Stacey Riches

Little Stories
to Share with Your Friends

NHÀ XUẤT BẢN ĐÀ NẴNG

1
 Little Stories to Share
with Your Friends
Stacey Riches

NHÀ XUẤT BẢN ĐÀ NẴNG

Lô 103, đường 30 tháng 4 - Hòa Cường Bắc - Đà Nẵng
ĐT: 0236.3797874 - 3797823; Fax: 0236.3797875
www.nxbdanang.vn

Chịu trách nhiệm xuất bản

Giám đốc: TRƯƠNG CÔNG BÁO

Chịu trách nhiệm nội dung

Tổng biên tập: NGUYỄN KIM HUY

Biên tập: Huỳnh Yên Trầm My

Trình bày: Phương Thảo
Bìa: Ivana Janovska
Sửa bản in: Tuyến Lê

Liên kết xuất bản

CÔNG TY CỔ PHẦN ZENBOOKS
Đ/C: 473/8 Tô Hiến Thành, P.14, Q.10, Tp.HCM
ĐT: (028) 38682889 - 38682890
In 4.000 cuốn, khổ 11,3 x 17,6 cm, tại Công ty TNHH
MTV in báo Nhân Dân. Đ/c: D20/532P Ấp 4, xã Phong
Phú, huyện Bình Chánh, Tp. HCM.
Giấy xác nhận ĐKKHXB số 4692-2017/CXBIPH/02-184/ĐaN.
QĐXB số: 620/QĐ-NXBĐaN NXB Đà Nẵng cấp ngày
26/12/2017.
Mã ISBN: 978-604-84-2728-3.
In xong và nộp lưu chiểu năm 2018.

2
 VỀ BỘ SÁCH
LITTLE STORIES
Tiếng Anh hiện nay đã là một ngôn ngữ phổ biến
tại Việt Nam, được nhiều người sử dụng thường xuyên
trong học tập, công việc hay sinh hoạt đời thường.
Ngoài vai trò là một ngôn ngữ mang lại lợi thế to lớn
trong cuộc sống, tiếng Anh còn được nhiều người tìm
đến để mở mang vốn kiến thức, hay đơn giản là một
thú vui, thú đọc sau một ngày căng thẳng và mệt mỏi.
Bộ sách Little Stories, với những câu chuyện hay, thú
vị được sưu tầm trên khắp thế giới, sẽ là một trải nghiệm
mới dành cho độc giả. Ngoài chia sẻ những câu chuyện
nhẹ nhàng, những bài học ý nghĩa, bộ sách còn giúp
người đọc tự trau dồi vốn tiếng Anh ngay trong lúc thư
giãn. Chúng tôi hy vọng bộ sách này sẽ luôn đồng hành
cùng quý độc giả, luôn đem lại cho các bạn những giây
phút nhẹ nhàng và thư thái.

Công ty Cổ phần Zenbooks

3
 about the
LITTLE STORIES
English has become a popular language in Vietnam
with more and more people using it at school, at work,
or in their daily lives. Apart from its many benefits, people
also use English as a tool to broaden their knowledge
of the world as well as making it a relaxing hobby to
read in English after a stressful and exhausting day.
Little Stories, a collection of interesting stories
from all over the world, offers readers a new learning
experience. Not only do they tell delightful and meaningful
stories but they also help readers improve their English
at the same time. We hope this book will become a great
companion to you and offer moments of relaxation.

Zenbooks Joint Stock Company

4
 1
Secret Casket

O n her 75th birthday, Ah-ling distributed

her wealth among her four sons and
announced that she would spend three months
of the year with each son, in turn.

The arrangement worked well for a while

and then the old woman found that the welcome
she received at each son's house was becoming
less and less cordial.

Finally she began to feel positively unwanted.

Now she saw her sons’ true colors. Money meant
everything to them, people came second.

One day, Ah-ling's friend, Jing-mei, came

to see her. Jing-mei was distressed to find her
friend in such an unhappy state and advised

5
her on what she should do. Afterwards, Jing-mei
tearfully embraced her friend and left.

A few days later, towards sundown, Ah-ling

went out without telling anyone where she was
going. She returned an hour later, her clothes
covered in mud.

“Where did you go?” asked her son, and then

seeing that she was holding a small ornamental
chest, hurried to her, his gaze on the casket.

“What is that?”

“Something that could change all our lives for

the better, in different ways,” said his mother.

“What does it contain?”

“You'll find out when I'm dead and gone.”

The young man lost no time in informing his

brothers about the casket. All wanted to know
the secret of casket.

“It is obvious she has not given us all her wealth,”

said the eldest. “She must have kept back some of
her more valuable gems. God alone knows how
many caskets the wily woman has buried.”

6
 They questioned their mother but she
refused to tell what the casket contained, or even
if there were more caskets hidden elsewhere.
Many a time, the brothers tried to open the
casket in her absence but it was securely locked
and they could never find the key.

But now Ah-ling no longer felt unwanted. Her

sons and daughters-in-law fussed over her and
went out of their way to make her feel welcome.

In fact, now each son tried to persuade her to

stay longer than the three months, but she never
extended her stay, not wishing to show a preference
for any son.

