книги / Striving For Happiness. I Am a Part of All that I Have Met

would soon forget Marie-Louise, and his letter looked as if he had already done so. It was a justification. For, as Jean thought, if he had lost Marie-Louise he would have died; with him it was a matter of life and death.

For a year Jean and Marie-Louise were extremely happy. But with the depression and the unstable economic situation in the country they decided not to have a child till better times. Marie-Louise was a good housekeeper. She was a good wife. But she was placid. This before he married her had seemed to Jean a rather charming trait, but as time went on he understood that her placidity came from a certain lack of emotions. She had her own tiny little set of interests and they left no room for any others. She sometimes began a novel, but seldom cared to finish it. Jean was obliged to admit to himself that she was rather dull. The uneasy thought came to him that perhaps it had not been worth while to do a dirty trick for her sake. It began to worry him. He missed Riri and felt the prickings of his conscience. He wished now that when the director of his firm spoke to him he had answered differently.

Then a terrible thing happened. Riri caught typhoid fever and died. It was a frightful shock for Jean. It was a shock to Marie-Louise too, but she neither ate less heartily nor slept less soundly.

Jean felt that he had killed Riri. If he had told the director all the good he knew of his friend, the latter would have got the post and would now be alive and well.

Jean was tortured by remorse. What he had suffered before was nothing to what he suffered now. He began to dislike his wife. For it was for her that he had done the shameful thing, and what was she? An ordinary, rather calculating little woman.

"What a fool I've been," he repeated.

He did not even find her pretty any more. He knew now that she was terribly stupid. She bored him to distraction. Though he said nothing, though he was kind and amiable, he often wanted to kill her. When he did, however, it was almost without meaning to.

It was ten months after Riri's death, and Riri's parents, Monsieur and Madame Renard, gave a party to celebrate the engagement of their daughter. There was plenty of champagne. Jean drank a great deal to drown the bitter remorse that tormented him. It was three o'clock when they got home. Next day was Sunday, so Jean had no work to go to. They slept late. The rest I can tell in Jean Charvin's own words.

"I had a headache when I woke. Marie-Louise was not in bed. She was sitting at the dressing-table brushing her hair. I've always been very keen on physical culture, and I was in the habit of doing exercises every morning. I got out of bed and took up my Indian clubs. Our bedroom was fairly large and there was plenty of room to swing them between the bed and the dressing-table where Marie-Louise was sitting and doing her hair which was cut too short and I thought it repulsive. I did my usual exercises. Suddenly she gave a nasty little laugh."

"What are you laughing at?" I asked.

"Madame Renard. That was the same dress she wore at our wedding, she'd had it dyed and done over; but it didn't deceive me. I'd have known it anywhere."

"It was such a stupid remark, it infuriated me. I was seized with rage, and with all my might I hit her over the head with my Indian club. I broke her skull, apparently, and she died two days later in hospital without recovering consciousness."

He paused for a moment. I handed him a cigarette and lit another myself. "I was glad she did. We could never have lived together again, and it would have been very hard to explain my action." "Very."

"I was arrested and tried for murder. Of course I said it was an accident, I said the club had slipped out of my hand, but the medical evidence was against me. Fortunately for me they could find no motive. We were generally looked upon as a devoted couple. My character was excellent and my employer spoke in the highest terms of me. In the end I was

sentenced to six years. I don't regret what I did, for from that day, I've stopped worrying about Riri. And my conscience is it rest."

I asked Jean what were his plans for the future.

"A clever accountant like me, and a man who's honest and industrious, can always get work. Of course I shan't be able to live in Le Havre, but the director of my firm has business connections at Lille and Lyons and Marseilles. He's promised to do something for me. Now, I look forward to the years to come with a good deal of confidence. I shall settle down somewhere, and as soon as I'm comfortably fixed up I shall marry. After what I've been through I want a home."

Jean Charvin's eyes searched the distance as though to see the future.

"But next time I marry," he said thoughtfully, "I shan't marry for love, I shall marry for money."

Answer thefollowing questions.

1.Who is the narrator of the story and what questions interested him?

2.Why did Jean Charvin interest him?

3.What had Jean done before he was put to prison?

4.Who was he friendly with and what things did they share? What sort of man

was Riri?

5.How did it so happen that both of them fell in love with one and the same girl? Do such things often happen?

