A Vigilant Old Lady And A The Sly Thief
This is a story about a vigilant old lady called Mrs. Clarkson who lived in Boston. She lived alone as her husband had died several years before and her children lived in London. Once Mrs. Clarkson was sitting at home and knitting. The evening seemed to be calm and habitual. “Nothing special is going to happen,” – thought Mrs. Clarkson. But suddenly she heard a loud knock at her door. The old lady was a bit surprised, as it was rather late for guests. So she got out of her armchair and came up to the door. “Who’s there?” – asked Mrs. Clarkson.
– Open up, Mrs. Clarkson, it’s me, Betty, your neighbour from apartment No. 45.
– Yes, my dear, what has happened? – asked the old lady, opening the door.
– I have been robbed!
– Oh, – Mrs. Clarkson was confused.
The girl told the old lady everything. The next day Mrs. Clarkson heard about 2 more apartments being robbed. “I must do something,” – thought Mrs. Clarkson.
And a brilliant idea occurred to her. Mrs. Clarkson wrote an advertisement, in which she offered jewellery which cost about $5000, and placed it on the ground floor. Next she put some crispy cookies under the doormat. Then she got to her flat and stretched a thin twine between 2 walls opposite her door. Then she took the phone, got into her armchair and began waiting. She had been waiting for several hours before she fell asleep. When the night at last fell on the city Mrs. Clarkson heard a loud noise through her sleep. She immediately woke up. She hesitated for a few moments and then she understood, that the thief had come. Mrs. Clarkson got to the phone and called the police. Then she heard the door open. Her heart was nearly getting out of her chest, so much afraid she was.
Meanwhile the thief entered the flat. Everything seemed quiet to him, he thought that the owner of the flat was sleeping. It was a perfect situation for a robbery. But the thief didn’t know, that the owner of the flat was Mrs. Clarkson! He stepped forward, grinning merrily. The thief didn’t notice the twine, tripped over it and fell full length with his right ankle badly dislocated. He couldn’t understand what had happened. Mrs. Clarkson didn’t have to wait long for the police to arrive; the officers came in several minutes and arrested the moaning thief. That’s how the vigilant old lady caught the artful thief…
By Dasha Gradova,
School No. 1973 |