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

A Bom Pessimist And An Eternal Optimist

A mother had twin children Will and Jenny. The two had interly different outlooks on life - Will was a bom pessimist while Jenny was an eternal optimist. These attitudes caused the mother a great deal of concern, particularly when it came to buying presents for them. So she decided to consult a child psychiatrist with regard to what she should buy them for Christmas. The psychiatrist told her to spend as much as she could on Will the pessimist but said that Jenny would probably be happy with anything. "Why not to get a pile of manure and wrap that up for Jenny?" he suggested. "I'm sure she'd be fine with that."

The mother took his advice and spent 300 dollars on presents for Will and wrapped up a heap of manure for Jenny. Christmas morning came and the kids were opening their presents. "What has Santa Claus brought you?" she asked Will.

He answered gloomily: "A bike, but I'll probably get run over while riding it; football boots, but I'll probably break my leg while playing; and an electric train set, but I'll probably electrocute myself."

Realizing this wasn't going as planned, she turned swiftly to Jenny. "And what has Santa Claus brought you?"

"I think I got a pony," said Jenny up to her elbows in manure, "but I haven't been able to find it yet!"

RENDERING

Render into English.

Счастье - это...

c ) ... когда потеряешь и найдёшь.

d)когда утром радостно идешь на работу, а вечером с радостью возвра­ щаешься домой.

e)(your formula of happiness)

2. a ) ... любовь, которой все возрасты покорны.

В возрасте за семьдесят покорила меня любовь. До того жил, как большинство людей. Работал, растил детей, ухаживал за больной женой 10 лет. Жена умерла, я ос­ тался один. Дети у нас прекрасные, но ведь взрослые уже, у них своя жизнь. А я по­ жилой, но живой. И как-то взял зимним вечером да и пошёл на дискотеку для пожи­ лых. Меня приглашали танцевать, и я приглашал. И вдруг увидел Её. Она была оп­ рятно-приятная и на 10 лет моложе. Не говоря ни слова, мы закружились в вальсе. С того вечера мы не расстаёмся. Прожили вместе 5 лет. Нам всюду хорошо. Я хочу посоветовать другим людям - ищите свою любовь. Пусть вам много лет - но разве менее счастливы убелённые сединами люди, держащиеся за руку?

б ) ... мои мама и папа.

Я думаю, не очень много семей, в которых родители и дети понимают друг дру­ га. У моих родителей разные профессии, но отношение к делу у них одинаковое. Они много и увлечённо трудятся на благо людей. Но и обо мне они не забывают. Они даже начали играть на пианино, когда я учился в музыкальной школе. Мои родители и я любим вместе смотреть приключенческие фильмы, ходить в картинную галерею, собирать грибы, рыбачить и сидеть у костра. По-моему, наша семья счастливая. Лю­ ди, живущие в городе, образуют семьи, а семьи - город. И я уверен: если многие се­ мьи счастливы, то и город счастлив.

с) give your own story about happy people.

READING

Read the story.

Better Late

After Edward Stevenson

Well, I'm certainly glad you're not seasick. When I first saw you leaning over the rail I said to myself that you must be seasick, though I couldn't see how anybody could get seasick with the water so calm the way it is today. Our room steward says that anybody that gets seasick in this kind of weather wouldn't be safe on the lake in Central Park. He's a regular comedian... And that reminds me, how much do you think I ought to tip him - the room steward, I mean? I'm not a person who has a lot of money, but still I want to do the right thing as to tipping.

You see, this is the first time we've been on a boat - my wife and I, I mean. Of course, we've taken a trip up the Hudson with the kids, but I guess you wouldn't mention the Hudson River Day Line in the same breath with a big ship like this, would you? The kids thought it was wonderful, though. They're grown up and married now, with kids of their own - except Judy, that is, and she hardly has had time, not having been married a year yet - but it doesn't seem more than yesterday that they were running around like wild Indians and getting into all kinds of trouble. Time certainly flies...

Whew! It's getting hot, isn't it? We must be coming into the tropics from the way it feels. Ever been down here before, Mr. - I don't think you mentioned your name, did you? Arthur? Well, I'm glad to know you, Mr. Arthur. My name's Bentham. I'd like you to meet my wife some time, too. That's my wife sitting in that deck chair down at the end. She's making believe she's reading that book, but she's sound asleep. The salt air seems to make her very tired...

As I was saying, time certainly flies. Now, you take me, why, it seems only the other day that Ellen and I were getting married; and here we are grandparents of six already.

We've been married thirty-five years. It doesn't seem possible, but that's what it is, all right. Why, say, I can remember the wedding just as clearly as if it happened last week. It wasn't much of a wedding - you know, no ceremony and reception. Besides Ellen and me and the minister there were only the minister's wife and the church janitor, for witness. But I can still see the five of us standing there in the chapel, with the sun coming through a high window and falling around us and turning everything golden. I remember Ellen especially. She was so pretty and little. Lord, I felt big and awkward beside her.