6.What can you say about the girl?

7.Did Marie-Louise love either of them?

8.Did she make her choice at last and why?

9.Did Marie-Louise agree to go to Cambodia with her future husband?

10.How does it characterize her?

11.What did Jean feel when Riri told him his bad news?

12.Why were his hopes shattered one day?

13. Why did the director of his firm send for him one day? What did he want to know?

14.What was his conversation about? What was the only discreditable action Jean had done in his life?

15.Did he in fact betray his best friend?

16.What were the consequences of this betrayal?

17.Were Jean and Marie-Louise happy at first?

18.What did Jean understand about his wife later?

19.What terrible thing happened then? Did Jean’s attitude to his wife change?

20.How did it so happen that Jean kill his wife?

21.Did he regret what he had done?

22.What were his plans for the future?

23.Is there anything in the world worth betraying your friend?

A FABLE COLUMN

The Hare With Many Friends

There was once a hare who had so many friends in the forest and the field that she truly felt herself to be the most popular member of the animal kingdom. One day she heard

the hounds approaching.

"Why should a popular creature like me have to run for her life every time she hears a dog?" said she to herself. So she went to the horse, and asked him to carry her away from the hounds on his back.

"There is nothing I would rather do, friend hare," said the horse, "but, unfortunately, right now I have some important work to do for my master. However, a popular creature like you should have no difficulty in getting someone to help you."

Then the hare went to the bull and asked him if he would ward off the hounds with his horns.

"My dear friend," replied he, "you know how I feel about you, and how glad I always am to be of service. But at this very moment I have an appointment with a lady. Why don't you ask our mutual friend the goat?"

But the goat was busy too, and so was the ram, and so were the calf and the pig and the ass. Each assured the hare of his undying friendship and anxiety to aid her in her trouble, but each had some excuse which prevented him from performing the service. By this time the hounds were quite near, so the hare took to her heels and luckily escaped.

MORAL: He who has manyfriends has nofriends.

The Hen And The Fox

A fox was out looking for a late supper. He came to a henhouse, and through the open door he could see a hen far up on the highest perch, safe out of reach.

Here, thought the fox, was a case for diplomacy. Either that or go hungry! So he gave considerable thought to just how he should approach his intended supper.

"Hello, there, friend hen," said he in an anxious voice. "I haven't seen you about of late. Somebody told me that you have had a sick spell, and I was sincerely worried over you. You look pale as a ghost. If you will just step down I'll take your pulse and look at your tongue. I'm afraid you are in for quite a siege."

"You never said a truer word, cousin fox," replied the hen. "It will have to be a siege, for I am in such a state that if I were to climb down to where you are, I'm afraid it would be the death of me."

MORAL: Beware of the insincerefriend!

The Falconer And The Partridge

A falconer discovered that he had captured a partridge in his net. The bird cried out piteously when he approached, "Please, Master Falconer, let me go. If you will set me free I promise you that I will decoy other partridges into your net."

"No," replied the falconer. "I might have set you free. But one who is ready to betray his innocent friends to save his own miserable life deserves, if possible, worse than death."

MORAL: Treachery is the basest crime o fall.

The Wolf And The Goat

A wolf saw a goat browsing near the edge of a high cliff. "My dear friend," he cried in his most sympathetic voice, "aren't you afraid you will get dizzy and fall and hurt yourself?" But the goat went on feeding.

The wolf tried again. "Isn't it terribly windy up there so high with no shelter at all?" But the goat went on plucking grass.

"Besides," shouted the wolf, "I am sure that you will find the grass far sweeter and more abundant down here."

Then the goat replied, "Are you quite sure, friend wolf, that it is my dinner you are so solicitous about, and not your own?"

MORAL: Beware o f afriend with an ulterior motive.

The Travellers And The Hatchet

Two men were travelling along a highroad towards town. Suddenly one of them spied a hatchet half hidden in the fallen leaves.

"Look what I have found!" he cried, picking up the tool.

"Do not say 'I,' " replied his companion. "It is more proper to say, 'Look what we have found!' "

The finder of the hatchet shrugged his shoulders, and they continued on their way. Presently they came upon a group of men whose eyes were on the roadway as though they were looking for something. Suddenly one of the strangers pointed to the approaching two, and they rushed up to them, pointing to the hatchet.