She passed away in her sleep, a few days

before her 84th birthday. Her friend, Jing-mei,
came for the funeral rites. Before departing she
handed over a key to the dead woman's eldest
son in the presence of his brothers.

“This is the key to the casket,” she said and left.

All were eager to know the secret of casket.

The sons and their wives hurried to the old

woman's chamber in great excitement. This was

7
the day they had been waiting for, for weeks and
months and years. They bolted the door from
the inside and huddled around the casket. With
trembling hands, the oldest brother fitted the
key into the lock and turned it.

It opened with a click. The man flicked open

the lid and then they all stared with disbelief at
the contents: ordinary pebbles.

“The gems might be below,” said the oldest

brother as he frantically overturned the contents.
All they found was a note from their mother.
It read:

“Great disappointment awaits all those whose

lives center around money. It is a sad thing when
an old woman has to resort to trickery to get her
sons to look after her. It shows lack of character
not only in her sons but in the mother too. You
at least have time to change yourselves and my
last message to you is: try to do so”.

That was the secret of the casket.

8
If you focus only on money, you
could end up neglecting the ones
who really matter.

9
Casket /ˈkɑːskɪt/ (n.): tráp, rương nhỏ

Distribute /dɪˈstrɪbjuːt/ (v.): phân phát,

phân chia

Announce /əˈnaʊns/ (v.): thông báo

Arrangement /əˈreɪn(d)ʒm(ə)nt/ (n.): sự

sắp xếp

Cordial /ˈkɔːdɪəl/ (adj.): thân ái, thân tình

Distressed /dɪˈstrɛst/ (adj.): buồn rầu

Unhappy state /ʌnˈhapi/ /steɪt/ (n.): tâm

trạng không vui

Embrace /ɪmˈbreɪs/ (v.): ôm chặt

Ornamental chest /ɔːnəˈmɛnt(ə)l/ /tʃɛst/ (n.):

chiếc rương có hoa văn

Gaze /ɡeɪz/ (n.): ánh nhìn chăm chú

10
Gem /dʒɛm/ (n.): đá quý

Wily /ˈwaɪli/ (adj.): gian xảo

Absence /ˈabs(ə)ns/ (n.): sự vắng mặt

Fuss over somebody (v.): quá chăm lo cho

ai đó

Persuade /pəˈsweɪd/ (v.): thuyết phục

Preference /ˈprɛf(ə)r(ə)ns/ (n.): sự thích hơn,

sự thiên vị

Bolt the door (v.): chốt chặt cửa

Pebble /ˈpɛb(ə)l/ (n.): viên sỏi

Overturn /əʊvəˈtəːn/ (v.): lật ngược

Resort to trickery (v.): dùng mưu

Lack of character (n.): thiếu nhân tính

Neglect /nɪˈɡlɛkt/ (v.): bỏ bê, bỏ mặc

11
 2
Moment of Madness

T here lived a man in the state of Qi

who loved gold above everything else.
Nothing else could excite him as much as the
sight of gold.

One day while passing a jeweler’s shop, he

saw a man handling a bar of gold. He rushed
in, grabbed the gold and ran.

But he was soon caught.

“Why did you steal the gold in front of so

many people?” asked the judge.

“Your honor,” said the man, “when I saw the

gold I became blind to everything else. I did not
see the people around.”

12
If you chase wealth, you may
become blind to everything else
around you.

13
Jeweler’s shop /ˈdʒuːələs/ /ʃɒp/ (n.): tiệm
kim hoàn

Handle /ˈhand(ə)l/ (v.): cầm, nắm

Bar of gold (n.): thỏi vàng

Rush in /rʌʃ/ /ɪn/(v.): lao tới

Grab /ɡrab/ (v.): chụp lấy

Get caught /ɡɛt/ /kɔːt/ (v.): bị bắt

Judge /dʒʌdʒ/ (n.): quan tòa

14
 3
Royal Servant

T he King of Kamera in Africa was a proud

and stern man, feared by all his subjects.

One day while sitting in his mud palace,

surrounded by fawning courtiers and watched
by a multitude of people who had come to
see him, he was suddenly overcome by a sense
of grandeur. He loudly declared that he was
master of the world and that all men were
his servants.

“You are mistaken,” said a frail voice. “All

men are servants of one another.”

A deathly silence followed the remark. The

blood froze in the veins of the people assembled
there. Then the king exploded in anger.

15
 “Who said that?” he demanded, rising from
the royal throne. “Who dares suggest that I am
a servant?”

“I do,” said a voice in the crowd, and the

people parted to reveal a white-haired old man,
leaning heavily on a walking stick.

“Who are you?” asked the king.

“I am Boubakar,” said the man. “We have no

water in our village. I have come to ask for a well
to be dug there.”

“So you are a beggar!” roared the king, striding

down to where the man stood. “Yet you have the
nerve to call me a servant!”

“We all serve one another,” said Boubakar,

showing no fear, “and I will prove it to you
before nightfall.”

“Do that,” said the monarch. “Force me to

wait on you. If you can do that I will have not
one but three wells dug in your village. But if
you fail, you’ll lose your head!”

16
 “In our village,” said the old man, “when we
accept a challenge, we touch the person’s feet.
Let me touch your feet. Hold my stick.”

The king took the stick and the old man bent
down and touched the monarch’s feet.

