VOA Special English -  【听写作业】AMERICAN STORIES - Judge - Part One - 11/03/2007

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Judge part I
When Charlie Hasco died, he left a wife and nine children. They lived on a small piece of land in a house with four rooms. John was the oldest boy. He was sixteen years old and tall for his age. After his father died, John’s mother told him he would have to take care of the family. So John went into the corn filed behind the small house. There was very little corn and very many weeds. His family needed corn and corn needed room to grow. John bent down and began pulling out the weeds. When John came in for supper that night he told his mother that he had cleaned half the corn field. She was surprised and immediately went outside to look at what he had down. While she was looking at the field, she remembered that her husband had sold some corn to judge Tone. She also remembered that he had never collected the money for the corn. She told john to go to the judge’s house right away to get it. John was afraid of Judge Tone. The judge was the richest man in town. He owned a lot of land and everyone owed him money. His stone house looked like a palace. John went to the judge’s house and knocked on the door. Servant opened it right away and brought John into the judge’s office. Judge Tone was sitting at his desk. He was a very big man with red face, long white hair and serious blue eyes. John stood with his back to the door, he hold his hat in both hands.
“Hello, John” said the judge, “what do you want?” John told the judge about the money.
“Oh, yes” said the judge, “I had forgot about that. I’m sorry.”
He stood up and reached into his pocket. Slowly he pulled out a large brown leather wallet. He opened it, took out a new dollar bill and handed it to john. Then he sat down at his desk again.
“How are you and your family doing?” he asked.
“All right, sir.” John said, “I wouldn’t bother you about this money but we needed it.”
“That’s all right.” Judge said slowly. “I should have remembered it. I didn’t think of it because your father owed me money. He owed me forty dollars.”
John was so shocked. He couldn’t think of anything to say. Forty dollars was a fortune for him and his family. The judge looked at John for a few moments.
“How old are you boys?” he asked.
“Sixteen, sir.”
“And when do you think you will pay me back the forty dollars your father owed me?” he asked.
John’s face got very white, “I don’t know, sir.” He whispered.
The judge stood up, “I hope you are not like your father” he said, “He was a lazy man who never worked hard.” He held out his hand to the boy, “good luck to you” he said as he shook John’s hand. Then he walked with him to the front door and said good night.
During the summer, John worked on other people’s farms for forty cents a day. At first, nobody wanted him. People remembered how lazy his father had been. They gave the work to other boys. But John was a hard worker and began to get jobs. Soon he has worked on other people’s farms six days of a week. He worked on his own family’s land every evening and all day Sunday. At summer for the first time, little farmer had enough foods and vegetables to feed John and his family. There was even enough for them to sale at the market. John used to wander how his father had always found time to go fishing. John had very little time to fish that summer and when he did had time to relax, he thought about the forty dollars he owed Judge Tone. Then he would go out and look for more work. At first, he gave all the money he earned to his mother. But then, he began saving a few pennies every time he was paid. At end of August, he had saved a dollar. As he held the money he owed to the judge. By the middle of October, john had saved five dollars to give to the judge. So one night, after supper, he went back to the judge’s big stone house. He found the judge sitting in his office.
“Sit down, John” the judge said, “I know you have worked hard this summer. I will be glad to help you if you need some money for the winter.”
John felt his face become very hot. “I didn’t come here to ask for anything, judge.” he said. He pushed his hand deep into his pocket, pulled out his money. “I want to pay back some of the money I owe you. There is only five dollars but here it is.” And he handed the money to the judge. Judge Tone counted the money then he went to his desk; put the money in the drawer.
“Where will you find work this winter, John?”
“I don’t know, sir.”
Several days later, John’s mother asked him to go into town to buy cloth. She wanted to make some warm clothing for the children for the coming winter. On his way into town, John met Celf white Futher. Celf was an indian who also worked on the farms during the summer. But in the winter, Celf traveled north and disappeared into the woods. As they walked toward the town, John told Celf that he had no work for the winter. Celf told John that he went into the woods every winter to hunt and trap wild animals for their furs. Celf said he earned two hundred dollars last winter.