"Alas," said the traveller who had found the hatchet, "It looks as though we are in trouble."

"What do you mean 'we are in trouble'? What you really mean to say is that 'I am in trouble!"

MORAL: He who will not allow his friend to share the prize must not expect him to share the danger.

A FAIRY-TALE COLUMN

INDIAN TALES

The Ant And The Bird

Once an ant went to the river to drink. Suddenly it fell into the water.

Now, a bird was sitting in a tree near the river. When she saw the ant in the water she decided to help it. So the bird picked up a leaf in her beak, carried it to the river and dropped it on the water near the ant. The leaf helped the ant to get to the bank.

After a few days the bird was again sitting in the same tree. She did not see that a man was coming towards her from behind. He was a fowler who wanted to catch the bird. The ant was near and saw the fowler. It ran up to him and began to bite his feet. The fowler cried out from pain. The bird turned round, saw him and flew away.

Three Gold Dolls

Once a certain padishah wanted to learn if his neighbour - the king - was clever. So he sent him three gold dolls. They all looked alike, but their prices were different. The padishah asked the king to choose the doll whose price was the highest.

The king looked at the dolls and thought for a long time but he could think of no answer. Now, there was a certain young man in the king's capital. He was clever and honest, but he quarreled with his rich neighbour - an evil man - who sent him to prison. In the prison the young man heard about the padishah's dolls and asked to tell the king that he could tell their prices. The king ordered to bring him to the palace. The young man came, looked at the dolls and saw that each of them had a little hole in its ear. Then he took a straw and pushed it into the ear of one doll. The end of the straw showed out of the doll's mouth. The young man took another doll and pushed the straw into its ear. The end of the straw showed out of the other ear. When the young man pushed the straw into the ear of the third doll the whole of the straw remained inside. The young man thought a little and said:

"Listen, о king, these dolls are very much like people. The first one is like a man who tells others everything that you tell him. Such a man is a bad friend. The second doll is like a man who soon forgets what you tell him. Such a man is also a bad friend. But the third

doll is like a man who forgets nothing and does not tell others what he must not tell. Such a man is a true friend. So the price of the third doll is the highest.

The king was very glad to hear this clever answer. He sent it together with the dolls to the padishah and ordered to set the young man free.

The Birds' Quarrel

Once a certain fowler caught some birds in his net. The fowler left the net in the field and went home to dinner. The birds saw that they were alone and began to say to each other: "Let us try to get free. If all of us pull one way we can fly."

So they flapped their wings all at once and pulled the net. Soon the net was flying. When the fowler came back he saw the flying net and ran after it. He said to himself:

"There are different birds in the net. Soon they will start to quarrel. And if they quarrel they cannot fly. Then the net will fall to the ground."

And that is what happened. At first all the birds pulled the net together, but soon the crows began to say: "We alone are pulling the net. The other birds are just flapping their wings."

The other birds became angry. "Stop your silly talk," they said to the crows, "we are also pulling the net." All the birds were quarrelling now and they forgot all about the net. It fell to the ground and with it fell the birds. The fowler ran up and seized the net. Then he carried it home and put every bird in a cage.

A Rich Friend

A man suddenly became rich. His best friend came to tell him how glad he was to hear about it. But the rich man pretended that he did not know his friend.

"Who are you and why did you come?" he said.

The friend answered: "Do you not know me? I am your old friend. I hear that you became blind. So I came to see you."

King Suleiman And The Wise Bird

Once upon a time there lived King Suleiman. He ruled over all the people and over all the animals. Once the gods gave him a cup of magic water and said:

"Drink from this cup and you will live three hundred years. If you don't drink, you will die very soon."

King Suleiman thought: "Before I drink from the cup I must ask my wise men for advice." And he ordered the wise men to his palace. When they came the king said:

"The gods gave me this cup. They tell me to drink from it. If I drink, they say, I shall live three hundred years. If I do not drink, I shall die very soon. Must I do as the gods tell me?"

"There is no better thing on earth than life, was the answer. "We advise you to drink from the cup". King Suleiman said: I see that all of you think so. But is there any wise man or animal who is not here?"

"Yes, о king," the wise men answered, "there is a wise bird who lives far away at the end of the earth. She did not come to the palace."

