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Welcome to Easy Stories inEnglish.
The podcast that will take your English from OK to Good and from Good toGreat.
I am ArielGoodbody, your host for thisshow.
Today's story is for advancedlearners.
The name of the story is StrangeFriends.
You can find a transcript of the episode at EasyStories in English.com slash FriendsL4, where you can also download the episode as aPDF.
This is a leveled up version of a beginner levelstory.
You can listen to the beginner level version of Strange Friends at EasyStories in English.com slashFriends.
F-R-I-E-N-D-S.So,yes, we have actually had this story twice on the podcastalready.
I believe at beginner and intermediatelevels.
But I love this story somuch.
It's one of my favouritestories.
I adapted it pretty early on when I started doing thepodcast.
And I actually performed it to a group of students I wasteaching.
And one of the students was having so much fun and laughing somuch.
So that gave me very positive associations with thisstory.
This actually appears in my collection ofbooks.
Hold on asecond. Here is one ofthem.
So you can see if you're onYouTube.
Obviously, if you'relistening, you can'tsee.
But I have my book EasyStories in Englishhere.
And this story appears in all four levels in thebook.
So, if you enjoy it today and you like that kind ofthing, go pick up a copy at EasyStories in English.com slashBook.
The version I'm performingtoday, I have actually changed abit.
There is a slightly different way I present the vocabulary in those books versus on thepodcast.
Because in thebooks, I can rely on visual descriptions ofvocabulary.
I can use pictures to explain what wordsmean.
Obviously, I can't do that on apodcast.
And I can also use different amounts of newvocabulary.
Because I can introduce them as yougo.
And thenalso, when I was preparing the script for thisepisode, I changed the story a bitbecause, youknow, it's been a few years since I wrote the originalversion.
So I've changed a lot as awriter.
I've developed myskills.
And when it comes to performing astory, it's reallyimportant, Ithink, to have a close connection between the words and how you feel aboutit.
So there are a few parts that I changed to feel more natural in myperformance.
Basically, it's very hard to put down a story in this kind of performancestyle.
Like, it's very hard for me to ever just completely stop changingsomething.
If I am going to be performing it with myvoice.
And I'm sure it's the same for many forms ofart.
I knowmusicians, youknow, if they're touring and doingconcerts, they're constantly changing the way they dothings.
Soyeah, as I mentioned in the last episode of thepodcast, thererun, I wassick.
And the sickness hit me prettyhard.
Not gonnalie. It was notfun.
I've been sick a lot thisyear.
So rightnow, I am really focusing on myhealth.
I'm going for a walk in thewoods.
First thing everymorning.
I'm scheduling naps in theafternoon.
That's a very important part of my job is to take regularnaps.
And I'm focusing on leaving more time for reading andwriting, which are of course really important parts of my creative process and mywork.
Butalso, I just enjoythem.
Soyes, looking after yourhealth.
Pretty goodidea.Okay.
I'm in a strange moodtoday.
I'll just explain some words that are in today'sstory.
Analtar,a-l-t-a-r, is a special table that you find inchurches.
The altar sits at the front of the church and the priest uses it to perform parts of themass, theceremony.
Altars often have coloured clothes and crucifixes onthem.
When you fantasize about doingsomething, you imagine and dream about doingit.
Usually it is something that is unlikely tohappen.
Forexample, many of us fantasize about being rich andfamous.
I know Ihave,certainly.
Those of us who are more realistic might fantasizeabout,oh, I don'tknow, eating a really delicious chocolatecake.
Let your mind runwild. InChristianity, when a child isborn, there is an event called achristening,CH-R-I-S-T-E-N-I-N-G.
During achristening, the priest pours water on the baby's head and the parents officially name thechild.
This is also referred to as abaptism.
Christening refers more to the giving of the name and baptism to the pouring of thewater.
During a christening or abaptism, usually two friends of the parents come forward to become the godmother and godfather of thechild.
They accept the child as their godchild.
Basically, they agree to help look after the child and if anything happens to theparents, the god parents often look after theminstead.
Acrumb,CRUMB, is a small piece ofbread, cake orbiscuit.
When you eatbread, little bits of bread break off and fool on yourplate.
These arecrumbs. With somefood, you have to eat carefully or you get crumbs all overyourself.
And speaking of getting crumbs all overyourself,SAVA, SAVOR means to slowly and deeply enjoysomething, usuallyfood.
Forexample, if you buy a really expensivedessert, you'll probably want to eat it slowly and saveit, presumably because you spent your life savings on it and it's going to be the last thing you everate.
Or maybe you have a wonderful experience like a wedding or going to a theme park and you really want to saveit.
Take it inslowly. Someone's disposition is theirtendency, the natural way ofbeing.