“Now you may give it back to me,” he

said, straightening up. The king gave him
back his stick.

“Do you want any more proof?” asked

Boubakar.

“Proof?” asked the king, bewildered.

“You held my stick when I asked you to and

gave it back to me when I asked you for it,” said
the old man. “As I said, all good men are servants
of one another.”

The king was so pleased with the Royal

Servant Boubakar’s wit and daring that he
not only had wells dug in his village but also
retained him as an adviser.

17
Intelligence and a unique way of
thinking can take you far in life.

18
Stern /stəːn/ (adj.): nghiêm khắc

Fawning courtier /ˈfɔːnɪŋ/ /ˈkɔːtɪə/ (n.): bề

tôi nịnh hót

Multitude /ˈmʌltɪtjuːd/ (n.): vô số

Grandeur /ˈɡrandjə/ (n.): sự vĩ đại

Declare /dɪˈklɛː/ (v.): tuyên vố

Servant /ˈsəːv(ə)nt/ (n.): kẻ hầu

Frail voice /freɪl/ /vɔɪs/ (n.): giọng nói yếu ớt

Explode in anger (v.): nổi giận lôi đình

Dare /dɛː/ (v.): dám, cả gan

Beggar /ˈbɛɡə/ (n.): kẻ ăn mày

19
Stride /straɪd/ (v.): rảo bước

Have the nerve to do something (v.): cả gan

làm điều gì đó

Nightfall /ˈnaɪtfɔːl/ (n.): hoàng hôn, chập tối

Monarch /ˈmɒnək/ (n.): quốc vương

Well /wɛl/ (n.): cái giếng

Accept a challenge (v.): chấp nhận thách thức

Proof /pruːf/ (n.): bằng chứng, chứng cứ

Bewildered /bɪˈwɪldəd/ (adj.): bối rối

Retain /rɪˈteɪn/ (v.): giữ (ai đó) lại

Adviser /ədˈvaɪzə/ (n.): cố vấn

20
 4
The Two Beggars

O nce, a king saw a dirty beggar rubbing

his back against the palace gates. He
summoned the beggar.

Then he asked the beggar, “Why were you

rubbing your back against the palace gates?”

“Your Majesty, my back was itching, so I was

rubbing my back against the iron gates.”

The king asked the guards to give the beggar

a hot bath and fifty gold coins. This news soon
spread throughout the kingdom like a jungle fire.

A few days later, the king saw two poor and

dirty beggars rubbing their backs against the
palace gates.

21
 He asked them what they were doing and
they replied that their backs were itching. The
king called his guards and said, “Give these
beggars fifty whiplashes on their backs to
cure their itch.”

“But, Your Majesty, you gave the other beggar

fifty gold coins.”

He told the truth, “Because he was alone he

could not scratch his own back. But you are two
men so you can scratch each other’s backs. You
are here only out of greed.”

22
People can easily see through
greed and selfishness.

23
Palace gate /ˈpalɪs/ /ɡeɪt/ (n.): cổng cung điện

Summon /ˈsʌmən/ (v.): triệu, cho vời

“Your majesty” /jʊə/ /ˈmadʒɪsti/: “Tâu bệ hạ”

Itching /ɪtʃɪŋ/ (adj.): ngứa ngáy

Rub your back against something (v.):

cọ lưng vào đâu đó

Guard /ɡɑːd/ (n.): lính gác

Gold coin /ɡəʊld/ /kɔɪn/ (n.): đồng vàng

Jungle fire /ˈdʒʌŋɡ(ə)l/ /ˈfaɪə/ (n.): đám cháy rừng

Whiplash /ˈwɪplaʃ/ (n.): đòn roi

Cure /kjʊr/ (v.): chữa trị

Scratch somebody’s own back (v.): gãi lưng

cho ai đó

Greed /ɡriːd/ (n.): lòng tham

24
 5
Honesty Is the Best Policy

A milkman became very wealthy through

dishonest means.

He had to cross a river daily to reach the city

where his customers lived.

He mixed the water of the river generously

with the milk that he sold for a good profit.

One day he went around collecting the dues

in order to celebrate the wedding of his son.

With the large amount thus collected he

purchased plenty of rich clothes and glittering
gold ornaments.

25
 But while crossing the river the boat capsized
and all his costly purchases were swallowed by
the river.

The milk vendor was speechless with grief.

At that time he heard a voice that came from the
river, “Do not weep. What you have lost is only
the illicit gains you earned through cheating
your customers.”

26
Honest dealings are always best.
Money earned using wrong
methods will never be truly yours.

27
Dishonest means /dɪsˈɒnɪst/ /miːnz/ (n.):
những trò dối trá

Generously /ˈdʒɛn(ə)rəsli/ (adv.): nhiều

Profit /ˈprɒfɪt/ (n.): tiền lời

Collect due /ˈkɒlɛkt/ /djuː/ (v.): thu nợ

Glittering gold ornament (n.): trang sức

vàng lấp lánh

Capsize /kapˈsaɪz/ (v.): lật úp

Swallow /ˈswɒləʊ/ (v.): nuốt chửng

Vendor /ˈvɛndɔː/ (n.): nhà buôn, lái buôn

Weep /wiːp/ (v.): khóc

Illicit gain /ɪˈlɪsɪt/ /ɡeɪn/ (n.): của phi nghĩa

Cheat /tʃiːt/ (v.): lừa dối

28
 6
Words and Actions

T here once was a boy who loved eating

sweets. He always asked for sweets from
his father.

