The Happy Family

Grandfather Smithson has just died, and the family are sitting in the lounge of his big house. They are waiting for the family lawyer; He’s got Grandfather Smithson’s will. The old man was 104 years old when he died, and he was very rich. His only son and all his daughters have died of old age.

The door opens, the lawyer has arrived.

Lawyer: Good afternoon, everybody. First we must talk about…

Roger: There’s nothing to talk about. I’m the only living son of our grandfather’s only son, so Alton House is mine.

Laura: Wait a minute, Roger. Alton House is ours; George and I have lived here for years and looked after Grandfather.

Jessica: Then the summer cottage is mine.

Robert: Why is it yours, Aunt Jessica?

Jessica: Because I’ve lived there for the last three years.

Robert: Then the big car must be mine, because I’ve cleaned it fifty times or more.

John: Yes, the big car can be his, and the sports car is mine; I’ve always looked after it.

Lawyer: Wait a minute, everybody. First we must talk about Mr. Smithson’s dog.

All: Oh! Aaaah! Why? Ooooooh! What for?

Laywer: He loved his old dog Flip very much, you know. Who wants to look after him? (Nobody speak.) This is important; the old man wanted his dog to have a good home.

Laura: Jessica, the dog’s yours; you can keep it in the summer cottage.

Jessica: Not me! I like beautiful dogs, but I don’t want a mongrel like that.

Mary: Excuse me, sir…(But nobody listens to Mary; She is small, quiet, sixteen, and the daughter of the man’s servant) Excuse me, sir. (Everybody looks at her.) Can I have the dog, sir? I love Filp very much.

All: Yes, give it to Mary! The dog is yours, Mary…

Lawyer: Quiet, please. Now, do you all want Mary to have the dog?

All: Yes, yes, the dog can be hers; give her the dog…

Lawyer: Right. Mary, the dog Flip is yours. Now listen to the will, everybody:

“…and somebody must have my dog Filp and look after him, because he has been a better friend to me than my relatives. That person must be better than the others, so to that person, man, woman or child, I leave Alton House, my summer cottage, my cars, my money and all my other property…”

  

Vocabulary:

l   lounge[pANngY](n.)【英】(私人的)起居室

l   will[rap](n.)遺囑

l   cottage[thFfagY](n.)別墅

l   What for為什麼目的

l   mongrel[tmSVvqQp](a.)雜種的;雜交的;混血的(n.)雜種狗;雜種動物;雜交植物;【貶】混血兒

l   servant[tkPjQnf](n.)僕人,佣人,雇工

l   relative[tqUpQfaj](n.)親戚,親屬(a.)相對的,比較的;與...有關係的,相關的

l   property[tdqFdRfa](n.)財產,資產;所有物