Page 94 - Viva Real English 4 : Ebook

it turned into a badger, swelled out its body and beat a tune on it like a drum. It
danced on the tight rope, and walked the slack rope, holding a fan, or an umbrella

in its paw, stood on its head, and finally at a flourish of its master’s fan became a
cold brass tea-kettle again. The audience were wild with delight. As the fame of
the wonderful tea-kettle spread, many people came from great distances to see it
perform.

Year after year the tinker exhibited the wonder until he grew immensely rich.
Then he retired from the show business, and out of gratitude took the old kettle
to the temple again and deposited it there as a precious relic. The old priest was

given a goodly sum of money to do nothing else but take care of it; and all his life
it had all the food it wanted. After his death it turned into an ordinary kettle, and
has stayed so ever since. If you don’t believe it, you can go to the temple some day
and see it for yourself.

William E. Griffis

swelled out : became bigger deposited : put in a safe place
slack : loose relic : an old object worth keeping
fl ourish : (here) a movement that goodly : very large

makes people notice you
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