His father was a poor man. He could not

always afford sweets for his son. But the little boy
did not understand this and demanded sweets
all the time.

The boy’s father thought hard about how to

stop the child asking for so many sweets.

There was a very holy man living nearby at

that time. The boy’s father had an idea. He
decided to take the boy to the great man who
might be able to persuade the child to stop
asking for sweets all the time.

The boy and his father went along to the great

29
man. The father said to him, “Oh great saint,
could you ask my son to stop asking for sweets
which I cannot afford?”

The holy man told the father to bring his son

back after one month.

During that month, the holy man gave up

eating sweets. When the boy and his father
returned after a month, the holy man said to the
boy, “My dear child! Will you stop asking for
sweets which your father cannot afford to
give you?”

From then on, the boy stopped asking

for sweets.

The boy’s father asked the saint, “Why did

you not ask my son to give up asking for sweets
when we came to you a month ago?”

The saint replied, “How could I ask a boy to

give up sweets when I loved sweets myself? In
the last month I gave up eating sweets.”

30
Always make sure that your actions
and your words are the same.

31
Afford /əˈfɔːd/ (v.): đủ tiền mua (thứ gì đó)

Demand /dɪˈmɑːnd/ (v.): đòi hỏi

Holy man /ˈhəʊli/ /man/ (n.): nhà hiền triết

Saint /seɪnt/ (n.): thánh nhân

32
 7
The Two Brothers and the
White-bearded Old Man

O nce upon a time there were two brothers.

They decided to start venturing from
town to town and from village to village to seek
happiness. Along the way they saw an old man
with a white beard heading towards them.

The old man stopped and asked the boys

where they were headed. When he found out he
told them:

“I want to help you.” He put his hand in his

pocket and pulled out a handful of golden coins.
“Which one of you wants these?” he asked.

“I want them.” replied the big brother

immediately. The old man put his hand in his

33
other pocket and pulled out a precious gem,
shining like the sun, and asked again:

“Which one of you wants to have the gem?”

“I want it,” hastily answered the big brother

and the old man gave him the gem. Then the old
man put down the sack he was carrying on his
back and said:

“Now who is gonna help me bring this sack

to the village?”

The big brother said nothing. The little brother

pulled up his sleeves and bent down to help him.
The old man smiled and said:

“Take it with you, my boy, along with

everything that is inside.”

“No, it’s not mine.”

“Take it, take it,” said the old man. “It's my

gift to you.”

The little brother opened the sack. And what

did his eyes see? The bag was filled with precious
gems. He stood up to thank the old man, but he
was nowhere to be found.

34
Help others and good
things will come.

35
White-bearded /ˌwaɪtˈbɪədɪd/ (adj.): râu bạc

Handful of something (n.): một nắm gì đó

Precious gem /ˈprɛʃəs/ /dʒɛm/ (n.): đá quý

Hastily /ˈheɪstɪli/ (adv.): vội vàng

Bend down /bɛnd/ /daʊn/ (v.): cúi xuống

Nowhere to be found (adj.): không còn ở đó

nữa, biến mất

36
 8
The Clever Barber

O ne day, a barber was going to the

next village. On the way he had to pass
through a forest full of wild animals. Suddenly
all his worst fears came true. A fierce lion came
and stood before him, but the barber gathered
courage and went to the lion. The lion was
surprised to see the barber acting this way.

The barber said, “Ah! Here you are and I have

been searching all the nearby forests for you.”

The lion was taken aback by the barber’s

words. With some fear in his heart, he asked the
barber, “But why were you looking for me?”

The barber replied, “The king had asked me

37
to catch two lions for him. I have already caught
one of them. I guess you will be the next one.”

And then the barber took a mirror and put it

before the lion’s face. The lion saw his reflection
and mistook it for another lion.

So the lion ran away to save his life and the

clever barber went on his way.

38
If you think outside the box,
there’s a solution for almost
every problem.

39
Clever /ˈklɛvə/ (adj.): thông minh, khôn ngoan

Barber /ˈbɑːbə/ (n.): người thợ cạo, thợ cắt tóc

Fierce /fɪəs/ (adj.): hung dữ

Gather courage /ˈɡaðə/ /ˈkʌrɪdʒ/ (v.): lấy can đảm

Taken aback by something (adj.): ngạc nhiên,

sửng sốt

Reflection /rɪˈflɛkʃ(ə)n/ (n.): hình ảnh phản chiếu

Mistake /mɪˈsteɪk/ (v.): nhầm lẫn

40
 9
Finding Happiness

O nce a group of 50 people was attending

a seminar.

Suddenly, the speaker stopped and decided

to do a group activity. He started giving each one
a balloon. Each one was asked to write his or her
name on it using a marker. Then all the balloons
were collected and put in another room.

Now these participants were let in that room

and asked to find the balloon which had their
name written on it within 5 minutes. Everyone was
frantically searching for their name, colliding
with each other, and pushing around others. It
was utter chaos.

At the end of 5 minutes no one could find

their own balloon.