“Two hundred dollars,” John thought. He turned shily to the indian, “Could I come with you this year?” he asked. Celf looked at John without smiling: “ Have you got a gun and some animal traps?” John shook his head, “No” he said, “How much would that cost?” “Seventy five dollars.”the indian replied. “If you can get those things, I will teach you how to catch the animals. I’m leaving in two weeks.”
Only one person could help John. That night he went to the judge’s house. The house was dark except for the light it was shining in the judge’s office. John could see the judge sitting at his desk. The boy tapped at the wintow. Judge Tone opened it. When he saw the boy’s thin face, he asked: “ What do you want?” “Please judge,” said John, “Could I talk to you?” The judge shut the window and opened the front door. They went back to his office. “As quick as you can” the judge said, “It is late.” John had never been so frighted in his life. He couldn’t think where speak for a few moments. “Talk, boy” the judge barked at him. So John told him about Celf and animal furs and ask the judge for the money.
“Seventy-five dollars” the judge said, “ you are asking me to lend that much money to a sixteen year boy? Just for like that?”
“I could do it with fifty dollars.” John said, “But if you think it is a bad idea, I won’t bother you anymore.”
“Shut up,” the judge said, “If I am going to lend you money, I want to be sure you don’t strave to death in the woods, then I would never get my money back, would I ?
The judge looked hard at John for a few moments, “ what about this Celf?” he asked, “ Can you trust him?” John noded his head, “ he is always been nice to me.”he said.
The judge pulled out a pieces of paper from his desk and wrote something on it. “Sign this,”he said when he finished writing. “It says you promise to pay me back seventy-five dollars by next spring.” John was embarrassed to tell the judge that he didn’t know how to read or write. “Put a mark at the bottom instead of your name.”he said, “ Here is the money. Don’t lose it.” He walked John to the door, shook the boy’s hand, “good luck. Come here as soon as you get back next spring.”

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谢谢 ！

~~~

希望大家指正。（By Eva Huang）

Now the Special English Programme, American Stories.

Our story today is called Judge. It was written by Walter D. Edments. We will hear part one of the story today and part two next week. Here is Harry Monroe with our story.

(Music)

When Charley hastily died, he left a wife and nine children. They lived on a small piece of land in a house with four
rooms. John was the oldest boy, he was sixteen years old and tall for his age. After his father died, John's mother told him he would have to take care of the family. So John went into the corn field behind the small house. There was very little corn and very many weeds. His family needed corn and corn needed room to grow. John bended down and began pulling out weeds. When John came in for supper that night. He told his mother that he had cleaned half of the corn field. She was surprised and immediately went outside to look at what he had done. While she was looking at the field, she remembered that her husband had sold corn to Judge Tone. She also remembered that they had never collected money for the corn. She told John to go to the Judge's hourse right away to get it. John was afraid of Judge Tone.

The Judge was the richest man in town. He owned a lot of land and every one owned him money. His stone house looked like a palace. John went to the Judge's house and knocked on the door. The servant opened it right away and brought John into the Judge's office. Judge Tone was sitting at his desk. He was a very big man with red face, long white hair and serious blue eyes. John stook with his back to the door. He held his hat in both hands.

"Hello, John," Said the Judge, "what do you want?"

John told the Judge about the money.

"Oh, yes." Said the Judge, "I had forgotten about that. I'm sorry."

He stood up and reached into his pocket. Slowly he put out a large brown leather wallet. He opened it and took out a new dollar bill and handed it to John. Then he sat down at his desk again.

"How are you and your family doing?" He asked.

"All right, sir." John said, "I wouldn't bother you about this money, but we needed it."

"That is alright." The George said slowly, "I should have remembered it. I didn't think of it because your father owned me money. He owned me 40 dollars."

John was so shocked. He couldn't think of anything to say. 40 dollars was the fortune for him and his family. The George looked at John for a few moments.

"How old are you, boy?" He asked.

"16, sir."

"And when do you think you will pay me back the 40 dollars your father owned me?" He asked. John's face got very white.

"I don't know, sir." He whispered.

The George stood up. "I hope you are not like your father. He was a lazy man for never worked hard."
He hold out his hand to the boy.

