverb, so maybe 'tis true; But, if people won't see, what can little girls do? My mamma looked queer, but that ended the call, And we went to the Dollies' Bazaar, after all.

(from Cinderella or, the Little Glass Slipper and Other Stories )

Little keys can open big locks, simple words can express great thoughts. A text from u never fails to make me smile the whole day through

If you say my eyes are beautiful it's because they're looking at you, for my eyes are just the windows my feelings come through

Walk with me when ur hearts needs company, take my hand when u feel all alone, turn to me when u need some1 to lean on, coz I'm the one u can always depend on!

It takes two to tango, two to kiss, two to talk & reminisce. So many good things come in pair & one of those things is ME n YOU!

Faith makes all things possible, love makes all things easy, hopes makes all things work, but ur gorgeous smile brings all faith, luv & hope in me

I used to think that dreams do not come true, but this quickly changed the moment I laid my eyes on you

I'll give u one kiss to go to sleep. I'll give u two kisses to dream. I'll give u an endless row of kisses to, when u wake up in the morning, think of me

There are Tulips in my garden;
there are Tulips in the park
But nothing is more be beautiful than our two lips meeting in the dark

One Rose for Bessie
  by: T. Lynn, , TLYNN Poems

She listened...as she heard a light tapping on her door.
Taking a minute, Bessie slowly shuffled across the floor.
Years had crept in and aches and pains now Bessie's lot.
As she remembered, days gone by, she became lost in thought.
Years have passed away since Bessie met her own true love.
It was a moon lit night and all the stars were out above.
They began to dance and as they danced the night away,
This dashing young man reserved a date for the next day.
For several weeks, Joe and Bessie become an intimate pair.
They were young and free thinking they didn't have a care.
One day Joe told Bessie he had to leave town for a while.
He kissed her tenderly and said good-bye with a big smile.
Joe was to return, at which time they planned to wed.
Joe did not return and Bessie's heart felt crushed instead.
Days turned into months and many months turned into years.
Days she spent in sorrow with the shedding of some tears.
Joe had a mental breakdown but he did not say a word.
After Joe recovered, he knew his words would not be heard.
He didn't want to burden her with fears of a relapse.
He worried in the future fear would cause love to collapse.
Joe showed his love for many years by sending one red rose.
He sent it every Monday morning so the story goes.
This was Monday morning as she shuffled to the door.
Expecting one red rose, just like all the weeks before.
Instead she found a rose and its color was pure white.
With a note attached that said; "Joe died quietly last night."

English words for emotions

A

angry: "She was angry with her boss for criticising her work."

annoyed: "I'm very annoyed with him. He hasn't returned any of my calls."

"She was annoyed by his comments."

appalled = very shocked: "They were appalled to hear that they would lose their jobs."

apprehensive = slightly worried: "I felt a little apprehensive before my interview."

ashamed: "How could you say such a thing? You should be ashamed of yourself!"

at the end of your tether = completely fed up: "The children have been misbehaving all day - I'm at the end of my tether."

B

bewildered = very confused: "He was bewildered by the choice of computers in the shop."

betrayed = when someone breaks the trust you have in them: "He betrayed my trust when he repeated my secret to everyone."

C

confused: "I'm sorry I forgot your birthday - I was confused about the dates."

confident = sure of your abilities: "I'm confident that we can find a solution to this problem."

cheated = when you don't get something that you think you deserve: "Of course I feel cheated - I should have won that competition."

cross = quite angry: "I was cross with him for not helping me, as he said he would."

D

depressed = very sad: "After he failed his English exam, he was depressed for a week."

delighted = very happy: "I'm delighted that I got the job. It's just what I always wanted."

down in the dumps = sad and fed up: "What's the matter with him? He's so down in the dumps these days."

disappointed: "She was disappointed by her son's poor results at school."

E...

The Tree-bound

IT was a clear summer day. The blue, blue sky dropped low over the edge of the green level land. A large yellow sun hung directly overhead.

The singing of birds filled the summer space between earth and sky with sweet music. Again and again sang a yellow-breasted birdie--"Koda Ni Dakota!" He insisted upon it. "Koda Ni Dakota!" which was "Friend, you're a Dakota! Friend, you're a Dakota!" Perchance the birdie meant the avenger with the magic arrow, for there across the plain he strode. He was handsome in his paint and feathers, proud with his great buckskin quiver on his back and a long bow in his hand. Afar to an eastern camp of cone-shaped teepees he was going. There over the Indian village hovered a large red eagle threatening the safety of the people. Every morning rose this terrible red bird out of a high chalk bluff and spreading out his gigantic wings soared slowly over the round camp ground. Then it was that the people, terror-stricken, ran screaming into their lodges. Covering their heads with their blankets, they sat trembling with fear. No one dared to venture out till the red eagle had disappeared beyond the west, where meet the blue and green.

In vain tried the chieftain of the tribe to find among his warriors a powerful marksman who could send a death arrow to the man-hungry bird. At last to urge his men to their utmost skill he bade his crier proclaim a new reward.

