Streamline Graded Readers

Level 4

Save The Goldfish

Carol Christian
Series Editors:
Bernard Hartley and Peter Viney

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

1988
Oxford University Press
Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6DP

OXFORD is a trade mark of Oxford University Press

ISBN 019 4219143

© Oxford University Press 1988

Joe Jenkins worked in a small office in a small town. The sign

on the window outside said PARKER, ESTATE AGENTS.
Illustrated by: Clive Goodyer
Mrs Parker was the boss. Pictures of houses filled the window.
Joe sat in front of the office computer most of the time. On
the computer he kept information about all the houses that
were for sale.
Mrs Parker's secretary, Linda, thought he was wasting his
time. 'What's wrong with a typewriter?' she used to say.
Printed in Great Britain by
Thomson Litho Ltd, East Kilbride, Scotland
3
 Joe just smiled when Linda said this. 'You don't understand
computers,' he told her. 'They're wonderful when you know
them.'
Joe was really interested in the computer and enjoyed using
it. Really, he wasn't very interested in anything else. He was a
quiet, shy, young man. He had always worked in the same
office and lived in the same small flat in the poor part of the
town.
'You should be more ambitious, Joe,' Linda used to say.
'You'll never become an estate agent if you sit in front of that
computer all the time.'
It was true. Joe was not very ambitious. Sometimes he took
customers out to look at houses, but he rarely sold one. When
the customers said, This house is too large' or 'The traffic is
too noisy', he usually agreed with them and they went away.
Now Mrs Parker only sent Joe with customers when she was
very busy. He usually visited the houses and put the
information about them on the computer.
Joe couldn't understand why so many people wanted to
change their houses, anyway. 'Why don't they just stay where
they are?' he wondered. He couldn't understand why his wife,
Isabel, wanted a house. The flat he and Isabel lived in was
small, but it was big enough for two people. They were both
out at work most of the time. Isabel worked for a lawyer and
often came home late.
When Isabel was late, Joe played computer games. He
played them after work when Linda and Mrs Parker had gone
home. He knew that Isabel was still working, so he amused
himself for hours at the computer. If he went home, he just
used to sit and watch the television.
One morning Joe said to Linda, 'Shall I show you my new
computer game? We can play it during our lunch hour. It's
called SAVE THE GOLDFISH. You have to get the goldfish
out of the pond and into the goldfish bowl. I haven't done it
yet. You have to be quick. It's a really good game.'
4
'Oh, no!' groaned Linda. 'Not a computer game! Must I?'
But she agreed to play the game with him in their lunch hour.
When Mrs Parker returned to the office after lunch, Joe and
Linda had been playing SAVE THE GOLDFISH for half an
hour.
'I don't think it can be done,' Linda told her. 'The goldfish
has so many enemies. You can't possibly save it! It's not only
the blue fish and the green fish and the red fish with white
spots. There's also a big black cat and a bird with long legs.
Even Joe can't do it. And he thinks he's so clever at computer
games!'
'It's the most difficult game I've ever played,' said Joe. 'They
told me at the shop that it wouldn't be easy.'
'Let me try,' said Mrs Parker. But, before she could catch the
goldfish in the net, it was swallowed by the red fish with white
spots. The next time the big black cat caught it. She tried again
and again, but she couldn't do it.
'That's enough,' she said. 'What a terrible game! Let's not
waste any more time. We have to do some work!'
At five o'clock Linda put on her coat. 'Will you lock the
office door and turn off the lights?' she asked. Linda asked the
same question almost every evening. She never stayed a minute
in the office after five o'clock. She put on her coat at exactly
that time. Her boyfriend was always waiting for her at the
corner of the street.
'Yes, all right. Leave it to me,' said Joe.
Usually he asked her why she was in a hurry, or made a joke
about her boyfriend, but today he just smiled at her. He was
glad that she was going. Mrs Parker had gone out with a
customer and was not coming back. Joe wanted to be alone.
He really wanted to play the goldfish game again. He was not
in a hurry. He knew that Isabel was working late.
He played SAVE THE GOLDFISH again and again, without
success. After several hours he turned off the computer. The
blue fish, the green fish and the red fish with white spots had
5
 all caught the little goldfish. The big black cat and the bird
with long legs had caught it, too. Joe was very quick, but he
could not save the goldfish.
'What a terrible game!' he groaned. He had played many
computer games that were difficult, but this one was
impossible! Or maybe he wasn't clever enough!
Joe got up from his desk. He checked that the windows were
shut. Then he turned off the lights, went out, and locked the
door behind him.