"Good luck to you." He said as he shook John's hand. Then he walked with him to the front door and said good night.

During the summer, John worked on other people's farms for 40 cents a day. At first, nobody wanted him. People
remembered how lazy his father has been. They gave the work to other boys. But John was a hard worker. He began to get jobs. Soon he was working on other people's farms six days of the week. He worked on his own family land every evening and all day Sunday. That summer for the first time, the little farm had enought fruits and vegetables to feed John and his family. There was even enough for them to sell at the market. John used to wonder how his father had always found time to go fishing. John had very little time to fish at summer. When he did have time to relax, he thought about the 40 dollars he owned Judge Tone. Then he would go out to look more work. At first, he gave all the money he earned to his mother, then he began saving a few pennies every time he was paid. At the end of Augest, he had saved a doller. As he held the money in his hand, he realized for the first time, some day he might be able to pay back all the money he owned to the Judge. By the middle of October, John had saved 5 dollars to give to the Judge.

So one night, after supper, he went back to the Judge's big stone house. He found the Judge sitting in his office.
"Sit down, John." The Judge said," I know you've worked hard this summer. I'm glad to help you with a few money for the winter." John felt his face become very hot.

"I didn't come here to ask for anything, Judge." He said. He pushed his hand deep into his pocket and put out his money. "I wanted to pay back some of the money I own you. It is only 5 dollars. But here it is." And he handed the
money to the Judge. Judge Tone counted the money then he went to his desk and put the money in a drawer.

"Where will you find job this winter, John?"

"I don't know."

Several day later, John's mother asked him to go into town to buy cloth. She wanted to make some warm clothing for children for the coming winter. On his way to the town, John met Seth White Feather. Seth was Indian, also worked on the farms during the summer. But in the winter, Seth travelled north and disappeared into the woods. As they walked towards the town, John told Seth he had no work in the winter. Seth told John that he went into the woods every winter to hunt and trap wild animals for their fur. Seth said he earned 200 dollars last winter. "200 dollars." John thought. He turned to the Indian.

"Could I come with you this year?" He asked.

Seth looked at John without smiling: "Have you got gun and some animal traps?"

John shook his head.

"No." He said, "How much does that cost?"

"75 dollars." The Indian replied, "If you can get those things, I will teach you how to catch animals. I am leaving in two weeks."

Only one person could help John. That night, he went to the Judge's house. The house was dark except for the light that was shining in the Judge's office. John could see the Judge sitting at his desk. The boy tapped at the window.

Judge Tone opened it. When he saw the boy's thin face, he asked: "What do you want?"

"Please,Judge." Said John, "Could I talk to you?"

The Judge shut the window and opened the front door. They went back to his office.

"As quick as you can," The Judge said, "it is late."

John had never been so frightened in his life, he couldn't think or speak for a few moments.

"Talk, boy." The Judge barked at him.

So John told him about Seth, the animal furs and asked the Judge for the money.

"75 dollars." The Judge said, "You asked me to lend that much money to a 16 years old boy just like that."

"I could do it with 50 dollars." John said. "But if you think it is bad idea. I won't bother you any more."

"Shut up" The Judge said, "If I'm going to lend you money. I want to be sure you don't starve to dead in the woods.

Then I would never get my money back, would I?"

The Judge looked at hard John for a few moments.

"What about this Seth?" He asked, "Can you trust him?"

John nodded his head. "He has always been nice to me." He said.

The Judge put out a piece of paper from his desk and wrote something on it.

"Sign this." He said when he finished writing. "It says you promise to pay me back 75 dollars by next spring.

John was embarrassed to tell the Judge that he didn't know how to read or write.

"Put a mark instead of your name." The Judge said, "Here is the money. Don't lose it."

He walked John to the door, shook the boy's hand. "Good luck. Come here as soon as you get back Next spring."

You've heard part one of the American story, Judge. Your storyteller was Harry Monroe. The story was writen by Walter D. Edments and adapted for Special English by Dona de Sanctis. Harold Bruce and company published it in 1951 in Americans All stories of American life edited by Benjamin Hetrick. This story is copyrighted. All rights reserved. This is Shirley Griffith.