ON A BUS

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 529.

A STORY TOO TERRIBLE TO TELL

Three men ___(to come) to New York for the first time. They ___(to take) a room in a hotel. In the evening they ___(to go) sightseeing and ___(not to come) back till nearly three in the morning. The room they ___(to take) was on the 43d floor. "I ___(to be) sorry, gentlemen," the porter ___(to say), "but the elevator ___(not to work). There ___(to be) something wrong with it. You ___(to have) to walk up to your room." This ___(to be) too bad. But the men ___(to agree) to tell stories on the way up in order to while away the time. By the time the first one ___(to tell) his story they ___(to climb) up to the 14th floor. The next story ___(to keep) them amused till they ___(to reach) the 31st floor. At last it ___(to be) time for the third man to tell his story, but he ___(to refuse). He ___(to say) that his story ___(to be) so terrible that he simply couldn't tell it. They ___(to continue) climbing and all the time the two ___(to ask) him to begin. At last they ___(to stop) and ___(to refuse) to go on unless he ___(to tell) them his terrible story. "The story I have to tell you ___(to be) a short one," he ___(to say) at last, "We ___(to leave) the key to our room downstairs."

It ___(to be) during the rush-hour. As usual, all the seats in the bus ___(to be) occupied. When a pretty lady ___(to get) in, an elderly man who ___(to sit) near the door ___(to want) to rise but the lady at once ___(to press) him to keep his seat. "Thank you", she ___(to say), "I ___(not to mind) standing". - "But, madam, permit me..." "I ___(to insist) upon your sitting down". She ___(to interrupt) him and putting her hands on his shoulders she almost ___(to force) him back into his seat.
The man ___(to try) again to stand up and ___(to say), "Madam, ___you kindly ___(to allow) me to... ?" But once more the lady ___(to cut) him short saying, "I ___(not to wish) to accept your seat, sir!" and ___(to force) him back with another push. With the utmost effort the man finally ___(to manage) to push her aside. "Madam", he ___(to call) out, "I ___(not to care) whether you ___(to take) my seat or not. It ___(to be) your fault that the bus ___already ___(to take) me two stops beyond my destination, and now I wish to get out".