Of the chieftain's two beautiful daughters he would have his choice who brought the dreaded red eagle with an arrow in its breast.

Interjections

Hi! That's an interjection.

"Interjection" is a big name for a little word. Interjections are short exclamations like Oh!, Um or Ah! They have no real grammatical value but we use them quite often, usually more in speaking than in writing. When interjections are inserted into a sentence, they have no grammatical connection to the sentence. An interjection is sometimes followed by an exclamation mark (!) when written.

Here are some interjections with examples:

Meeting with the former president

Discrimination for sake of disabilities spoils humans innate generosity

On Sunday morning, managers and some disabled members of Hemayat Sabze Parsian held a meeting with Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani the Chairman of the Expediency Council of Iran. In this meeting the manager and members of the establishment introduced and reported their recent activities to him. After hearing the disabled people speeches he said: Discrimination for seek of disabilities spoils humans' innate generosity…read more

                                                                          see more

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

People always come into your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, or to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually. They may seem like a godsend to you, and they are. They are there for a reason, you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die, Sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall, the season eventually ends.

LIFETIME, relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway);, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas in your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

The Tortoise and the Ducks

"Take me with you, please," called a tortoise to a gray duck and a white duck that were flying over.

The ducks heard the tortoise and flew down toward him.

"Do you really wish to go with us?" asked the ducks as they came to the ground near the tortoise.

"I surely do," replied the tortoise. "Will you please take me?"

"Why, yes, I think we can do so," said the white duck slowly.

The two ducks talked together in low tones for a few minutes. Then they flew to the woods. They soon brought back a strong twig and dropped it in front of the tortoise.

"Now," said the ducks, "if we take you off to see the world, you must promise us one thing."

"What is that?" asked the tortoise. "I will promise almost anything if you will let me go."

"You must promise not to say one word while you are in the air, not one word ," replied the ducks.

"All right, I promise," said the tortoise. "Sometimes I do not say a word for a whole day because there is no one to listen to me."

"Well, take firm hold of the middle of the twig; we are ready to start," said the gray duck.

"If you value your life, you must hold on tightly," said the white duck.

The tortoise took hold of the middle of the twig and each duck took hold of one end.

Then they flew up! up! up! while the tortoise swung from the middle of the twig. How he enjoyed it! He had never had such a ride.

They had gone a long way safely when they came to a hayfield. The haymakers looked up and saw the ducks and the tortoise.

"Ho! ho! the tortoise has stolen some wings," called one of the haymakers.

"What a queer carriage he has!" laughed another in a loud voice.

"I pity his horses," said another.

This made the tortoise so angry that he cried out, "You--" but no one knows what he was going to say, for he fell to the ground and was killed.

[Footnote: Adapted from The Tortoise and the Geese, in a book of the same name published by Houghton, Mifflin Co.

(from Fifty Famous Fables , by Lida Brown McMurry)

DOWNLOAD MP3 AUDIO

This story is read by Alessandro Cima.

This is a story from the collection of the Brothers Grimm. It concerns three brothers, one of whom is a simpleton. When this simpleton finds a golden goose opportunities and complications seem to meet him at every turn.

The illustration is by Leslie Brooke and is from a 1905 book entitled, 'The Golden Goose Book.'

Duration: 00:09:58

English idioms of emotion

:-)

All these idioms mean that you are absolutely delighted!

over the moon: "He was over the moon when he heard the news."

thrilled to bits: "She was thrilled to bits with her new bicycle."

in seventh heaven: "They were in seventh heaven when they learned they'd won a cruise."

on cloud nine: "When I got the job, I was on cloud nine for several weeks."

jump for joy: "We jumped for joy when we got the mortgage."

:-(

These idioms mean you are feeling sad.

down in the dumps: "When she left him, he was down in the dumps for a couple of weeks."

feel blue: "She felt a little blue when she lost her job."

beside yourself (with grief, worry): "When her son went missing, she was beside herself with worry."

Annoyed because you have missed an opportunity

sick as a parrot: "He was as sick as a parrot when he realised he had thrown away his lottery ticket."

:-V

These idioms mean that you are very angry.

see red: "Don't talk to him about his boss - it just makes him see red!"

hopping mad: "She was hopping mad when she found out her daughter had disobeyed her."

in a black mood: "Be careful what you say - she's in a black mood today."

Less angry idioms.

cheesed off: "I was really cheesed off when I lost the competition."

to not be on speaking terms: "They're not on speaking terms at the moment after their row."

To be off someone's Christmas card list: "Oh dear. I think I'm off her Christmas card list after insulting her husband!"

have a downer on someone: "What's John done? You seem to have a real downer on him."

rub someone up the wrong way: "Those two are always arguing. They just seem to rub each other up the wrong way."

In desperation

These idioms mean you don't know what to do.

at the end of your tether: "I just can't cope. I'm at the end of my tether with all these bills and debts."

at your wits' end: "He's at his wits' end. He's tried everything to solve the problem, but nothing has worked."

