The Magic Word

Marek was a farmer who lived in a village far away. One day he became very ill, and everyone thought he would die. They sent for a doctor, who arrived two days later and examined the sick man. The doctor asked for a pen and some paper to write down the name of the medicine. But there was no pen or paper in the village, because no one could read or write.

The doctor picked up a piece of burnt wood from the fire. Using the wood, he wrote the name of the medicine on the door of the house. “Get this medicine for him” he said, “and he will soon get better.”

Marek’s family and friends did not know what to do. They could not read the strange writing. Then the village baker had an idea. He took off the door of the house, put it on his cart and drove to the nearest town. He bought the medicine, and Marek was soon well again. He would not let anyone wash the magic words from the door.

Vocabulary:

l   far away遠處, (離...)很遠

l   die [gAa] [died-died-dying] (v.)死

l   send for派人去請, 讓人去取; 郵購, 訂購

l   examine [avtl@man] [examined-examined-examining](v.)檢查

l   pick up拾起;收拾;學到;獲得;【口】把上(新男友或女友),釣(馬子,凱子);用汽車搭載某人或接某人;【口】【貶】偶然結識某人;救起某人(如從海上); (指警方等)逮捕某人(如為訊問);責備某人;

l   burn [ePn] [burned,burnt-burned,burnt-burning](v)燒

l   baker[teThR] (n) 麵包師父;麵包店老闆

l   take off脫下;移去;起飛;休假;脫去(衣物);(飛機)起飛;休假;匆忙離去;取消;扣除;模仿;【口】(指觀念、產品等)突然大受歡迎; (指產品的銷售量)急升

l   cart [hFqf] (n.) (馬、牛等拉的)二輪(或四輪)運貨車;小車,手推車

l   nearest 最近

l   soon well again很快好起來