Every evening that week Joe stayed in the office after the
two women had gone home, but he still couldn't save the
goldfish. He couldn't stop playing the game until he won, and
he hadn't won it once. Joe was annoyed. He had never found
a game that was too hard for him.
On Friday Joe stayed in the office during his lunch hour to
play the game. But he still couldn't save the goldfish. He was
sitting with his head in his hands when Linda got back from
lunch.
'Are you still playing that silly game?' she asked. 'You must
be crazy, Joe! You're just wasting your time, you know. You'll
never win!'
At four o'clock Mrs Parker sent him out. She wanted some
information about a house that was for sale. When he got back
to work, it was a quarter past five and the office was empty.
'I'll just play the game a few times before I go home,' he said
to himself. 'Isabel won't get home until seven.'
He turned on the computer and began to play. He lost the
goldfish once, twice, ten times, thirty times, fifty times ...
Then, suddenly, he caught the goldfish in the net, lifted it out
of the pond and dropped it into the goldfish bowl.
The goldfish swam round and round the goldfish bowl, safe
at last. Then it swam towards Joe. It grew larger and larger on

6 7
the screen, and its mouth was opening and shutting. The
words on the screen said:
Joe couldn't believe his eyes. He stood up and shouted, 'I've
done it. I've done it at last!' He threw his arms in the air and
danced round the room. 'That's amazing ... fantastic ...
wonderful,' he cried. 'I've saved the goldfish.'
He was very excited. He forgot that the goldfish was still
looking at him. It was still opening and shutting its mouth.
When he looked back at the screen, there was another
message:
Joe laughed. This game was very different from any other
computer game that he had played. Usually they said, TRY
AGAIN', or told you how to make the game more difficult.
'Dear goldfish,' he said. He was still laughing. 'I am glad
you're safe at last. That's my reward.'
But the message remained on the screen. Joe tried to think
of something. What could he ask for? He stared down at the
floor, and he noticed that his shoes were very old. He typed in
the words, 'I NEED SOME NEW SHOES.'
The goldfish was still opening and shutting its mouth. Now
the words on the screen said:
Joe breathed deeply. Then he typed in the message, 'I WANT
A PAIR OF SIZE 10 SHOES'. He whispered to himself, 'If you
ask a crazy question, you'll get a crazy answer. Nobody has
8 9
ever asked a computer for shoes!' But the message on the
screen had changed again:
Joe was sure the goldfish was smiling. He smiled back.
When Joe reached home, he was still smiling. He sang to
himself as he got some food out of the freezer for dinner.
'You sound happy,' said Isabel, when she came in. 'Have
you sold a lot of houses? Did you have a good day?'
'Yes,' Joe laughed. 'I didn't sell any houses, but I did save a
goldfish. It's safe in the goldfish bowl.'
'What? What are you talking about?'
'I saved a goldfish,' Joe laughed again. He was pleased with
himself. 'I've just won the most difficult computer game I've
ever played. It's called SAVE THE GOLDFISH. You have to
catch the goldfish in a net before its enemies can catch it.'
Joe was rushing around the kitchen. He was preparing the
dinner while he was talking. Isabel followed him.
'Oh, really, Joe! I've never heard anything so silly in my life!
You're crazy! If you spend your time in the office like that, I'm
not surprised that Mrs Parker doesn't pay you much!' She
looked in the pans. 'What are you cooking? I'm hungry. Is
dinner almost ready?'
'No, I'm afraid it isn't. I got home late.' Joe was annoyed
with Isabel, but he knew it was his own fault. 'I couldn't stop
playing the game until I won. And then a funny thing
happened. When I caught the goldfish and put it in the bowl,
it offered me a prize.'
Isabel was hanging up her coat in the hall. 'What do you
mean?' she asked. She came back into the kitchen. Isabel liked
prizes. She often filled in the forms in newspapers that offered
you something for nothing. She always entered competitions.
Joe waited for a moment before he answered. 'It said, 'YOU
HAVE SAVED MY LIFE. YOU HAVE WON A PRIZE.
WHAT DO YOU WANT?'
'It didn't, did it? Did the goldfish really speak to you?' Isabel
sounded more interested. 'What did you ask for?'
'Oh, I don't know ...' Joe wasn't brave enough to tell her.
No intelligent person asks a computer for anything. If she
laughed at him, he would feel like a fool. 'What could I ask
for? I don't need anything. Anyway, what could a computer
give me?'
Isabel looked at him carefully. 'I don't know. If you ask,
you'll find out.'
Joe didn't answer. He thought he had found out already. He
looked down at his shoes. They were the same comfortable old
shoes he'd put on that morning. He had been wearing them
nearly every day for the last year.
Isabel was silent during dinner. She picked up her spoon and
