The Valuable Teeth

Here is a story told about an American general who was a very important figure in the American army during the First World War. Everybody in the United States knew him and many people wished to have a picture or something of his in their homes.

Soon after the war the general returned to Washington. One day he went to a dentist and had six teeth pulled out. A week later the general heard that his teeth were being sold in curiosity shops at $5 each. On each of the teeth there was a label with the name of the general and words: “Buy these teeth and show them to your friends at home.” The general got angry. He rushed to his office and ordered six officers to go around the city and buy all his teeth.

The officers went out and visited every curiosity shop in the capital. They were away from the office all day. In the evening they returned and put on the table in front of the general the teeth they had bought. They had collected 175 teeth.

Vocabulary:

• figure [tiavsR](n.)人物
• army [tFqma](n.)軍隊
• pull out拔掉
• curiosity [uhsNqatFkQfa] shop 古玩店
• rush [qSX](v.)衝
• capital [th@dQfx](n.)首都