'I live on a farm near a village.

I have lived there all my

life. It's a very small village. There's nothing to do
there. There isn't even a cinema.'

'I work for my father during the week. At the weekend,

I do nothing. One day I'll leave home. One weekend - I
don't know when.'

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| MACMILLAN READERS
This series provides a wide variety of enjoyable reading
I material for all learners of English. Macmillan Readers
• are retold versions of popular classic and contemporary
! titles as well as specially written stories, published at
I six levels.

BRITISH ENGLISH

m s i

ft! Use your Macmillan

Essential Dictionary
MACMILLAN with this book
MACMILLAN READERS
BEGINNER LEVEL

MIKE ESPLEN

Marco

MACMILLAN
 MACMILLAN READERS
BEGINNER LEVEL

Founding Editor: John Milne 'I live on a farm near a village.

I have lived there all my life.
T h e M a c m i l l a n Readers provide a c h o i c e of e n j o y a b l e reading It's a very small village.
materials for learners of English. T h e series is published at six levels There's nothing to do there.
- Starter, Beginner, Elementary, Pre-intermediate, Intermediate
and Upper. There isn't even a cinema.

Level control
Information, structure and vocabulary are controlled to suit the I work for my father during the week.
students' ability at each level. At the weekend, I do nothing.

T h e number of words at each level:

One day, I'll leave home.
O n e weekend -
Starter about 300 basic words
Beginner about 600 basic words
I don't know when.'
Elementary about 1100 basic words
Pre-intermediate about 1400 basic words Marco
Intermediate about 1600 basic words
Upper about 2200 basic words

Vocabulary
S o m e difficult words and phrases in this book are important for
understanding the story. S o m e of these words are explained in the
story and some are shown in the pictures. From Pre-intermediate
level upwards, words are marked with a number like this: ... 3 . These
words are explained in the Glossary at the end of the book.

3
 1
It's always the same, his father thought. Marco
doesn't like work.
Friday Afternoon
It's always the same, thought Marco. Nothing but
work.
Friday afternoon. It was always the same. Marco was on
At three o'clock it was too hot to work. The men on
the farm as usual. It was hot - too hot for work.
the farm rested. They smoked and talked. Then they lay
'Get up,' shouted a voice.
on the ground and slept.
Marco looked up at his father.
But Marco and his father were busy. There was still a
'Get up,' said his father again. 'Look at those trees.
lot to do. Marco had to count the boxes of peaches.
They're full of peaches.'
'Two hundred and thirty-nine . . . two hundred and
Marco didn't answer. He got up slowly and picked
forty
the peaches, one by one.
'That's not bad,' said his father. 'The peaches are
good this year. We'll make a lot of money.'

4
5
 Marco did not listen. He wasn't interested. He never
talked much with his father. They worked together, but
they weren't friends.
Soon a lorry arrived. Marco's father called the men.
'Another hour,' he told them. 'Then we finish.'
The men were busy again. Marco helped them. They
put labels on the boxes. Then they put the boxes onto
the lorry.
The week's work was nearly over. Marco's father
watched the men and smiled. But Marco didn't smile.
Carlo - the driver of the lorry — signed a piece of
paper. Then he shook hands with Marco's father. Carlo
was taking the peaches to the city. He was going to sell
them in the market.
10
Marco went inside the farmhouse. His mother was
cooking a meal. It was spaghetti. Friday night was always
spaghetti. Marco wasn't hungry.
It was cool inside the house. Marco stood at the
window and watched the lorry move away.
Tomorrow is Saturday, he thought. What can I do at
the weekend? There's nothing to do here.
Then he had an idea. There was a train to the city
every Saturday. It left early in the morning.
I'll get on the train and go to the city tomorrow,
thought Marco. I'll leave the farm early. Nobody will
know.
7
 2

Saturday Morning

The next morning, Marco got up early. It was five

o'clock. His father and mother were asleep; he didn't
wake them.
He took a pair of jeans and a shirt and put them in a
bag. And a little money. It was enough. Then he left the
farm quietly.
It was a long walk to the village. The sun was still low
and not too hot. Marco carried the bag over his shoulder
and walked quickly. He didn't want to meet anybody on
the road.
In half an hour he was in the village. It was empty.
The village was always empty. Marco wanted to shout.
He wanted to wake everybody up. He wanted to hear the
noise of people and cars. Everything in the village was
always too quiet.
Marco arrived at the station and looked down the
platform. O n e person was waiting. He looked down the
railway line. There was no train. He waited in silence.
Soon a man arrived on the platform. Marco knew
him. The man sold tickets for the train. Marco didn't
want to buy a ticket. He didn't have enough money. He
hid behind a fence at the end of the platform and waited.
At last the train came into the station. O n e or two
people got off.