41
 Now each one was asked to randomly collect
a balloon and give it to the the person whose
name was written on it.

Within minutes everyone had their own

balloon.

The speaker began, “This is exactly what’s

happening in our lives. Everyone is frantically
looking for happiness all around, not knowing
where it is.”

42
Our happiness lies in the happiness
of other people. Give them their
happiness, you will get your own.

43
Attend a seminar (v.): tham gia một buổi
hội thảo

Speaker /ˈspiːkə/ (n.): diễn giả

Participant /pɑːˈtɪsɪp(ə)nt/ (n.): người tham dự

Frantically search /ˈfrantɪkli/ /səːtʃ/ (v.): điên

cuồng tìm kiếm

Collide with somebody (v.): va đụng vào

ai đó

Utter /ˈʌtə/ (adj.): hoàn toàn, rành rành

Chaos /ˈkeɪɒs/ (n.): sự hỗn loạn

Randomly /ˈrandəmli/ (adv.): ngẫu nhiên

44
 10
The Brainy Donkey

O nce, a donkey was grazing at the edge of

the village. He was so lost in eating the
sweet green grass that he wandered into the
forest nearby.

Soon it was evening and the donkey decided

to go home. So he turned to take the path which
led to the village. As he walked on, suddenly, he
was confronted by a big fierce lion. The sight of
the lion’s large mane and sharp claws scared
the donkey.

But the donkey was very clever. He addressed

the lion and said, “Oh! Your Majesty, what a
pleasure to see you. I would be honored to serve
you as your dinner. But I must tell you about the
proper way of eating a donkey. It is said that one

45
must start eating from the hind legs. That part
tastes the best.”

The lion believed the donkey and as he went

behind him, the donkey kicked the lion with
great force. The lion was knocked down and fell
into a thorny bush. By the time he was on his
feet, the donkey had run off to the village.

46
Brains are worth more than brawn.

47
Brainy /ˈbreɪni/ (adj.): mưu trí

Donkey /ˈdɒŋki/ (n.): con lừa

Wander /ˈwɒndə/ (v.): lang thang, thơ thẩn

Confronted by somebody (adj.): bị ai đó

chặn đầu

Large mane /lɑːdʒ/ /meɪn/ (n.): bờm lớn

Sharp claw /ʃɑːp/ /klɔː/ (n.): vuốt sắc

Honored /ˈɒnəd/ (adj.): hân hạnh, vinh dự

Proper /ˈprɒpə/ (adj.): đúng cách

Hind leg /haɪnd/ /lɛɡ/ (n.): chân sau

Knock down /nɒk/ /daʊn/ (v.): hạ gục

Thorny bush /ˈθɔːni/ /bʊʃ/ (n.): bụi gai

Brawn /brɔːn/ (n.): cơ bắp

48
 11
Help Yourself

O nce, two mice entered a dairy. As they

were looking for something to eat, they
slipped and fell into a large drum full of milk.
They did not know how to swim. Soon they
started drowning.

Both of them started struggling to stay afloat.

One of the mice said, “Friend, I think we are
going to drown. No one can help us now. I wish
God would send someone to help us!”

The other mouse calmly said, “Do not be

afraid my friend. We must not lose heart. We
must keep trying.”

But a few minutes later, the first mouse gave

up hope. He did not try and so he drowned. The

49
other mouse saw his friend drowning in the milk
and felt very sorry.

He kept moving his legs to try to keep afloat.

Soon this had a churning effect and a thick layer
of cream fat was formed on the milk’s surface.
With great effort, the mouse climbed the creamy
layer and jumped out to safety. The mouse realized
that God helps those who help themselves.

50
Don’t rely on someone else to get
you out of a bad situation.
Save yourself.

51
Dairy /ˈdɛːri/ (n.): cửa hàng sữa

Slip /slɪp/ (v.): trượt chân

Drum /drʌm/ (n.): thùng hình ống (đựng sữa)

Stay afloat /steɪ/ /əˈfləʊt/ (v.): nổi trên bề mặt

Calmly /ˈkɑːmli/ (adv.): bình tĩnh

Churning /tʃəːn/ (adj.): khuấy

Thick layer /θɪk/ (n.): lớp màng dày

Cream fat /kriːm/ /fat/ (n.): lớp kem béo

Surface /ˈsəːfɪs/ (n.): bề mặt (chất lỏng)

Rely on /rɪˈlaɪ/ /ɒn/ (v.): dựa vào

52
 12
Fruits of Labor

O nce, a very lazy boy named Ramu lived

in a small village. He spent all his time
loitering around and was always busy day-
dreaming. He avoided doing any work.

One day Ramu found a bag full of money. He

was delighted. He knew that one had to work to
earn money. But he felt lucky for getting money
without any effort at all. Ramu went and bought
many tasty sweets from the bakery. Then he got
some new clothes. In such a way, he started to
spend the money he had found.

His mother said, “Son, don’t waste the money.

Use it to start a business. Work hard at it and you
will become rich.”

53
 But Ramu said, “I have no need to work. I
have a lot of money.”

Within a few months Ramu had spent all the

money in the bag. Soon he had not even a morsel
to eat at home. The villagers also refused to employ
such a lazy boy. Then Ramu understood that
free money was not worth it, and he began to
work diligently.

