Lesson 31 Success story. What was Frank's first job?
Yesterday afternoon Frank Hawkins was telling me about his experiences as a young man.
Before he retired, Frank was the head of a very large business company, but as a boy
he used to work in a small shop. It was his job to repair bicycles and at that time he
used to work fourteen hours a day. He saved money for years and in 1958 he bought a
small workshop of his own. In his twenties Frank used to make spare parts for aeroplanes.
At that time he had two helpers. In a few years the small workshop had become a large
factory which employed seven hundred and twenty-eight people. Frank smiled when he
remembered his hard early years and the long road to success. He was still smiling when
the door opened and his wife came in. She wanted him to repair their grandson's bicycle.
Lesson 32 Shopping made easy
Who was the thief? People are not so honest as they once were. The temptation to steal
is greater than ever before, especially in large shops. A detective recently watched a
well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings.
One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in, so
it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought a few small articles.
After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed
it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible. Then the woman
simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying. When she was arrested,
the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter. The girl gave her
mother a free dress once a week!
Lesson 33 Out of the darkness. Why was the girl in hospital?
Nearly a week passed before the girl was able to explain what had happened to her. One
afternoon she set out from the coast in a small boat and was caught in a storm. Towards
evening, the boat struck a rock and the girl jumped into the sea. Then she swam to the
shore after spending the whole night in the water. During that time she covered a distance
of eight miles. Early next morning, she saw a light ahead. She knew she was near the shore
because the light was high up on the cliffs. On arriving at the shore, the girl struggled
up the cliff towards the light she had seen. That was all she remembered.
When she woke up a day later, she found herself in hospital.