英语故事The Neighbors.docx
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英语故事The Neighbors.docx
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英语故事TheNeighbors
英语故事
TheNeighbors
WhenZalelaandherfamilymovedintotheTamanSentosaHousingdevelopment,shesoonbecamefriendswithMeiLing,wholivednextdoor.Thetwogirls,whowereinthesameclass,wouldwalktoandfromschooltogethereveryday,andtheyspentalltheirfreetimetogether.TheirfriendshipblossomeduntiloneeveningwhenMeiLing’smotherbroughthomeadog.
“Look,dear,I’vebroughtyouapuppy.It’sabirthdaypresentfromyourfatherandme.”
“Forme?
”exclaimedthegirlindelight.Huggingthepuppytoher,shespoketoit:
“Oh,you’resobeautiful!
IthinkI’llcallyouJohan.Yes,Johan.”
But,nextdoor,Zalela’smotherbecameuneasywhenshelearnedaboutthepuppy.AccordingtothereligionofZalela’sfamily,dogswereuncleanandshouldnotbekeptashousepets.Shetriedtotalktoherhusbandaboutitbutheseemedunconcerned.“Well,aslongasthepuppydoesn’tcomeintoourhouse,Iguessit’llbeallright,”hesaid.
“Butdon’tyouhearitwhiningandbarkingdayandnight?
”shegrumbled.
“Oh,it’sprobablyjustnotusedtoitsnewhomeandmissesitsmother.That’swhyitbarks.”
Butthisdidnotmakeherfeelanyeasier.AndshewasafraidZalelawouldstartplayingwiththepuppy.FinallyshedecidedthatshemustforbidZalelatogotoMeiLing’shouse.
“Butwhycan’tIgothere?
”Zalelaasked.
“Becauseofthepuppy.”
“Butwhat’swrongwiththat?
Idon’tplaywithit.”
“Iknow,dear.Butyouknowourreligionforbidsuseventotouchadog.”
Depressed,Zalelacouldnotthinkofanyreply.ButsecretlyshestillcontinuedtogotoMeiLing’safterthat.
OneeveningZalelacamerushinghomeandhurriedtothebackofthehouse.Suspicious,hermotherfollowedherout,whereshefoundthegirlwashingherknee,scrubbingitvigorously.
“What’swrong,Zalela?
”sheasked,actingsurprised.
“Oh,Johnlickedmyknee,mother.”
Hearingthat,thewomanbecamefurious.“Didn’tItellyoustayawayfromMeiLing’s!
Whydidyoudisobeyme?
”
“I’msorry.Pleasedon’tbeangry.See,I’vealreadywashedmyknee,”shesaid,standingup.
“Icanseethat.ButyouarenottogotoMeiLing’sanymore.That’sfinal.”
“But,Mother,she’smybestfriend.”
JustthenMeiLingappeared.“Oh,pleasedon’tbeupset,”sheappealed.“JohanwasonlytryingtoplaywithZalela.”
ButZalela’smotherbecameevenangrier.“Indeed,playingwiththatdog!
Bothofyouknowitsagainstoutreligion.Andifadogdoestouchyou,youhavetowashthatpartofyourbodyoncewithwatermixedwithclayandsixtimeswithcleanwater.”
“ButJohanisclean,”MeiLingprotested.“Iwashhimeveryday.He’snotintheleastbitdirty.Justlookathim,”shesaid,pointingatJohan,whohadcomeupbehindher.
“Iknowhisbodyclean,MeiLing.Butforushe’sstillanuncleananimal.Andthat’sthat.”
MeiLingcouldnotthinkofanywaytodefendJohan.AndshecouldnotreallyunderstandwhatZalela’smotherwastryingtosay.AllsheknewwasthatshedidnotlikeJohan’sisbeingaccusedofbeingunclean.
Suddenlythedogbeganrunningaroundtheyard,wagginghistailandbarkingplayfully.“Oh,no!
Getthatdogoutofhere.Don’tlethimin!
”shoutedZalela’smotherindisgust.
MeiLingcouldnotbelievewhatshewashearing.Iffrightenedher.Sayingnothing,sheranoutoftheyardwithJohanatherheels.Oncebackhome,shetoldhermotherwhathadhappened.
“MeiLing,youknowthatpeopleoftheirreligionaren’tallowedtoplaywithdogs,”soothedhermother.
“ButwhydidsheaccusemyJohanofbeingunclean?
Ikeephimveryclean,”arguedMeiLing,intears.Hermotherdidnotsayanything.
Despitehermother’swarning,ZalelastillcontinuedtogotoMeiLing’s.Thegirlsdidnotseemintheleastbotheredbytherecentincident,fortheirfriendshipwastooimportanttothem.ZalelaalsorealizedthatMeiLinglovedJohanverymuch.
Johancontinuedtobeaneighborhoodnuisance.Hewouldhowlallnightandspendhistimechasingcats,alwayscausingmuchcommotion.
OneSundayafternoonMeiLingwenttoZalela’stoplay.Asthetwogirlssatthere,Johancameandstoodbythefrontgate.Zalela’scat,Koreng,cameoutofthehouseandjoinedthegirls.SuddenlyJohanchargedintotheyard,headingstraightforthecat.Jumpingwithfright,Korengranintothehouse,Johanfollowingclosebehind.Inside,Korengjumpeduponthetelevisionset.Butashedidsohebrushedagainstavase,whichfellonthefloor,shattering.
Hearingthenoise,Zalela’smothercamerushingintotheroom,“Oh,my,what’shappenedtomybeautifulvase?
”sheshoutedindisbelief.
Johanstoodinthehall,growling.Seeinghim,thewomanpickedupabroomandstartedbeatinghimwithit.Yelpinginpain,thedogranoutofthehouse.