54
Only fruits of labour can
feed a man lifelong.

55
Loiter /ˈlɔɪtə/ (v.): la cà

Daydream /ˈdeɪdriːm/ (v.): mơ mộng

Avoid /əˈvɔɪd/ (v.): tránh, né

Delighted /dɪˈlaɪtɪd/ (adj.): vui mừng, hớn hở

Effort /ˈɛfət/ (n.): nỗ lực, công sức

Waste money /weɪst/ /ˈmʌni/ (v.): phí tiền bạc

Morsel /ˈmɔːs(ə)l/ (n.): miếng thức ăn

Employ /ɛmˈplɔɪ/ (v.): thuê (ai đó) vào làm

Diligently /ˈdɪlɪdʒ(ə)ntli/ (adv.): cần mẫn

Lifelong /ˈlaɪflɒŋ/ (adj.): suốt đời

56
 13
The Wolf in Sheepskin

A wolf was walking in the countryside.

He found a sheepskin spread on the
ground. He thought, “If I wear this skin and get
mixed up in the flock, the shepherd will not
suspect me. At night, I will kill a stout sheep and
then take him away with me.”

The wolf covered himself with the sheep-

skin and got mixed up with a flock of sheep. As
he had expected, the shepherd took him for a
sheep and shut him in the pen with the sheep.
The wolf planned to wait for the night.

The shepherd had a feast that night. He sent

a servant to fetch a fat sheep. The servant saw
the sheepskin-covered wolf by chance. That
night, the guests had the wolf for supper.

57
Evil thoughts have evil ends.

58
Sheepskin /ˈʃiːpskɪn/ (n.): bộ da cừu

Shepherd /ˈʃɛpəd/ (n.): người chăn cừu

Stout /staʊt/ (adj.): mập mạp

Flock of sheep (n.): bầy cừu

Expect /ɛkˈspɛkt/ (v.): dự đoán, dự định

Pen /pɛn/ (n.): bãi quây

Feast /fiːst/ (n.): bữa tiệc

Servant /ˈsəːv(ə)nt/ (n.): người hầu

Fetch /fɛtʃ/ (v.): đem về

59
 14
The Thirsty Crow

O nce, a crow was very thirsty.

The crow searched for water everywhere.

“Kaa, Kaa, Kaa…”

At last he saw a pot with very little water in it.

He put his beak inside, but he could not

reach down to the water.

The crow thought of a plan.

He picked some pebbles and dropped them

into the pot one by one.

The water level rose.

The crow drank the water and flew away

happily.

60
If you face a problem, use all your
creativity to find a solution.

61
Crow /krəʊ/ (n.): con quạ

Beak /biːk/ (n.): cái mỏ

Reach /riːtʃ/ (v.): chạm đến

Pebble /ˈpɛb(ə)l/ (n.): hòn sỏi

Water level /ˈwɔːtə/ /ˈlɛv(ə)l/ (n.): mực nước

Rise /raɪz/ (v.): dâng lên

Creativity /ˌkriːeɪˈtɪvɪti/ (n.): sự sáng tạo

62
 15
The Right Person

O nce there was a wise King. He had two

sons. He appointed eminent scholars
to teach them all the arts. After a few years of
teachings, the King fell badly ill. So, he wanted to
select his next King for his Kingdom. He wanted
to test his sons’ abilities.

He called both of them and gave a room

to each of them. He said, “You must fill this
room completely with anything you wish. It
can be anything! But there should be no space
left behind and you should not seek advice
from anyone!”

The next day the king visited the elder son’s

room. The room was completely filled with hay.
The king sighed at the foolishness of the elder son.

63
 Then he went to the younger son’s room, but
it was kept closed. The King knocked at the door
of the room. The second son asked his father to get
in and closed the door again. There was darkness
everywhere and the King shouted at his second
son angrily.

But the second son lighted a candle and said,

“I have filled this room with light!”

Now the King felt very happy and hugged his

son proudly. He understood that the younger
son would be the right person to rule the
Kingdom after he passed away.

64
 Don’t worry if you think
differently from others. One day
it could benefit you.

65
Wise /waɪz/ (adj.): khôn ngoan, thông thái

Appoint /əˈpɔɪnt/ (v.): tuyển, bổ nhiệm

Eminent scholar /ˈɛmɪnənt/ /ˈskɒlə/ (n.):

học giả xuất chúng

Fall ill /fɔːl/ /ɪl/ (v.): ngã bệnh

Seek /siːk/ (v.): tìm kiếm

Sigh /saɪ/ (v.): thở dài

Foolishness /ˈfuːlɪʃnəs/ (n.): sự ngu dốt

Proudly /ˈpraʊdli/ (adv.): tự hào

Benefit /ˈbɛnɪfɪt/ (v.): làm lợi, giúp ích, mang

đến lợi ích

66
 16
The Peacock and
the Crane

T here was a peacock who often boasted

about his beauty. Every day, he walked to
the banks of a large lake, looked at his own
reflection and said “Oh! What a beautiful bird I
am! Look at my colourful tail.”

Once the peacock saw a crane on the banks

of the lake. He said with a sneer to the crane,
“What a colourless bird you are! You have no
beautiful and colourful feathers like mine”.