Someone can have an activedisposition, a cheerydisposition, a fragile disposition and soon.
Apparently today I have a bit of a flamboyantdisposition.
That's alie. I always have a flamboyantdisposition.
Akitten,KITEN, is a babycat.
When a cat givesbirth, it usually has four to sixkittens.
When we want to talk to a kitten or acat, we often call itKitty,KITY.
Kitty is basically a cute way of talking to acat.
PONDA,P-O-N-D-E-R, means to think deeply aboutsomething, usually something that is not tooserious.
Forexample, some people spend a lot of time pondering the meaning oflife.
Infact, I am one of thosepeople.
Pondering is veryimportant.
We should all be ponderingmore.
If you're notpondering, stop andponder.
Justgo,mmm.Yes. Veryimportant.
I'mpondering. Youknow?
Do more ofthat. When we say you might as well and dosomething, it means that you should probably do it because there is no better choice and it probably won'thurt.
Forexample, maybe you plan to go to a barbecue in thepark.
But you find out on the day that the barbecue has beencancelled.
Well, if the weather'snice, you might as well go to the parkanyway.
And once you'rethere, you might as well sit down and enjoy theview.
The phrase for all the good it will doyou, or for all the good it didme, forexample, is a dismissive way of saying that some action or knowledge turned out to be or will end up beinguseless.
Forexample, maybe you go on holiday and buy a first class ticket on theairplane.
But your flight is ruined because there is a very loud and annoying person sat next toyou.
Someone likeme,imagine.
No, I'm very good ontransports.
I'm veryquiet.Well, in that situation where Ariel is very annoying on theairplane, you couldsay, I flew that first class for all the good it didme, or I flew that first class for all the piece it gaveme.
Or maybe you fell an exam and you tell yourfriends, I studied all night for all the good it didme.
I stillfailed. That wouldn't be verygood, wouldit?
Okay, so listen andenjoy.
Strangefriends. Once upon a time there were a cat and a mouse who lived together in a littlehouse.
Unlike others of her kind mightbehave, this cat did not chase or eat themouse, which meant that they could befriends.
And indeed theywere. Everyone called them the strange friends and they lived a peaceful life together in thecity.
But one darkday, the cat came and spoke to themouse.
We must think ofwinter, mydear.
It is bright and sunnynow, but in a few months time it will be dark and cold and there will be hardly any food toeat.
We should save something for thewinter.
Afterall, if you go out looking forfood, a cat could eatyou.
You're quite rightfriend, said themouse, and I know just the right food tokeep.
Let's buy a pot offat. It won't go off and it's veryversatile.
You can cook lots of things withfat.
So they bought a pot of fat and were about to store it in thekitchen.
When the mousesaid,wait, we cannot keep ithere.
Can youimagine? Every day will walk past this part of delicious fat and want to eatit?
No. Let us put it somewhere where we will forget about it until we needit.
In thechurch, under thealtar, nobody goes to that churchanymore, dothey?
Out ofsight, out ofmind.
So they went into thechurch, hid the pot of fat under thealtar, and then went home and promptly forgot aboutit.
Or at least the mouse forgot aboutit.
But for thecat, out ofsight, out of mind was not an accurate description of her thoughtprocess.
Infact, she thought about the pot of fat veryoften.
Atfirst, shethought,ah, I wonder one otheridea, it was to get that pot offat.
We will be very thankful for it in thewinter.
But as the weekspassed, she thought more and more about thefat.
And her thoughts began to turnselfish.
She fantasized about going and eating thefat.
Oh, it would taste sogood.
So the cat came up with aplan.
She went to the mouse andsaid, Dearmouse, I have to ask you afavor.
Yousee, my cousin has given birth to a beautiful little kitten with white and brownfur.
He really is veryspecial.
And my cousin has asked me to come to the gristening and be hisgodmother.
As I'm sure you canunderstand, this is a greathonour.
Would it be all right if I left you to look after the housealone, just this oneday?
Ofcourse, ofcourse, said themouse.
Family comes aboveall.
Go and enjoy thegristening.
And if there happens to be some nice food ordrink, bring a few crumbs back tome.
Infact, I would love just a few drops of thewine.
Crisening wine is always sweet anddelicious.
The cat smiled andsaid, I'll do mybest.
Naturally, the cat waslying.
She had no cousin and nobody had asked her to begodmother.
She happily strolled out of the house and went straight to thechurch.
She pulled out the pot offat, opened it up and licked herlips.
Oh, it looked sogood. The cat licked wildly atit, savoring the delicioustaste.
And she ate the whole top layer of the fat until she was quite fullup.
Then she went for a walk on the roofs of thecity.
She hoped to spot some dessertthere, but findingnone.