Will you look at these flying fish! Aren't they the funny things?

When I look back, I think that Ellen and I must have been crazy, getting married the way we did. My goodness, I didn't have a cent to my name - it was all I could do to get together the money for the wedding ring. Engagement rings and honeymoons and all those special things were out of reach as far as we were concerned.

I felt pretty bad, taking her right from church to a $2.50 - a week furnished room. A wonderful girl like her deserved better, and I told her so. A big wedding, a reception at the Hotel Waldorf - the old Waidorf, you know - and a honeymoon at Niagara Falls was little enough for her. But she just laughed. "If I wanted such foolishness," she said, "I'd have married Mr. Astor and not Johnny Bentham." That's the way she is. I didn't mind so much not having a big church wedding, or a reception afterwards, but, gee, what's a wedding without a honeymoon? I mean, it made me feel rather low, not being able to provide even that.

You know, marrying Ellen was the making of me. I was just a shipping clerk at the time, but she made me study bookkeeping and when an opening in the company came along I stepped right into it. I'm head bookkeeper now. Of course, that isn't so much - there's only one other bookkeeper - but being head of anything is pretty good these days, I always say. A couple of years back when I'd been with the company thirty-five years they put on a dinner for me at Jack Dempsey's Restaurant and gave me a watch. Here it is. See what it says, "To John W. Bentham" - that's my full name - "for thirty-five years of devoted service. Atlas Paper & Supply Co." Mr. Stover, the president, made a speech. I did too - but I was too choked up to say much. You can bet that I'd never have stayed in that company long enough to get that watch if it hadn't been for Ellen.

And the kids, too, of course. When you get to be a family man you have to be a little more serious. Kit - that's short for Christopher - was the first; then Roger, Cynthia, Anthony, and Judy, the baby. Nice names, aren't they? Ellen picked them out.

They're all grown up now - fine young men and women, if I do say so myself - but there were times when you just wondered if they ever would grow up. It was just one thing after another. Sick or healthy, they had you up to your neck in bills.

Is that land over there to the left? No, I guess it's just clouds.

Well, last year our company did pretty well and they gave all the old employees a month's pay for a bonus at Christmas first bonus we had had in years. So what did I do? Well, I figured with all the kids married and no one to take care of but ourselves, that we didn't have any real need for the money, so I didn't breathe a word about it to Ellen. You see, I'd been seeing those cruise advertisements in the papers and I thought to myself that's just the thing for Ellen and me. Twelve days. Nassau, Jamaica, and Cuba. $125 and up. I didn't say anything till about two weeks before we were about to sail. Then I broke the news. Well, you could have knocked Ellen over with a feather.

"Johnny Bentham," she said, "are you out of your mind?"

"No," I said. "And I haven't robbed a bank, either." So I told her all about the bonus. Well, she still thought I was crazy. "Spending all that money on a little trip," she says.

"Do you think we're millionaires? Johnny, I'll never put foot on that boat."

"Now that's a fine way to feel." I said, acting as if I were insulted. "A woman refusing to go on a honeymoon with her husband!"

Well, she just looked at me and I just looked at her, and first thing you know she threw her arms around me and began kissing me, and what did the two of us do but end up laughing and crying like a couple of kids.

"Gee, Mama," I say. "It's better late than never, isn't it?"... Say, look at those flying fish...

Answer thefollowing questions.

1.How many characters actually speak in the story?

2.How long had Mr. and Mrs. Bentham been married?

3.Why had they been unable to go on a honeymoon at the time?

4.What kind of work was Mr. Bentham doing when he got married?

5.Why does he say that his wife was "the making" of him?

6.How did Mr. Bentham get the money to take this cruise?

7.What is the meaning of the story title?

8.Can we say that the Benthams are really happy and why?

Again the donkey besought Jupiter. This time it was arranged to have him sold to a tanner. Finding that he had fallen into worse hands than ever, the donkey said with a groan, Alas, wretch that I am. Would that I had remained content with my former masters. My new owner not only works me harder while I am alive, but will not even spare my hide when I am dead!"

MORAL: He that finds discontentment in one place is not likely to find happiness in another.

The Hawk And The Pigeons

A hawk long had had his eye on a flock of pigeons, but no matter how often he had swooped down upon them from the sky they always had been able to reach their cote in safety. Thinking that it might be his shadow they had spied, he waited for a cloudy day for his next attack, but still to no avail.

At length the hungry hawk decided to use craft instead of attack. From the top of a nearby dead tree he called down to the pigeons, "Why do you prefer this life of constant fear and anxiety when, if you would make me your king, I could patrol the sky and make you safe from any attack that could be made upon you?"