The crane replied, “Of course! I don't have

beautiful feathers. However, my feathers can make
me fly across the lake. Can your feathers make
you fly?” There was no reply from the peacock.

67
It is better to be useful than
to be beautiful.

68
Peacock /ˈpiːkɒk/ (n.): chim công

Boast /bəʊst/ (v.): khoe khoang, khoe mẽ

Bank of the lake (n.): bờ hồ

Crane /kreɪn/ (n.): chim sếu

Sneer /snɪə/ (n.): nụ cười mỉa

Reply /rɪˈplaɪ/ (n.): lời đáp trả

69
 17
The King and
the Spider
V ikram was a brave king. Once, he had
to fight against a large army with just a
few soldiers, and he was defeated. He had to
run for his life.

Vikram took shelter in a cave in the jungle.

He was very depressed. His courage had left him.
He was blankly gazing at the ceiling of the cave.
An interesting scene captured his attention.

A small spider was trying to weave a web

across the cave ceiling. As the spider crawled
up, a thread of the web broke and the spider fell
down. But the spider did not give up. He tried
to climb again and again. Finally, the spider
successfully climbed up and completed the web.

70
 Vikram began to think, “If a small spider can
face failure so bravely, why should I give up? I
will try with all my might till I win”. This thought
gave strength to the defeated king.

Vikram got out of the jungle and collected his

brave soldiers. He fought against the large army.
He was defeated again. But now, he would not
give up his fight.

Vikram again and again fought against the large

army and finally, after many attempts, defeated
the large army and regained his kingdom. He
had learnt a lesson from the spider.

71
Perseverance paves the way to success.

72
Brave /breɪv/ (adj.): dũng cảm

Army /ˈɑːmi/ (n.): đội quân

Soldier /ˈsəʊldʒə/ (n.): binh lính

Defeated /dɪˈfiːtɪd/ (adj.): bị đánh bại

Run for somebody’s life (v.): chạy thoát thân

Take shelter /teɪk/ /ˈʃɛltə/ (v.): tìm nơi trú ẩn

Cave /keɪv/ (n.): hang động

Blankly /ˈblaŋkli/ (adv.): ngây người

Ceiling /ˈsiːlɪŋ/ (n.): trần (hang)

Capture attention /ˈkaptʃə/ /əˈtɛnʃ(ə)n/ (v.):

thu hút sự chú ý

Thread /θrɛd/ (n.): sợi tơ

Jungle /ˈdʒʌŋɡ(ə)l/ (n.): khu rừng

Attempt /əˈtɛm(p)t/ (n.): cố gắng, nỗ lực

Regain /rɪˈɡeɪn/ (v.): giành lại

Perseverance /pəːsɪˈvɪər(ə)ns/ (n.): sự bền chí

Pave the way (v.): mở đường

73
 18
The Inexperienced Mouse

O nce, a little mouse told his mother, “Moth-

er, let me go out see and the world.”

The mother mouse said, “Okay child. But,

be careful.”

The mouse came out of his hold and started

walking. He saw a colourful cock. As he had
never seen a cock before, he got frightened by
the sharp beak, colourful feathers and the red
crown of the cock. He ran away thinking, “What
a horrible creature.”

After some time he came across a pussy cat.

“What a soft animal!” he thought, “Such
handsome fur! And striking eyes!”

When he returned home he explained his day's

visit to his mother. The mother said, “The cock is
really harmless. But the soft cat is the real enemy.”

74
Outward appearances
are deceptive.

75
Inexperienced /ˌɪnɛkˈspɪərɪənst/ (adj.): non
nớt, thiếu trải nghiệm

Cock /kɒk/ (n.): con gà trống

Frightened /ˈfraɪtnd/ (adj.): khiếp đảm

Crown /kraʊn/ (n.): mào gà

Horrible /ˈhɒrɪb(ə)l/ (adj.): khủng khiếp

Handsome /ˈhans(ə)m/ (adj.): đẹp đẽ

Harmless /ˈhɑːmləs/ (adj.): vô hại

Enemy /ˈɛnəmi/ (n.): kẻ thù

Outward appearance /ˈaʊtwəd/ /əˈpɪər(ə)ns/

(n.): vẻ ngoài, ngoại hình

Deceptive /dɪˈsɛptɪv/ (adj.): lừa dối, gian dối

76
 19
The Horse Who
Wanted Safety

O n the lawns of a forest grazed a handsome

horse. He was a fast runner, but he was
often frightened by a tiger that passed by now
and then.

One day, as the horse was grazing, a man

passed that way. He asked the man, “Sir, aren't
you afraid of lions and tigers?”

The man laughed aloud and answered, “Me!

Look what I have.” He showed his rifle and
continued, “Should any animal approach me I
can shoot and kill him.”

The horse asked, “If that is so, sir, will you

help me?”

77
 The man replied, “Of course I will. What will
you do for me?”

The horse said, “Anything you want of me, I

will do.”

The horse told the man about the tiger. The

man said, “If you let me saddle you and take you
with me, you need not be afraid of the tiger.”

The horse was too happy.

The man led the horse into town and left him
in a stable.

Now, the horse thought to himself, “I am

indeed safe here. But I don't have any freedom.”