She lay down in the sun and had anap.
She fantasized about the pot of fatagain, licking her lips in anticipation of the next time she could eat fromit.
When she returned home thatevening, the mousesaid,wow, you look like you've had a wonderfultime.
I suppose it was a goodcrissing,then.
Oh,yes, the best I've ever beento.
And what did they name thechild?
The cat thought for a moment and thensaid, topoff.
Top off said themouse. I must say I have never heard such a peculiar name in mylife.
Are there others in your family with thatname?
It is a perfectly normalname.
Thank you verymuch. You have agodchild, don'tyou?
He is called bignose, if Irecall.
That's just a stranger name as topoff.
And withthat, the conversation wasover.
The cat'sfantasizing, on the otherhand, continuedstrong, a weak past and the desire to go for another secret meal filled the cat up until she simply had to dosomething.
So oncemore, she went to her housemate andsaid, my dearmouse, I'm afraid I must ask for your assistanceagain.
My cousin has quite an active disposition and has already given birth to anotherchild.
Iknow, can you believe suchthings?
This one has a wide ring around herneck, which is quite ararity.
They want me to be godmother again and I'm afraid I cannot sayno.
Would you be so kind as to look after the house one moretime?
Noproblems,friend. Go and enjoy yourself and if you could possibly spare a few drops of that christeningwine.
Oh, we drank it up so quickly lasttime, but I willtry.
Ofcourse, the cat did not go to any christening but to the altar in the church and this time she ate half the pot offat, filling her stomach up tobursting.
Food tastes much better when you don't have to share it with anyoneelse.
Upon arrivinghome, the mouse of course askedher, what did they name the child thistime?
Halfdone, said thecat.
Halfdone. Are you telling thetruth?
I have never heard of thatname.
I don't think you would find it in a single name dictionary in thecountry.
Then perhaps the dictionary should berewritten, crumbled to thecat.
A few dayslater, and what else could you reallyexpect, the greedy cat got hungry again and once more fantasized about thefat.
Well, if she had already gone thisfar, why not gofurther?
Good things can harm inthrees, announce the cat to themouse.
I have been asked to be godmotheragain.
I have decided I must have some truly professional qualities to make me such a desirablegodparent.
Now, this child is black with whitehands, which as I'm sure you can imagine makes it really quite a specialkitty.
I must attend thechristening.
Will you take care of the house while I'mgone?
Topoff. Halfdone. Those names really do make methink.
I wonder what name it will betoday.
Well, you just sit at home andwonder, will I go and take part in thechristening?
So the cat headed off to thechurch.
In themeantime, the mouse cleaned the house from top tobottom, and while she rested from herlabors, the cat finished off the pot offat.
It is so good to finish ameal.
Said thecat. I simply felt so incompletebefore.
It was wrong with me not to eat all the fat in onego.
But I have corrected mymistake.
Yes, she was so full that she had a long sleep on the roof and did not return home until the late hours of thenight.
The mouse woke up from her nap and eagerly asked what they had named the thirdchild.
He is not going to likethis.
Said thecat. He is called allgone.
Allgone! cried themouse.
Why that is the strangest name ofall.
I have never heard of such a name in my entirelife.
What could itmean? Pondering thesequestions, the mouse went off tobed.
After thatday, the cat's cousin did not have any more children and she was called to know morechristenings.
Winter finally arrived and the cupboards ranempty.
But the mouse was not put off bythis.
It is a good thing we have that pot offat.
Shesaid, let's go to the church and enjoy ourfood.
Yes, said the cat toherself.
Although you might as well stick your tongue out of the window and lick the air for all the good it will doyou.
What wasthat?Oh,nothing.
I'm simply looking forward to ourfood.
But when they arrived at thechurch, the pot was as empty as an eggshell.
Ohno, said themouse. I see what hashappened.
I thought we werefriends, but in fact you have betrayedme.
While you were going tochristenings, you were really off eating thefat.
First topoff, then halfdone, then do notfinish.
Said the catdarkly. Just the sound of the names brought back memories of the delicious fat and she was getting veryhungry.
If you say anotherword, ohgod, cried themouse.
And withthat, the cat jumped on her and ate herup.
Because that is the way of theworld.
Cats eat mice and cats getfat.
Theend.Phew, that was a fun episode ofHa.
I'm really feeling my oatstoday.
Feeling your oats is like when you're a horse and you're eating your oats and just like having a greattime.
Anyway, if you want to experience this insanity one toone, you can book a class withme.
Just go to easystoriesinenglish.com slashclasses.
If you book a package of 10classes, you can get a thirdoff, a33%discount.
Don'tdelay. Book a class withme.
And I'll see you nextweek.
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