finished her soup without a word. She stared at her plate as she
ate her spaghetti.
'Well, did you enjoy that?' Joe asked her.
'Yes.' She smiled at him. 'I was hungry.'
She waited until they were drinking their coffee. Then she
said, 'Joe, I've been thinking. Why don't you play that game
again and ask the goldfish for a nice little house? You know
how much I want one.'
At first, Joe just stared at her. Then he said, 'You're not
serious, are you, Isabel ?' It wasn't like Isabel. She didn't believe
in magic.
'Of course I'm serious. Look at this flat. It's too small for us.
We can't turn round in it! Look at the furniture. It's all old.
You say you don't need anything. I think we need a lot of
things. Next time, when you win the game, say you want a
house.' She certainly sounded serious.
Joe was surprised. He looked at his wife. 'Now who's
10
crazy?' he asked. 'What could a computer give you, except
another game, perhaps?'
Isabel looked straight back at him. 'Promise me,' she said.
'Promise me, Joe. On Monday, when you go into the office,
you'll play the goldfish game again. When you win, it'll ask
you what you want. Tell the goldfish that you want a nice little
house.'
Joe didn't say anything for a moment, but he knew when he
was beaten. He nodded. 'OK, Isabel. I promise. But the whole
idea is crazy. It's only a game.'
Isabel smiled. 'I know it's only a game, but what can we
lose? Oh, and Joe ...'
She got up and went into the hall. When she returned a
moment later, she was carrying a paper bag. 'I forgot to tell
you. My brother brought these into the office just before I
came home. He bought them a few months ago and has never
worn them. They're too small for him. He thinks they may be
your size.'
Joe took the bag and opened it. Inside, he found a pair of
size ten shoes.
On Monday Linda went out early for lunch. Joe was still
working at the computer when Mrs Parker went out, too.
When she had gone, he took out the computer game. He felt
like a fool but he knew he had to do it. He had promised Isabel.
He had to play the game and win. Then he had to ask for his
reward.
He could not believe his eyes when the goldfish swam
straight into the net. The blue fish, the green fish and the red
fish with white spots did not get near it. The cat and the bird
were left at the side of the pond.
He lifted the goldfish out of the pond and dropped it into the
goldfish bowl. The goldfish swam round and round the bowl.
11
 Then it swam towards Joe. It was opening and shutting its
mouth. The message on the screen said:
12
Joe scratched his head. 'Dear goldfish,' he said, 'I have become
quite fond of you. Please don't be angry with me. I'm afraid
I'm going to ask for a really big prize this time.'
He breathed deeply and then slowly typed the message,
'I WANT A NICE LITTLE HOUSE.' To himself he added,
'I hope the neighbours will be friendly.' It was all so strange.
He had to make a joke of it. A moment later he saw that his
message had been accepted:
When Joe reached home that evening, there were a lot of
boxes and bags in the hall of the flat. Isabel was in the
bedroom, but she rushed out when she heard him.
'Joe, you clever, clever man! How did you do it? Isn't it
wonderful!' She gave him a big hug and kiss. 'I've been to see
the house and we're moving immediately. We can sleep there
tonight. I've never been so excited in all my life!'
Joe kissed her again, for luck. He was glad that she was
happy. 'What happened?' he asked. He couldn't think of
anything else to say, but Isabel didn't notice.
'I came home early this afternoon,' she continued, 'and I
found a card in the door. It was a business card and it said,
"You have won a nice little house". It gave the address. It's
where they're building all those new Hacket Homes. So I went
there right away. It's lovely! It's wonderful! Call a taxi, will
you, Joe? We're going there now. I've put a lot of things in
bags and boxes, and we can get the other things tomorrow.'
'What about the furniture?' asked Joe. 'We can't sleep there
without furniture.'
'It's already furnished!' cried Isabel. 'You must know that.
It's one of the show houses. Everything in it is new. And it has
a wonderful, modern kitchen, just like the ones in magazines.
I just love it, Joe!'
13
 'That's great!' said Joe.
'You thought you could fool me, didn't you? That story
about a goldfish! A computer game! You knew all the time
that we had won the competition in The Daily News. I'd
forgotten about it myself. I filled in the form in the newspaper
months ago.'
Joe looked serious. 'That wasn't a story about the goldfish,'
he said. 'It was true.'
Isabel stared at him and he stared back. For a moment they
both felt frightened. Then Isabel frowned and said, 'I don't
believe it. We've had good luck, that's all. Call the taxi, Joe.'
14
For a few months, Isabel was happy. 'Of course, the house
is very small,' she said. 'The rooms aren't much larger than the
ones in the flat, and the furniture's cheap. But you can't have
everything. The neighbours are friendly.'