The foolish pigeons, believing the hawk's interest in their welfare to be sincere, called him to the throne as their king and protector. But no sooner was he established there than he issued an order that every day one pigeon would have to be sacrificed for his dinner.

MORAL: They who voluntarily put themselves under the power o f a tyrant deserve whateverfate they receive.

The Frogs Desiring A King

The frogs always had lived a happy life in the lake. They had jumped and splashed about with never a care in the world. Yet some of them were not satisfied with their easy-going life. They thought they should have a king to rule over them and to watch over their morals. So they decided to send a petition to Jupiter asking him to appoint a king.

Jupiter was amused by the frogs' plea. Good-naturedly he threw down a log into the lake, which landed with such a splash that it sent all the frogs scampering for safety. After a while, one frog saw that the log lay still, and he encouraged his friends to approach the fallen monster. In no time at all the frogs, growing bolder and bolder, swarmed over the log Jupiter had sent and treated it with great contempt.

Dissatisfied with so tame a ruler, they petitioned Jupiter a second time, saying, "We want a real king who will really rule over us." Jupiter by now had lost some of his good nature and was tired of the frogs' complaining. So he sent them a stork, who proceeded to gobble up the frogs right and left. After a few days the survivors sent Mercury with a private message to Jupiter, beseeching him to take pity on them once more. "Tell them," said Jupiter coldly, "that this is their own doing. They wanted a king. Now they will have to make the best of what they asked for."

MORAL: Let well enough alone!

The Farmer And The Nightingale

After a hard day's work a farmer went early to bed. But he could not go to sleep because of the melodious singing of a nightingale all through the summer night. So pleased was he by the bird's song that the next night he set a trap for it and captured it.

"Ah, my beauty," said he, "now that I have caught you, you shall hang in a cage and sing for me every night."

sticks back on my shoulder again?"

MORAL: H O W sorry w e should be if m any o f our w ishes w ere granted.

The Vain Crow

One day a vain crow found some feathers which a peacock had shed. Stickingjhem among his own rusty black ones, he began to strut about, ignoring and desplS,n® friends and companions.

Dressed in his borrowed plumage, he very cockily sought out a flock of peaC0C were walking with stately steps on the park lawn. Instantly detecting the true nature о intruder, they stripped him of his finery, and falling upon him with their sharp bca s’ sent him packing.

The bedraggled crow, sadder but wiser, betook himself to his former cornpan*ons an would have been satisfied to associate with them again. But the crows, remembering ow obnoxious he had been with his airs and his vanity, drummed him out of their S0C1^ ' One of those whom he had so lately despised offered him the following advice. e contented with what nature made you and you will avoid the contempt of your peers an the punishment of your betters."

MORAL: Happiness is not to befound in borrowedfinery.

A FAIRY-TALE COLUMN

AN AFRICAN TALE

The Happy Man

Many, many years ago in North Africa there lived a chief. He was very rich and had many wives and children, but he was not happy. He thought: "1 have everything, but that does not make me happy. What must I do to be happy? I don’t know."

Once he shouted angrily to his servants, "Why can’t I be happy? What must I do to be happy?" ^

One of his servants said, "Oh, my Chief! Look at the sky! How beautiful the moon and the stars are! Look at them, and you will see how good life is. That will make you happier."

"Oh, no, no, no!" the chief answered angrily. "When I look at the moon and the stars I become angry, because I know I cannot get them."

Then another servant said "Oh, my Chief! What about music? Music makes a man happy. We shall play to you from morning till night, and music will make you happy."

The chiefs face became red with anger.

Oh, no, no, no, no!" he cried. "What a silly idea! Music is fine, but to listen to music

from morning till night, day after day? Never! No, never."

So the servants went away, and the chief sat angrily in his rich room. Then one of the

servants came back into the room and made a bow.

"Oh, my Chief," he said, "but I think I can tell you something that will make you very happy."

"What is it?" asked the chief.

"It is very easy to do," said the servant. "You must find a happy man, take off his shirt and put it on. Then his happiness will go into your body and you will be as happy as he!"

another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what rie to make it.

FAREWELL WORDS

Read the lines of this beautiful song sung by Frank Sinatra andfeel how the strong andproud man is content with the life he has had.

My Way

And now, the end is near;

Ans so I face the final curtain.

My friend, I'll say it clear,

I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain.

I’ve lived a life that's full.

Ive travelled each and ev'ry highway;

And more, much more than this,

I did it my way.

Regrets, I've had a few;

But then again, too few to mention.

I did what I had to do

And saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course;

Each careful step along the byway,

But more, much more than this,

I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew

When I bit off more than I could chew.

But through it all, when there was doubt,

I ate it up and spit it out.

I faced it all and I stood tall;

And did it my way.

I've loved, I've laughed and cried.

I've had my fill; my share of losing.

And now, as tears subside,

I find it all so amusing.

To think I did all that;

And may I say - not in a shy way,