8
 Then a whistle blew. The train was leaving. Marco
didn't wait any longer. He put his hands on the fence and
jumped.
He landed on the platform and ran along it. He
opened one of the train doors and jumped.
Nobody had noticed him. He was safe.
Marco quickly closed the door and sat down.
The train stopped at lots of stations. Marco fell
asleep. The train stopped again. Marco awoke. There
was a woman next to him.
10
'Here we are,' she said. 'This is the big city.'
'Already?' asked Marco, and he looked out of the
window.
They were in a large station. The platform was full of
people.
— — — — P H M H M i
Marco got out of the train and walked quickly down
the platform. Then he stopped suddenly. The passengers
were giving their tickets to a man.
Marco didn't move. He didn't have a ticket.
11
 Marco didn't wait. He dropped his bag and ran.
Marco ran out of the station and turned into a narrow
street. There was nobody behind him. He felt hot and
tired. A n d he felt frightened.
He stood against a wall and looked around him. The
buildings were tall and dirty. The street was dirty too.
There was a cafe over the road, but it was closed.
Then Marco remembered something. Most of his
money was in his bag. T h e bag was at the station. Now he
was in a strange city and he had very little money.

Tickets Wait!
please.

10 12
2 Marco looked at the girl.
Saturday Midday
Marco walked down the narrow street. He came into a
long, wide road. On one corner, there was a large shop.
The shop sold bread and cakes. Marco stood at the
window and looked inside. The cakes were beautiful.
Marco felt hungry.
A girl was standing next to Marco. She had blonde
hair and she looked about eighteen.
The girl looked at Marco and smiled.
'Hello,' she said.
She was pretty, but she looked very dirty. She was
wearing old jeans and a pair of boots. Her eyes were
green. Marco liked girls with green eyes.
'You're not very happy,' she said. 'What's the
matter?'
'Nothing,' replied Marco.
He looked again at the cakes inside the shop. He was
afraid of large shops. There were no large shops in his
village.
'I'm hungry,' the girl said suddenly. 'Let's share a
cake. We can eat it together.'
'OK,' said Marco. 'That's a great idea.'
'I know the woman in this shop,' said the girl. 'She'll
give me a cake cheaply. But I haven't got any money.'
15
 Marco waited outside the shop. He looked down the
street and watched the people on the pavement. He
looked up at the grey sky. A minute passed.

Have you any money?

Then Marco looked into the shop again. T h e cake

was not in the window now.
How much? The shop had two doors. The large door opened into
the road. A side door opened into a narrow street. Marco
OK. That's enough looked carefully through the window. The girl was going
You wait outside.
through the side door in a hurry. She was carrying a large
HP
cake.
Marco gave the girl his money. She took it and went into Marco left the front of the shop. H e ran to the corner
the shop. and looked down the narrow street.

10 17
 The girl was running down the street. She was Marco followed the girl into the street and stopped.
running away from Marco. He was breathing heavily. The girl was lying on the
Marco was not frightened now. He felt angry. ground. There was some blood on her arm, but she was
'Stop!' he shouted. not badly hurt. The cake lay next to her. It was broken in
But the girl did not stop. She kept running and pieces.
Marco followed her.
Marco ran faster than the girl. She looked round and
Marco was only a few metres behind. The girl ran
between two cars and out into the street.
She did not see the police car. It was coming slowly
down the narrow street towards her. Suddenly she
tripped and fell. The police car stopped in front of her.

The girl looked up at Marco.

'Leave me alone,' she said.
Marco stood still.
'You can keep my cake,' he told her. 'I don't want it.
You can have it.'
Marco turned away. Then he heard a voice behind
him. A policeman was coming towards him.

10 19
 I

The policeman looked at the girl and smiled. The girl

The policeman believed the girl. He looked at Marco looked up at Marco. Marco did not smile. He turned and
in silence. He did not believe Marco. walked away down the street.