Joe had a difficult time in the office. Mrs Parker and Linda
did not believe that Isabel had won their new Hacket home
and all the furniture in a newspaper competition. 'What
competition?' they asked.
'Isabel thinks you probably helped us, Mrs Parker,' Joe told
his boss. 'You know a lot of people in the Hacket Homes
company.'
Mrs Parker looked shocked. 'That's not true, Joe. I didn't
know anything about the competition, and I didn't know
Isabel had filled in a form.
'You said the wrong thing that time, Joe,' Linda said later.
'She's really angry. You're very lucky, Joe. Maybe you don't
need a job any more!' She stood up and said, 'Anyway, I
wouldn't want to win a house, if I couldn't win it honestly.'
'You know, Joe, I've been thinking,' said Isabel one evening.
'This house is very small, and the furniture is cheap and nasty.
We still own the flat. Let's sell this house and the flat, and buy
a bigger house.'
'No,' said Joe.
'Then,' Isabel went on, 'if we have any money left, we can
buy some new furniture. Could you find us a house?'
'Certainly not!' said Joe. 'I like this house. It's our home
now, and the neighbours are friendly. I won't sell the flat and
I don't want a bigger house. This one is big enough. It's
beautiful. Everything in it is new.'
Isabel gave him a hug and kiss. 'Dear Joe, you never change.
You've never been ambitious and you never will be. I want a
bigger, better house. If you won't sell the flat,' she laughed,
'you'll have to ask the goldfish.'
15
 Joe groaned. He didn't play the goldfish game any more. He
felt frightened when he thought about it. He never joked about
it. 'I don't want to do that,' he said, 'I don't want to ask the
goldfish for anything more.'
'No, but you will,' said Isabel. 'You would be silly if you
didn't. Think about it.'
Joe thought about it for a long time. When he didn't think
about it, Isabel talked about it. She didn't let him forget the
idea.
At last, one evening in the summer, he pulled the computer
game out of the drawer of his desk. He hadn't forgotten how
to play it. Soon the fish was in the bowl and he was invited to
ask for his reward.
'Poor little goldfish,' said Joe. 'I know you've done a lot for
us already, but we need something more.'
He typed in the words, 'I WANT A BIGGER HOUSE AND
BETTER FURNITURE.' He felt guilty. He and Isabel were
becoming really greedy. But the fish didn't look surprised. It
just opened and shut its mouth. Then the words 'MESSAGE
UNDERSTOOD' appeared on the screen.
The new house had a lot of large rooms and bathrooms. It
was another show house and it was like the house of a film
star. It was full of useless and expensive objects and flowers
that were not real. There was a television in every room. There
were two garages, but Joe and Isabel didn't own a car. There
was a large garden, with fruit trees and plenty of flowers. Joe
walked around it like a visitor in a film studio. He was
astonished. He could not believe it was real.
'There! You see?' said Isabel. 'Isn't it fantastic? I said you
16
were a clever man, didn't I? Now we have a really beautiful
home, and we still have money in the bank.' She gave him a
small kiss.
Joe smiled. He was beginning to agree with Isabel. He was
clever. Very clever. He had done it all. He had won a very
difficult computer game and received his reward. He felt
excited. He had a lot of power.
Isabel put her hand on his arm. 'I knew you only had to ask
the goldfish.' She laughed. 'It will be easier next time.'
There won't be a next time,' said Joe.
'Oh yes, there will,' said Isabel.
'Aren't you satisfied?' he asked her. 'What do you want?
You've got everything.'
'Oh Joe, don't you see? Our life is different now. We can't
ride on buses. We'll need two cars, one for you and one for me.
And who's going to clean all those rooms and bathrooms?
We'll need servants. And who will cut the grass and water the
flowers? You won't want to do it. We'll need a gardener.'
'I see,' said Joe. It was true. Their life had changed.
'But we don't have to ask the goldfish right now,' said Isabel.
'We can wait. We may think of more things we want.'
Mrs Parker and Linda joked about Joe and his wonderful
house. They called him 'Mr Money Bags'. Joe knew they were
laughing at him and he didn't like it. He began to go into the
office late and leave early. He forgot appointments. It wasn't
a very good job, anyway. It was only a small estate agent's
office.
Isabel was busy. She was making plans. 'You won't need a
job, Joe,' she announced one day. 'We're not going to ask for
anything small this time. We'll ask for a beautiful big house in
the country, an old castle, perhaps. We'll become landowners.
We'll have farms and lots of workers. We won't need to work.'
17
 Joe didn't argue with her. He wasn't happy in the office. He
didn't like the house, either. The neighbours weren't friendly.
Neither of them wanted to stay in that house and they could
go anywhere they wanted. He promised to speak to the
goldfish.