Then the king ordered his soldiers: "Go and bring the wise bird." The king's soldiers went and brought the wise bird before the king.

King Suleiman told the wise bird about the cup of magic water and then asked: "Tell me, о wise bird, must I drink from the cup?" The wise bird asked:

"Will you drink from the cup alone or will all your friends drink from it too?"

The gods gave the cup to me," answered the king, so I must drink from it alone." "Then you will live three hundred years, but all your friends will grow old and die.

How will you live without friends?"

"You are right, King Suleiman said, a man cannot live without friends." And he broke the magic cup.

A Merchant And His Parrot

A certain merchant had a parrot. Once the merchant decided to go to Bengal on business. Before he went away he asked the parrot:

"What shall I bring you from Bengal?"

"Don't bring me anything," answered the parrot, "but, do what I tell you. There is a tree in the middle of a big field in Bengal. Go to that tree. You will see many parrots in it. You must say to them: "Your friend lives in a cage. If you do not help him, he will soon die. The parrots in the tree will make an answer to this. Please, bring me their answer."

"All right,", said the merchant.

He came to Bengal, did his business and then went to the parrots' field. He came to the tree and said to the parrots: "Your friend lives in a cage. If you do not help him he will soon die."

Suddenly he saw that all the parrots fell to the ground like dead. The merchant was surprised. He looked at the dead birds for a short time and then started back home.

At home he told his story to his own parrot. Suddenly he saw that the parrot fell down to the floor of the cage like dead.

The merchant was greatly surprised. He said to himself: "Why did I tell him about the death of his friends? It killed him." Then he took the.parrot out of the cage and threw him out of the window. But the parrot was not dead and he flew away at once. Then the merchant understood that the parrots had played a trick on him and in that way had helped their friend to get free.

DISCUSSION

Comment on thefollowing proverbs and quotation concerningfriendship.

A false friend is worse than an open enemy. A friend is not so soon found as lost.

A friend - one soul, two bodies.

A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody. A friend without faults will never be found. An untried friend is like an uncracked nut.

Fate chooses our relatives, we choose our friends. Friends and mules fail us at hard passes.

Friends are like fiddle strings, they mustn’t be screwed too tight. Friendship always benefits; love sometimes injures.

Friendship is a sheltering tree. Friendship is love with understanding. Friendship is the perfection of love.

Friendship multiplies joys and divides grieves.

He is a good friend who speaks well of us behind our backs. When a friend asks there is no tomorrow.

Never trust a friend who deserts you at a pinch. (Aesop)

Old wood best to bum, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read. (Francis Bacon)

When Zeno was asked what a friend was, he replied, “Another I”. (Diogenes)

A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud (Ralph Emerson)

One friend in a lifetime is much; two are too many; three are hardly possible. (Henry Adams)

Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing. (Benjamin Franklin)

WRITING

Choose one proverb or quotation you like most and write an essay based on it.

HUMOUR

Friends In Business

A rich businessman was dying. He asked all the members of his family to leave him

plan of yours which ended in failure? You explained the failure by changes in business conditions, but the real reason was quite different: I had sold your secret to McKay and Co. for 150 thousand dollars ... Forgive me, George ..."

"Don’t worry, Jim," said George. "It's all right. I’ve also got to tell you something: I put some poison into your soup at dinner yesterday."

What do you think: can such things asfriendship and common business go together?

retirement - выход на пенсию salary - заработная плата (оклад) wage - заработная плата

fee - гонорар (врача, юриста) income - доход

to earn - зарабатывать

to make money (informal) - зарабатывать

to make one's living - зарабатывать на жизнь

to downshift - сменить работу на менее высокооплачиваемую, но приносящую большее удовлетворение,

downshifting

2. Study the list o f personal qualities, abilities, skills and preferences necessary f choosing the right career. Your answers will help you to choose the rightjob.

Are you: interested in people good at meeting people energetic

ambitious friendly patient industrious disciplined responsible reliable scrupulous painstaking dextrous polite resolute

well-mannered brave broad-minded compassionate selfless balanced sociable tolerant tactful practical logical well-read erudite

good at organizing

good at working with hands strong-willed?

Have you got: a good memory

a sense of humour good imagination creative abilities?

Can you: drive

speak any foreign language play any musical instrument