A Little Gossip

-Good morning, Mrs. Smith. What beautiful weather again!

-Yes, lovely, Mrs. Jones! What a splendid summer we (to have) ……………………so far this year.

-Yes, but some people (to complain) ………………….. about the heat and (to grumble) ………………… because we (not to have) ………………….. much rain for the gardens.

- Some people are never satisfied. And I think they are a bit lazy. As for me I (to work) …………….. in my rose garden since morning.

- By the way, you (to hear) ……………….. that young Patrick Ellis (to have) …………….. another accident in his car?

- How awful! Is he badly hurt?

- Well, they (to take) ………………….. him to hospital but I (not to think) …………………. it (to be) …………………….. serious because he (to come) …………………. home again today.

- I suppose he (to drive) ………………… flat out again. Only yesterday I (to tell) ……………… Mrs. Tailor how madly he (to drive)…………………. And all his friends are just the same.

- I know. What wild things young men are these days!

- Mm… I’ve got some news for you, too. You (to hear) …………………. that Eva Browning (to get) ……………………….. married for the third time on September the tenth?

- Fancy that! She only (to get) …………………. her second divorce in the spring. What a dreadful woman she is!

- Her first marriage only (to last) ………………….. six months – and that was only in 1972, wasn’t it?

-Yes, that’s right. At this rate she (to lose) ……………….. count of her husbands before she (to be) …………………… forty.

- She may lose count, Mrs. Jones but we certainly won’t.

The Appointment

Once upon a time, there was a rich Caliph in Baghdad. He was very famous because he was wise and kind. One morning he (to send) ……………………. his servant, Abdul to the market to buy some fruit. As Abdul (to walk) ……………………. through the market, he suddenly (to feel) …………………….. very cold. He (to know) …………………….. that somebody was behind him. He (to turn) …………………….. round and (to see) …………………. a tall man, dressed in black. He couldn’t see the man’s face, only his eyes.

The man (to stare) ……………………. at him, and Abdul (to begin) ………………… to shiver. “Who are you? What you (to want)………………………? Abdul asked. The man in black (not to reply) ……………………..

“What’s your name?” Abdul asked nervously.

“I…am…Death,” the stranger (to reply) ………………………. coldly and turned away.

Abdul (to drop) …………………….. his basket and (to run) …………………….. all the way back to the Caliph’s house. He (to rush) ……………………. into the Caliph’s room..

“Excuse me, master. I have to leave Baghdad immediately,” Abdul said.

“But why? What (to happen)…………………..?” the Caliph asked.

“ I just (to meet) ………………….. Death in the market,” Abdul replied.

“Are you certain?” said the Caliph.

“Yes, I’m certain. He (to be dressed) ……………….. in black, and he (to stare) ………………. at me.

I (to be going) ………………….. to my father’s house in Samara. If I (to go) ………………….. at once, I (to be) ……………………. there before sunset.”

The Caliph could see that Abdul was terrified and (to give) ………………… him permission to go to Samara.

The Caliph was puzzled. He was fond of Abdul and he was angry because Abdul (to be) …………………… badly frightened by the stranger in the market.

He (to decide) …………………….. to go to the market and investigate. When he (to find) ……………………. the man in black, he (to speak) …………………. to him angrily.

“Why you (to frighten) my servant?”

“Who is your servant?” the stranger replied.

“His name is Abdul,” answered the Caliph.

“I (not to want) ……………... to frighten him, I just (to be surprised) ………………… to see him in Baghdad.”

“Why you (to be surprised) ………………….?” the Caliph asked.

“I (to be surprised) ……………………. because I’ve got an appointment with him…tonight…in Samara.