It was a Sunday evening and Isabel went with him. He

unlocked the office door with his key and started to play the
game.
He saved the goldfish easily. He could not lose the game
now. When the goldfish asked what he wanted for his prize,
Isabel told Joe what to say. He began to type the list, and it got
longer and longer. The goldfish's mouth opened and shut.
It was getting late. 'Have you finished?' Joe asked Isabel.
'Have you asked for everything you want?'
'Yes. Just say that you want to keep it all forever,' she
replied. The computer was beginning to make strange
crackling noises, but Joe typed those words in, too.
The crackling got louder and louder. Red and white lights
flashed. Lines and circles chased each other round the screen.
The goldfish seemed frightened. It swam away and
disappeared. In its place there was a message:

Joe got angry. 'What does that mean?' he shouted. 'I typed
it in correctly, what's wrong with the thing? Find my computer
book, Isabel. There's a fault somewhere.'
But the crackling got louder and the lights flashed more
wildly. Flames appeared along the electric wires. A pile of
papers began to burn.

18 19
 Isabel screamed. 'Fire! Run, Joe! Run!' She was terrified.
'There's going to be an explosion.' Smoke was pouring from
the computer. The desk was on fire.
When the explosion happened, it made the loudest, most
terrifying noise either of them had ever heard. Through a
shower of metal and broken glass, they raced out into the
street. There were cuts on their faces, and they were black with
smoke. They ran till they reached the corner.
But as they ran, Joe could hear a very small voice. It was
whispering, 'Clever ... clever ...', or something like that. He
didn't tell Isabel. She didn't seem to hear it. He knew it was the
voice of the goldfish.
20
Exercises
1 Read through the story quickly and find this information.
1 The name of Joe's boss.
2 The kind of office Isabel worked in.
3 The number of enemies the goldfish had.
4 The time Linda always left the office.
5 The size of shoe Joe wore.
6 The person who sent Joe a pair of shoes.
7 The name of the builders of Joe's first house.
8 The number of garages in Joe's second house.
9 The name Mrs Parker and Linda called Joe.
10 The computer's last message.
2 Are these statements true ( V ) or false (X)?
1 Joe liked typewriters more than computers.
2 Isabel left the office at exactly five o'clock every day.
3 Joe usually took the customers out to see the houses that were
for sale.
4 Joe sometimes cooked dinner.
5 Linda did not have a boyfriend.
6 SAVE THE GOLDFISH was an easy computer game.
7 Isabel often filled in the forms in newspaper competitions.
8 Mrs Parker asked the Hacket Homes company to give Isabel a
new house.
9 At Joe and Isabel's first house the neighbours were friendly.
10 Joe didn't want to ask for a second house.
3 Complete the spaces in these sentences.
1 Linda thought that Joe should be more ......
2 On the computer Joe kept information about all the houses that
were ......
3 The ..... swam round and round the bowl.
4 No ..... person asks a computer for a reward.
5 The first house had a wonderful, modern kitchen, just like the
ones in ......
6 Joe worked in an ..... office.
21
 7 Isabel thought that Joe was a very ..... man.
8 Isabel wanted too much. She became very ......