© 2007 english-at-home.com.  

The Tongue-cut Sparrow

Long, long ago in Japan there lived an old man and his wife. The old man was a good, kind-hearted, hard-working old fellow, but his wife was a regular cross-patch, who spoiled the happiness of her home by her scolding tongue. She was always grumbling about something from morning to night. The old man had for a long time ceased to take any notice of her crossness. He was out most of the day at work in the fields, and as he had no child, for his amusement when he came home, he kept a tame sparrow. He loved the little bird just as much as if she had been his child.

When he came back at night after his hard day's work in the open air it was his only pleasure to pet the sparrow, to talk to her and to teach her little tricks, which she learned very quickly. The old man would open her cage and let her fly about the room, and they would play together. Then when supper-time came, he always saved some tit- bits from his meal with which to feed his little bird.

Now one day the old man went out to chop wood in the forest, and the old woman stopped at home to wash clothes. The day before, she had made some starch, and now when she came to look for it, it was all gone; the bowl which she had filled full yesterday was quite empty.

While she was wondering who could have used or stolen the starch, down flew the pet sparrow, and bowing her little feathered head--a trick which she had been taught by her master--the pretty bird chirped and said:

The Twelve Brothers

THERE were once upon a time a King and a Queen who lived happily together, and they had twelve children, all of whom were boys. One day the King said to his wife:

`If our thirteenth child is a girl, all her twelve brothers must die, so that she may be very rich and the kingdom hers alone.'

Then he ordered twelve coffins to be made, and filled them with shavings, and placed a little pillow in each. These he put away in an empty room, and, giving the key to his wife, he bade her tell no one of it.

The Queen grieved over the sad fate of her sons and refused to be comforted, so much so that the youngest boy, who was always with her, and whom she had christened Benjamin, said to her one day:

`Dear mother, why are you so sad?'

`My child,' she answered, `I may not tell you the reason.'

But he left her no peace, till she went and unlocked the room and showed him the twelve coffins filled with shavings, and with the little pillow laid in each.

Then she said: `My dearest Benjamin, your father has had these coffins made for you and your eleven brothers, because if I bring a girl into the world you are all to be killed and buried in them.'

She wept bitterly as she spoke, but her son comforted her and said:

Writing "Thank You" letters and emails

Layout and format

"Thank you" letters can be quite short, and fill one or two sides of A5 paper (one side of A5 paper is half the size of a sheet of A4 or office paper). You can write your address in the top left hand corner of the paper, but you don't need to write the recipient's address. You can also write the date under your address.

You normally start the letter "Dear…" followed by the name of the person you are writing to.

In the first paragraph (which can be short), you should thank the person for the gift and say something complimentary about it:

"Thank you for the book tokens. I'm looking forward to choosing a book with them."

"Thank you for the wall calendar. It will be very useful to me this year!"

"Thank you very much for the beautiful soaps. I'm looking forward to relaxing in a hot bath!"

"Thank you very much for the lovely photo frame. It will look very nice on my chest of drawers."

"Thank you very much for the elegant scarf you sent me. It's exactly what I need for special occasions."

In the second paragraph, you can give general news about how you spent the holiday period (or how you spent your birthday if you have received a birthday present). You could also show interest in the other person's holiday.

"We had a very quiet and relaxing Christmas at home. The kids ate too many chocolates as usual, so now we're all on a diet! I hope your Christmas was as good, and that you were able to relax for a few days."

In the third paragraph you can talk about more general family or personal news.

In the final paragraph, you should thank the person again for their gift, and give your wishes for the New Year if applicable. (See below for useful phrases for ending the letter.)

Useful phrases

You should start your letter with "Dear" and follow it by the person's first name:

"Dear Tom" or "Dear Uncle Bill"

You can end your letter with any of these phrases:

"With love (from)", "With much love (from)", "Lots of love (from)" or "Love (from)" followed by your name on the next line. The "from" in these phrases is optional.

You normally end the letter with repeated thanks and wishes for the New Year:

"Thank you again for my present."
"Thank you again for such a thoughtful gift."
"Wishing you a happy New Year."
"With all my best wishes for a happy New Year."
"Wishing you all the best in 2006."

An example thank you letter

7, London Rd
Manchester

30 December, 2005

Dear Uncle Bill

Thank you very much for the French cookery book you gave me. The recipes look wonderful, and I'll certainly enjoy using it.

I hope you and Auntie Susan had a good Christmas. We stayed at home, but had a couple of day trips out nearby. Our local theatre put on a production of "A Christmas Carol", which was fun.

I go back to University next week, and this year I'm going to have to study hard for the final exams. I've really enjoyed the course so far, but I'm not sure what to do once I get my degree. The University arranges career interviews, but I don't really have a clear idea of what I want to do. Hopefully it will all become clearer during the course of the year.

Thank you again for the lovely present, and Happy New Year!

With much love

Anna

© 2007 english-at-home.com.