Reading

A MAGIC TRICK

Two jews, Moses and Isaac, travelling together on business, were invited to dine at the house of one of their friends. During the dinner Moses, slyly and unobserved, he thought, dropped a silver spoon on the floor, and afterwards managed to hide it in his boot. His companion had, however, noticed the trick and was very much annoyed at not being able to get a similar chance. Ontaking their leave, and thanking their host and hostess for their kindness, Isaac said. "Let me show you a little conjuring trick. You see this silver spoon?" added he, taking one from the table, "I put it in my breast pocket, so, Now: One, two, three; it is gone!" And you will find it in one of my friend´s boots." And sure enough; they found one there to their great amusement. Moses looked puzzledand did not seem quite to enjoy the joke.

THE MONEY-LENDER

Many years ago, when a person who owed money could be thrown into prison, a merchant in London had the misfortune to owe a huge sum to a money-lender. The money-lender, who was old and ugly, wanted to marry the merchant's beautiful daughter. He proposed a bargain. He said he would cancel the merchant's debt if he could have the girlinstead.

Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified at the proposal. So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let Fate decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black stone and a white one into an empty bag and then the girl would have to pick out one of the stones. If she chose the black stone she would become his wife and her father's debt would be cancelled. If shechose the white stone she would stay with her father and the debt would still be cancelled. But if she refused to pick out a stone her father would be thrown into prison and she would starve.

The merchant agreed. The money-lender picked up two stones. As he picked up the stones the girl noticed that he picked up two black stones, put them into the bag and asked the girl to pick out one. The girlput her hand into the bag and drew out a stone. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall to the path where it was immediately lost among all the others. "Oh, clumsy of me", she said, "but never mind - if you look into your bag, you will be able to tell which one I took.




THE PEA AND THE YOUNG LADY

Once Upon a time there was a Prince. And this Prince's dad and mom (the King andthe Queen) somehow got into their royal heads that no Princess would be good enough for their boy unless she could feel a pea through one hundred mattresses.

So the Prince had a very hard time finding a Princess. Every time he met a nice girl, his mom and dad would pile 100 mattresses on top of a pea and then invite her to sleep over. When the Princess went down for breakfast, the Queen wouldask, "How did you sleep, dear?" The Princess would politely say, "Fine thank you". And the King would show her to the door. Now this went on for 3 years. And of course nobody ever felt the pea under 100 mattresses.

Then one day the Prince met the girl of his dreams. That night, before the Princess went to bed, the Prince slipped his bowling ball under the mattresses. When the Princess came downfor breakfast the next morning, the Queen asked, "How did you sleep, dear?" "This might sound odd," said the Princess. "I felt I was sleeping on a lump as big as a bowling ball."
The King and Queen were satisfied and the Prince and Princess were married.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON


One day the Duke of Wellington (the British general who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo), went outhunting with his friends. They arrived at a farm gate and wished to pass trough the farm. The farmer had seen them coming and, as huntsmen often rode through his fields and destroyed the crops, he had told one of his boys to shut the gate and not to let anyone enter.

One of the huntsmen ordered the boy to open the gate, but the boy refused. Others came up and said they would beat him if he did...