9 It was ....., 'Clever ... clever ...', or something like that.
10 ..... appeared along the electric wires.
4 Comprehension questions
1 What information did Joe keep on the computer?
2 How often did Joe sell a house?
3 What was Linda's job?
4 What did Joe do when Isabel was late home?
5 What did Linda think of the SAVE THE GOLDFISH game?
6 Why didn't Joe believe that he would get a pair of shoes?
7 What did Isabel tell Joe to ask the goldfish for the first time?
8 Why did Isabel's brother give his shoes to Joe?
9 How quickly did Joe and Isabel move into their first house?
10 Why didn't Joe and Isabel need to take their furniture to the
first house?
11 How did Isabel think they had won their first house?
12 Who did Joe think had helped them to get their first house?
13 Why didn't Isabel like the first house after a few months?
14 Why did Joe feel guilty when he asked for a bigger house?
15 Why didn't Joe argue with Isabel when she said she wanted a
castle?
16 Why didn't Joe like their second house ?
17 Where did Joe and Isabel think they could go?
18 How long did Isabel want to keep all the things they asked for?
19 What did the computer tell Joe to do before the fire started?
20 What did Joe and Isabel do when the fire started?
5 Discussion questions
1 What was Joe like at the beginning of the story?
2 When Isabel gave Joe her brother's shoes, how do you think Joe
felt?
3 How did Joe change during the story ?
4 Who do you think was greedier, Joe or Isabel? Why?
5 What do you think happened to Joe and Isabel after the end of
the story?
22
Glossary
amazing: very, very surprising
ambitious: wanting to do or have great things in life: to be rich,
famous, important, etc
any more: now, from now
at last: finally; at the end
bowl: a deep, round container; a goldfish bowl is made of glass
castle: a large, old building, once used to protect a town or village
during a war
competition: any kind of test, game, race, etc where you try to do
better than other people and win a prize
crackling: sudden, sharp noises, like the sound of something
breaking or burning
estate agent: a company (or person) that sells houses
find out: to learn something for the first time
flame: red or yellow burning gas; when a fire burns, you see flames
fool: a silly person who believes anything
for sale: offered to be sold
frown: to pull the eyebrows (the hair above the eyes) together and
make lines on the forehead; to look serious, angry or worried
furnished: filled with furniture
goldfish: a small red or orange fish, often kept as a pet
greedy: wanting more of something (e.g. food, money) than you need
hug: to hold somebody tightly in your arms
net: something made of many pieces of rope, string, wire, etc; it lets
water through the holes but can catch a fish, etc
overload: to give a machine (or a person) more work than it can do
pond: a small area of water, smaller than a lake
right away: immediately
show house: one house in a group of new houses; people can look
inside the 'show house' to see what the other houses are like
shower: a lot of small things which fall like rain or snow
swallow: to move food from the mouth down the throat
typewriter: a machine with keys that you press; it prints letters on a
piece of paper
wire: a long, thin piece of metal to carry electricity
23