MeiLingstoodwatching,helplessandalmostintears.Sayingnothing,sheranoutoftheyardafterJohan.Zalelawastoostunnedtodoanything.SheknewhermotherwasveryangryandwouldnotallowhertoseeMeiLingatallanymore.JustbecauseofJohan.
Thatnight,whenMeiLing’sfatherreturnedhomefromwork,hefoundhisdaughterintears.Betweensobs,shetoldhimwhathappened.
“Well,ofcourseshe’dbeangryifJohanchasedthecatintoherhouseandthenbrokehervase,”hesaid.
“What’llwedonow?
”MeiLing’smotherasked.
“Idon’tknow.Iguessshe’lljusthavetostayawayfromZalelaforawhile,”herepliedreluctantly.
MeiLingwasstunned.Herfather’swordstookherbycompletesurprise.Sherushedofftoherroom,confusedandsadabouteverythingthathadhappened.
ThatnightZalelacouldnotsleep.ShekeptonthinkingthatbecauseofJohanherfriendshipwithMeiLingwasruined.MaybeIoughttoaskhertogetridofthedog,shethought.But,no,sheknewshecouldnotaskherfriendtodothat,forMeiLinglovedthedogtoomuch.ZalelamightnotwanttoloseJohaneither.
Meanwhile,overthenextfewweeksJohan’sbarkingcontinued,butnowitsoundedincreasinglystrange.Firsthewouldwhinesoftly,thenhewouldgrowlandbark,andfinallyhewouldhowl.Andhishowlingwouldtakeonaneerie,frighteningtone.MeiLingbecameworriedthatJohanwasill,butherfatherassuredherthathewasnot.
NightafternightJohan’sstrangebarkingandhowlingcontinued.Itmadetheneighborsuneasy,fortheyfeltitwasabadomen.Rumorsbegantospreadthatitmeanteitherthedogoritsownerwasgoingtomeetwithsomeseriousmisfortune.Hearingthis,MeiLingbecameevensadder.
DuringthistimeMeiLingandZaleladidnotmeet.Althoughtheysaweachotheratschool,theynevertalked,andtheywenthomeseparately.ButfinallyonedayZalelagatheredupenoughcouragetospeaktoherfriend.WalkinguptoMeiLing,sheasked:
“Don’tyouwanttobefriendswithmeanymore?
”
“OfcourseIdo.Butyounowthatwe’renotallowedtomeet.”
“AndallbecauseofJohan.”
“Iknow,butthere’snothingwecando.”
“Well...”
“Well,what?
”
“Youwon’tbemadifIsaysomething?
”
“Ofcoursenot.We’refriends.”
“Well,then,MeiLing,Ithinkyoushouldkeephimtiedup.”
“Tiedup?
”
“Yes,keephimonaropeinyouryard.Thenwecouldseeeachotheragain.”
“ButIdon’tthinkhe’lllikethat.He’salwaysbeenfreetorunaroundashepleases.IfItiehimup,he’lljustbarkmore.”
“Doesthatmatter,aslongaswecanseeeachother?
”
“Butitwon’twork.It’lljustmaketheneighborsangrier.They’dprobablykillhim.”
“Don’tbesilly.Theycan’tkillhim.AndI’msurehe’llgetusedtobeingtiedupafterawhile.Asitis,hebarksallthetimeeventhoughhe’sfree.”
MeiLingthoughtforamoment.Finallyshereplied:
“Allright,I’lltrytryinghimuptonightandseewhathappens.”
Bothgirlssmiledandstartedofftowardhome,handinhand.
ThatnightMeiLingtiedJohanupundertheporch.Butthedogbarkedendlessly.Saddenedbythis,thegirlkeptongoingoutofthehousetoseehim,pattingandstrokinghisheadandback.“Don’tcry,darling.Ionlydidthisforyourowngood.Thiswaynoonewilleverbeatyouwithabroomagain.AndnowZalelaandIcanstillbefriends.”ButJohanjustwhinedandlickedherface.
Nosoonerwouldshequitehimdownthanhisbarkingwouldstartagain,growinglouderandlouder.AndthenMeiLingwouldrushouttohimoncemore.Herparentswatchedinsilence,afraidtosayanything.
Itwasgrowinglate.MeiLinghadalreadybeenouttocomfortthedogfivetimes.Tiredandupset,shefinallydecidedtoseehimfree.“Allright,I’lluntieyounow.Butpromiseyou’llbequiteandnotgoanywhere.”Thedogwhinedasifheunderstoodwhatshewassaying.Thenhegavealowgrowlandlookedtowardtheroad.
“Hey,what’sthematter?
Bequite.I’lluntieyou,butdon’troamaround,”shesaid,settinghimfree.Butasshewentbackintothehousehesatthere,staringattheroad.
Exceptforsomefrogscroakinginthedistance,thenightwascompletelystill.Suddenlyitbegantorain.Slowly,MeiLingdriftedoffintoanuneasysleep.ShedreamedthatshewaswithZalelaandJohan,thethreeofthemwalkingendlessly.Thencametoravine.Shelookedovertheedge,butitwasdarkanddeep,andshecouldnotseeanything.Then,suddenly,Johanslippedandfellintothegapingblackness.
MeiLingwokeupscreaming.Shejumpedoutofbedandrushedintotheyard.Itwasdawn.Johanwasnowheretobeseen.Shescreamedagain,andherparentscamerunningout.
Thethreeofthemlookedaroundtheyard,buttherewasnotatraceofthedog.MeiLingsearchedtheneighborhood,callingoutloudly,“Johan,Johan,”buttherewasnosignofhim.GloomilyshereturnedhomeandsatundertheporchwhereJohanusedtosleep.Quietlysh
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