Page 152 - English Reader - 5

watch her doing that work. She made nice pots which I could

sell at high prices in the market. In a month’s time I was well

off.

I was curious at her work.

So one day I just could

not prevent myself from

peeping into the room she

was working. There, I saw

a swan busy at the wheel

and my wife was nowhere

to be seen. I gave a cry of

astonishment. The swan

quietly turned back and

transformed into my wife.

There were tears in her

eyes and she said, “I’m the swan you’d helped. I came to repay

your kindness. But now that you’ve seen me, I can no longer

stay with you.” With these words she again became a swan. I

pleaded with her and said, “Please forgive me. I can not live

without you.” Whatever I said was all in vain. The swan flew

steadily away; not once did she look back.

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152 Dolphin English Reader book 5