Passage G2a

  1

**Here's Your Hat**

Every Saturday morning, there is a line of boys and girls on Garden Street.

They are waiting to see a film. The film never starts before eight o'clock. But the boys and girls can not wait, and come earlier every time. They start getting in line before eight o'clock.

One Saturday morning there was a very good film. Tom came running down the street. He wanted to be one of the first to get in.

Tom took one look at the line of boys and girls. What a long line it was! He was not going to go to the end of the line. No, sir. Tom walked up to the front of the line and pushed his way in there.

Tom had pushed his way right in front of Peter. Peter did not say a word. Instead, he reached up and pulled off Tom's hat. He handed the hat to the boy behind him and said,

"Pass it back, John."

John passed the hat to the girl behind him, saying,

"Pass it on, Kate."

Kate turned around and passed the hat back.

"Pass it on," she said.

Tom's hat went down the line until it got to Betty Cook at the very end.

Tom looked hard at Peter, and asked, "Where's my hat?"

Peter pointed down the line and said, "It went that way."

Tom looked at the long line.

There at the end of the line was Betty holding up Tom's hat.

Everyone smiled but said nothing. Tom did not smile, nor did he say anything.

He stood there for some time. Finally, he walked all the way back to Betty Cook.

"Here's your hat," she said politely.

Tom still goes to the films on Saturday mornings. But now he never goes to the front of the line. He goes straight to the end of the line and waits his turn to buy his ticket.

2

**The Monkey Man**

Carl, a poor man, was once out of work and was trying to find a job. One day he read in the newspaper that a man was wanted to work in a zoo.

"That would be wonderful," he thought. "I like animals, and looking after them would be very interesting."

So Carl went to the manager of the zoo and asked for the job.

"You look like a smart boy," said the manager. "You can start work tomorrow."

"What must I do?" asked Carl.

"Well, you see, it's like this," said the manager. "Our big monkey has just died and it will be two months before we can get another one, so we want you to take his place."

"You want me to take the place of a monkey!" cried Carl angrily. "Take his place yourself; you look more like a monkey than I do."

"Don't take it like that," said the manager. "I know you don't look like a monkey, but we'll dress you up. We've got a monkey's skin and when you put it on, you'll look very much like a monkey. Then all you have to do is to play about in the cage to amuse the children. It's a nice easy job and you'll get good pay for it."

Carl thought about it for a bit. He did not like the idea much, but, as the manager said, the money was good; and after all, he had to make a living. So he took the job. The next day he started work. It wasn't so bad. In fact, he quite enjoyed it. He climbed the tree in the cage, he stood on his head, and he swung himself from branch to branch. He ate the bananas the people gave him, and he threw the skins at those who did not give him anything. He ate well, and when he got tired, he could sleep in a little room behind the cage. The only thing he did not like much was the lion in the cage next to his. But, as there were strong bars between them, he soon got used to his neighbour.

One day he climbed up to the top of the bars. Suddenly he missed his footing and fell—not on his own side of the bars, but into the lion's cage. That great beast was asleep at the time but the noise of Carl's fall woke him up. He stood up and looked round to see what the matter was.

Carl had only one idea, to climb the bars again quickly to get back into his own cage. He tried to get up, but he had hurt his feet so badly that he could not move. He hid his face in his hands so as not to see the lion coming. The next few seconds seemed like hours. Then he heard the lion whisper in his ear, "Don't be afraid, old man, I'm in the same boat as you."

3 

**Keys to Number Twenty-one**

"We want a room on the first floor," said Mr White.

"Certainly, sir," the hotel manager answered.

"Have you a room with a private bathroom?" Mr White asked.

"Yes, sir," the hotel manager said. "Here are the keys to number twenty-one."

Mr White took the keys and went upstairs with his wife, Mrs White. They unlocked the door of number twenty-one and went into the room. They shut the door and put their cases on the floor.

"Listen!" said his wife. "There's a man in this room. He's singing."

"You're right!" said Mr White. "He's in the bathroom!"

Mr White knocked at the door of the bathroom. The singing stopped.

"Who is it?" a voice said.

"This is our room, "Mr White answered. "What are you doing here?"

"Your room!" the voice answered angrily. This is my room. Please go away. I'm taking a bath."

"I'll call the manager," said Mrs White.

Just then the door opened and the manager came in.

"I'm very sorry," he said. "I made a mistake. Your room is next door. Here are the keys to number twenty-two."