Ex. VII. p. 182

I

UNCLE PODGER AT WORK

Uncle Podger decided to put up the picture which had just been brought from the shop. His family tried to make him give up the idea (to talk him out of doing this). "Look here, Podger, you run the risk of breaking your neck if you do it, our kitchen ladder is old, it may break." But Uncle Podger would not listen. He was so carried away by the idea that there was no stopping him (nobody could stop him). • "All right, do it at your own risk, we aren't going to help you injure (hurt) yourself," said Aunt Ann. She wished she could give him a piece of her mind, but she

controlled herself. He was a difficult person to deal with. He always had his (own) way.

For a while Uncle Podger could not hammer in the nail (drive in the nail), but he stuck to it and wouldn't give in. Suddenly Aunt Ann gave a cry of alarm. The ladder gave way under Uncle Rodger's weight and he would have fallen if Aunt Ann had not come to his rescue.

II

CLEAR PROFIT

1. Mr. and Mrs. Gregg invited Lautisse, a famous artist, to spend a week-end in their home out of town. It so happened that just for fun Lautisse painted their garden fence white. At the time the Greggs little knew what would come of it.

2. The next week an article appeared in one of the local newspapers stating that the famous French artist Lautisse had been staying at the Greggs'. The news gave rise to a lot of talk (caused a great deal of talk, caused a great sensation). It turned out (appeared) that Lautisse had never (in his life) used white paint; besides, he had not been heard of for quite a time. Crowds of newspapermen and reporters besieged Mr. Gregg's house. They took pictures of the fence, of the bucket, of the brush. They asked the Greggs all kinds of questions. Some of them demanded that the Greggs should immediately sell the fence. One of the reporters was quite unbearable. He hung about their house all day long and never left them in peace. Mrs. Gregg could not stand (endure) it any longer and gave way to tears. "How dare they interfere in our life!" she exclaimed.

Mr. Gregg was also furious. He wished he could give the reporter a piece of his mind, but he could not afford the luxury. "Look here, gentlemen, the work leaves much to be desired, anyone could have painted the fence like that," Mr. Gregg repeated again and again. But the reporters wouldn't give in. They kept saying that it was a real masterpiece.

3. "Don't give way to despair," said Gerston, their neighbour, when the Greggs confided their trouble to him. "Have your fence exhibited at some art gallery. It's not much of a risk, if you do it." On the face of it the idea seemed absurd. Was it not ridiculous to have a plain wooden fence on exhibition (on view) at an art gallery? Had the world gone mad? Yet, when Gerston gave them to understand that they might make a fortune out of it, thay agreed.

4. Strange as-it might seem the fence was accepted by the best gallery in the town. Mr. Gregg felt awfully uncomfortable when he saw the place the fence had been given in the main hall of the gallery. He blushed as if caught red-handed. He stood muttering, "I could have done a better job myself." When he looked up he caught Gerston's eye, and the latter could not help laughing.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-27