10 21
 Saturday Afternoon

Marco walked for a long time. He looked into the

windows of the shops. They were full of beautiful things.
But Marco had no more money.
What can I do now? He thought quickly. The
market! I can go there. Every city has a market.
He left the shops and looked for the market. Perhaps
somebody can help me, he thought. But the people in the
streets looked unfriendly. Marco didn't speak to them.
He walked and walked.
At last he found the market in a large square. There
were long, wooden tables in the square. There were fruit,
vegetables, fish and flowers on the tables.
Marco stopped next to one of the tables. There were
some boxes of peaches on the ground. O n one box there
was a label with writing on it. It was Marco's writing.
Marco smiled. These were his peaches, from his
father's farm.
Marco took a peach from one of the boxes. He did
not see the large man beside him. The man was wearing a
small hat. He was watching Marco.

22
 Marco wanted to run away. But there was no escape.
A lot of people were watching him and they all looked
unfriendly. Marco hated the city.
'They're my peaches,' Marco said again loudly.
'They're from my father's farm. I won't pay you any
money.'
The man raised his hand. He was going to hit Marco.
But then he heard a voice behind him and stopped.
Marco looked round into a crowd of people. He knew
that voice. He didn't believe it. Carlo was coming
towards him. Carlo had driven the lorry from the farm
and brought the peaches into the city.

25
 Marco and Carlo sat next to the lorry and they
talked. Marco told Carlo everything.
'And when are you leaving?' asked Carlo.
Marco wasn't listening. He was looking at the streets
and the people in the market. Nothing was clean. Every-
thing was dirty.
'I'm driving back to the village tonight,' said Carlo.
'It's a long way. Do you want to come with me?'
Marco looked at Carlo and nodded. He didn't like
the city. He had seen enough. Now he was going home -
with Carlo.

:
w'MII"'*'- ' """V twuinuifi - ' • -

'This is Marco from the farm,' said Carlo. 'Leave him

alone.'
The large man wiped his hands on his shirt and shook
his head.
'Oh, it's you,' he said to Marco. 'Why didn't you tell
me? I know your father. Here, have another peach.'
Marco ate the peaches slowly. They tasted good.
'You want another?' asked Carlo.
Marco nodded and smiled.
'What are you doing here?' asked Carlo.
'It's a long story,' replied Marco.

10
27
 2

Saturday Evening

The lorry left at six-thirty. It was raining now and the

roads were wet. Carlo drove and Marco sat next to him.
They left the market and drove past the shops. They
passed the station. The station! Marco's bag was in the
station.
Soon they left the city. The roads became wider and
the lorry went faster. There were fields on each side of
the road. Marco felt better.
He closed his eyes and listened to the noise of the
lorry. It was hot inside the lorry and there was a strong
smell of peaches. It was a good smell. Marco felt hungry
. . . and tired. In a few minutes, he was asleep.
He awoke much later.
'You'll be home in a few minutes,' said Carlo.
Marco looked out of the window. It was not raining
now and the moon was shining. Marco knew the road.
His farm was a few kilometres away.
The lorry stopped. Marco thanked Carlo and got out.
'I'll see you next Friday,' called Carlo and he drove
away.
Marco walked up the path to the farmhouse. The
house seemed very quiet.
My father is asleep, thought Marco. That's good.
Tomorrow is Sunday. I'll do nothing. That will be nice.

28
 The front door was open. Marco went inside and
turned on a light. Everything was the same. It was quiet -
too quiet.
'Marco, is that you?'
The voice came from the top of the stairs. Marco
turned suddenly towards the door. For a moment, he
wanted to escape. Then he thought again. Carlo had left.
There was nowhere to go.
He looked up the empty stairs and heard the voice
again.
'Yes, Dad, it's me,' he called. 'I'm coming up.'

30

••••••••
Published by M a c m i l l a n H e i n e m a n n E L T
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ISBN 978-0-230-03501-0
I S B N 9 7 8 - 1 - 4 0 5 0 - 7 6 2 6 - 5 (with C D pack)

T e x t © M i k e Esplen 1976, 1992, 1998, 2002, 2 0 0 5

First published 1976

D e s i g n and illustration © M a c m i l l a n Publishers Limited 1998, 2 0 0 2 , 2 0 0 5

T h i s edition first published 2 0 0 5

A l l rights reserved; n o part of this publication may be reproduced,

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Illustrated by S t e p h e n Hall
O r i g i n a l cover t e m p l a t e design by J a c k i e Hill
C o v e r p h o t o g r a p h y by T h e I m a g e B a n k

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