Aesop and Traveller

Aesop was a very clever man who lived many hundreds of years ago in Greece. He wrote many fine stories. He was well known as a man who was fond of jokes. One day, as he was enjoying a walk, he met a traveller, who greeted him and said: “Kind man, can you tell me how soon I shall get to town?” “Go,” Aesop answered. “I know I must go,” protested the traveller, “but I should like you to tell me how soon I shall get to town?”

“Go,” Aesop said again angrily.

“This man must be mad,” the traveller thought and went on.

After he had gone some distance, Aesop shouted after him: “You will get to town in two hours.” The traveler turned round in astonishment. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?” he asked. “How could I have told you that before?” answered Aesop. “I did not know how fast you could walk.”

Balzac as a Handwriting Expert

Balzac, the famous French writer, was a man of great talent. But he himself was pound of his ability to tell a person’s character by his or her handwriting. He often told his friends that he could tell anybody’s character exactly by his handwriting.

One day a woman friend brought him a young boy’s exercise book. She said that she wanted to know what Balzac thought of the boy’s character.

Balzac studied the handwriting carefully for a few minutes. The woman, however, told him that the boy was not her son and he might tell her the truth.

“All right,” said Balzac. “I shall tell you the truth.” And he said that the boy was a bad, lazy fellow.

“It is very strange,” said the woman smiling. “This is a page from your own exercise book, which you used when you were a boy.”

II. Render the stories using the modal verbs.

(a) should, have (to)

Rather Late

It was dark night. A man was riding a bicycle without a lamp. He came to a crossroad and did not know which way to turn. He noticed a pole with something white which looked like a sign. Climbing to the top of the pole he lit a match and read: “Wet Paint.”

(b) be, should, must

The King and the Fortuneteller

A cruel ling went to a fortuneteller and asked her, “Oh what day shall I die?”

She answered him that he would die on a holiday.

“Why are you so sure of that?” asked the king.

“Any day,” she answered, “on which you die will be a holiday.”

(c) can, will, have (to)

The Boy and the Cakes

A train stopped at a small station. A passenger looked out of the window and saw a woman who was selling cakes. The gentleman wanted to buy a cake, but the woman was standing rather a long way from the carriage.

The gentleman didn’t want to go for the cake himself, so he called a little boy who was on the platform near the carriage and asked him: “How much does a cake cost?” “Three-pence, sir,” answered the boy. The gentleman gave him sixpence and said to him: “Bring me a cake and with the other threepence buy one for yourself.”

A few minutes later the boy came back. He was eating a cake. He gave the gentleman threepence change and said: “There was only one cake left, sir.”

(d) dare, would, will, must