Passage G2e

14
Soapy
Soapy was worried. The days were getting colder, and winter was near. Even now, it was very cold in the park where he slept. At night, he needed many, many newspapers to keep himself warm.
For many years, Soapy had slept in the prison during the winters. The prison was warm and he was well fed there. It was like a hotel for poor people.
Now it was time for Soapy to go to his hotel again. But in order to get in, he had to get arrested.
"Let me see," he asked himself, "how can I get arrested?" "Well," he answered himself, "there are many ways. The best way is to have a fine meal at an expensive restaurant. Then, because I can't pay for it, the police will come and take me to prison."
There was a very good restaurant across the street, so he tried to go in. But the doorman saw Soapy's shabby, dirty clothes and wouldn't let him in.
"Now what shall I do?" Soapy thought as he walked away from the restaurant. Then he saw a big shop window.
"If I break that window, the police will be sure to arrest me. I don't really want to break the window, but I must have a warm place to sleep this winter," he thought to himself. So he picked up a stone and threw it—CRASH—through the window.
Hearing the sound, a lot of people came running to see what had happened. A policeman was with them.
"Who broke this window?" the policeman shouted.
"I did it," Soapy said happily. But the policeman did not believe him.
"Don't bother me," said the policeman. "People who break windows don't wait for the police."
Then he saw a man running to catch a bus. “There's the man who did it. Stop! Stop!” the policeman shouted, and he ran after that man.
“Now what shall I do?” Soapy thought as he walked away from the broken window. As he walked, he began to get hungry. After a while, he saw a very cheap restaurant.
“Well,” he said to himself, “if I can't get arrested at an expensive restaurant, maybe I can get arrested here.” He walked into the restaurant, sat down, and ordered their best food.
“Sorry, but I don't have any money,” he said to the waiter after he had finished eating. “Aren't you going to call a policeman?”
“We don't need any policeman here,” the waiter said. Then he called another waiter, and they threw Soapy out of the restaurant.
(To be continued)

15Soapy

(Continued)
"If I don't get arrested, I can't go to prison for the winter. I have to get myself arrested," Soapy thought, "but how?"
Then he saw a young lady who was window-shopping. There was a big policeman standing near her.
"If I bother her, the policeman will arrest me," Soapy thought, "Excuse me, Miss," he asked the lady, "but wouldn't you like to go for a walk with me?"
"Sure," the woman said happily. "Will you buy me something to drink?"
This was not what Soapy had expected her to say. He had expected her to call the policeman. Soapy was very surprised, and he ran away as fast as he could. He ran for many blocks. When he stopped, he was on a crowded street.
"Maybe," he thought, "I can get myself arrested if I bother all of these people." And he began to make a lot of noise. There were two policemen standing on the corner, but they didn't pay any attention to Soapy.
Again, Soapy fail to get himself arrested. Disappointed, he walked away. "What shall I do now?" he thought, Then he saw a man with an umbrella. The man set his umbrella down to light a cigarette. Soapy quickly picked up the man's umbrella and began to walk away with it.
"Stop," the man said,"that's my umbrella."
"Is it?" replied Soapy. "Call a policeman then."
"Well," the man answered,"if you really think it's yours ... I picked it up in a restaurant this morning and ... if it's yours ..." Then the man began to run away.
"I've tried and tried, still I can't get myself arrested," thought Soapy. And, leaving the umbrella there, he walked away.
He came to a little church on a quiet street.Inside the church, some people were practising some songs for Sunday. Soapy stopped outside and listened to the songs. They reminded him of his childhood, and Soapy began to think.
"I've been bad. But I'm still young. I'll get a job tomorrow. I'll stop living in the park. I'll stop going to prison every winter. I'll ..." Just then, a policeman came up to Soapy.
"What are you doing here?" the policeman asked.
"Nothing," Soapy replied.
"Nothing? You must be up to something. I know people like you," the policeman said roughly. "Come along with me."
And so Soay was sent to prison.
16
We were walking along the road when we heard someone shouting, "Help! Help!" The man called out several more times before we could find him. He was in the lake, about a hundred feet from the shore. There was a small boat near him. We knew immediately what had happened. He had fallen from the boat and could not swim well enough to reach it or to get to shore.
As we ran towards the lake I saw him sinking, and I was afraid that he was drowning. But in a moment his head appeared again.
Quickly John threw off his coat, jumped into the water, and started swimming towards the drowning man. He reached him just as the man was going down again. John reached out his hand, trying to take hold of the man's clothing or his hair before he sank. But the man opened his arms in fear, caught John around the neck, and this drew John down under the water. John fought to keep his head above the water and at the same time tried to swim toward the boat, pulling the man with him.
John jumped into the water with no thought for his own safety. I was not so brave. But I did follow him in a moment or two. I swam to the boat. I could not get into it, so I started to push it towards John and the man.
When I reached them, John was very tired. He was so worn out that both of them might have drowned if I had not arrived with the boat. Together, we got the man to shore, holding to the boat with one hand and swimming with the other.
The man looked dead, but his heart was still beating. We made him comfortable, and John did what he could for him while I ran to the nearest house to call a doctor. When I got back, the man was beginning to come to. He opened his eyes a little and started to move.
By the time the doctor came, the man was able to sit up, but he still looked very sick. The doctor took him to the hospital, and when we were called late at night to ask about him, they told us that he would be just fine in a day or two.

Flood!
John: Has Uncle Bob arrived yet?
Jack: No, and I've just heard a flood warning on the radio. He may not be able to get back from Upton. The river is rising fast.
Betty: He's quite likely to be late anyway. It may not be because of the flood. He always leaves at the last minute; but he'll probably be in time for his part in the concert.
(The telephone rings)
John: Hello. This is the theatre.
Uncle Bob: Is that you, John?
John: Yes, what's happened? Why aren't you on the way yet?
Uncle Bob: I'm at Upton—at Hill Farm. The river has flooded the roads. The buses have stopped running and farmers are using boats to rescue the sheep. It's not likely to get any better, so I don't know how I can get to the theatre.
John: Possibly the police will help us. I'll ring them and explain our problem. What's your telephone number?
Uncle Bob: Upton 456.
John: I'll ring you back ...456... right ... goodbye.
Uncle Bob: Goodbye.
Betty: Ring 999, John! Quickly!
John: 9 ... 9 ... 9 ... Hello! Is that the police station? Can you help us, please? We're giving a concert tonight for some old people. But our singer is at Upton and can't get here because of the floods. Can you possibly send a police car? Yes, ... as soon as possible ... Oh, thank you. The address is: Hill Farm, Upton. Thank you very much. Goodbye.
Betty: Do you think they'll bring him back in time? Are you sure? They may not manage it.If so, what shall we do?
Jack: It will very likely take half an hour. We might sing some more songs to fill in the time.(10 minutes later)
Betty: What's that noise? Is it a fire-engine?
John: No, it's a lorry.
Jack: You're wrong. It is a fire-engine, and it's stopping here.
Betty: It's brought Uncle Bob. Here he is.
Uncle Bob: Hello, everybody! Better late than never!That was an exciting trip. First a boat, then a tractor, and last of all a fire-engine, and here I am. The fire-engine came to help some people in flooded houses in Upton. Then it brought me straight to the theatre. I may be a bit late,but I'm safe and sound. Couldn't someone help me and get me some dry clothes?
Jack: So the police did send a car to fetch you. I must tell everyone.
Betty: Hurry up everybody! Only five minutes left before the start of the show.