78
The grass is always greener on the
other side of the fence.

79
Lawn /lɔːn/ (n.): bãi cỏ

Graze /ɡreɪz/ (v.): thơ thẩn

Rifle /ˈraɪf(ə)l/ (n.): khẩu súng săn

Approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ (v.): đến gần

Saddle /ˈsad(ə)l/ (v.): cưỡi (ngựa)

Stable /ˈsteɪb(ə)l/ (n.): chuồng ngựa

Freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ (n.): sự tự do

Fence /fɛns/ (n.): hàng rào

80
 20
The Greedy Lion

I t was a hot summer day. A lion was

feeling very hungry.

He came out of his den and searched here

and there. He could find only a small hare. He
caught the hare with some hesitation. “This
hare cannot fill my tummy,” thought the lion.

As the lion was about to kill the hare, a

deer ran that way. The lion became greedy. He
thought, “Instead of eating this small hare, let
me eat the big deer.” He let the hare go and went
after the deer, but the deer had vanished into
the forest. The lion now felt sorry for letting the
hare escape.

81
A bird in the hand is worth
two in the bush.

82
Greedy /ˈɡriːdi/ (adj.): tham lam

Hare /hɛː/ (n.): thỏ rừng

Hesitation /hɛzɪˈteɪʃn/ (n.): sự do dự

Tummy /ˈtʌmi/ (n.): dạ dày

Deer /dɪə/ (n.): con nai

Vanish /ˈvanɪʃ/ (v.): mất hút

Escape /ɛˈskeɪp/ (v.): trốn thoát

Bush /bʊʃ/ (n.): bụi cây

83
 21
The Giant and
the Traveler

A giant was roaming around the forest.

It saw a hungry traveler shivering in
the cold. The giant felt sympathetic and called
him to his cave.

On the way the giant saw the traveler blowing

air through his mouth at his fingers. When the
giant asked for the reason he replied that he was
heating his hand by the air from his mouth.

After reaching the cave, the giant served him

a cup of hot soup. On receiving it, the traveler
again started blowing air at the cup. The giant
was surprised and asked why he was doing the
same thing and whether the heat was not sufficient

84
for him. But the traveler replied that he was
cooling the soup.

Now the giant got suspicious and said, “You

are blowing both hot and cool air from your
one mouth. So I can't believe such a cheat. Run
away from here or else I will kill you.” The giant
chased him off.

85
Nobody believes those who
have dual words.

86
Giant /ˈdʒaɪənt/ (n.): gã khổng lồ

Traveler /ˈtrav(ə)lə/ (n.): khách bộ hành

Roam /rəʊm/ (v.): rong ruổi, lang thang

Shiver in the cold (v.): run cầm cập vì rét

Sympathetic /sɪmpəˈθɛtɪk/ (adj.): cảm thông,

thương xót

Cave /ˈkeɪvi/ (n.): hang động

Blow air /bləʊ/ /ɛː/ (v.): thổi hơi

Suspicious /səˈspɪʃəs/ (adj.): nghi ngờ

Have dual words (v.): nói hai lời

87
 22
The King Cobra
and the Ants

O nce there lived a king cobra in a small

hole. When he was small, he ate little
creatures. As he grew up, he began to eat eggs,
lizards, frogs and rabbits. And when he grew
up further, he started to eat even other smaller
snakes. His pride grew with him.

All small animals began to fear the king cobra.

This boosted up his pride. He began to think,
“Now I am the most powerful creature. I am the
king of the forest. All animals fear me. Let me
move from this small hole to a bigger place.”

He searched for a place to suit his size

and status.

88
 Finally he came across a big tree. He selected
the tree for his house. He saw an ant hill near
the tree.

He thought, “Why should there be an ugly

ant hill near my royal house?” He hissed aloud,
“I am king Cobra, the king of the forest. I order
the ants to vacate immediately.” There was no
reply. He got wild and struck at the ant hill.

What a surprise! In a minute thousands of

ants swarmed the king cobra biting him
everywhere. The king cobra could not bear the
pain. He ran away.

89
Pride goes before fall.

90
King cobra /kɪŋ/ /ˈkəʊbrə/ (n.): rắn hổ chúa

Creature /ˈkriːtʃə/ (n.): sinh vật

Lizard /ˈlɪzəd/ (n.): thằn lằn, thạch sùng

Pride /praɪd/ (n.): lòng kiêu hãnh

Status /ˈsteɪtəs/ (n.): địa vị

Select /sɪˈlɛkt/ (v.): lựa chọn

Ant hill /ant/ /hɪl/ (n.): tổ kiến

Hiss /hɪs/ (v.): rít

Vacate /vəˈkeɪt/ (v.): cút đi

Swarm /swɔːm/ (v.): bu, bâu lấy

Bear /bɛː/ (v.): chịu đựng

91
 23
100 Percent Love

A boy and a girl were playing together.

The boy had a collection of marbles.
The girl had some sweets with her. The boy told
the girl that he would give her all his marbles in
exchange for the sweets. The girl agreed.

The boy kept the most beautiful and the

biggest marbles with him and gave her the
remaining marbles. The girl gave him all her
sweets as she promised. That night the girl
slept peacefully. But the boy could not sleep as
he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some
sweets from him the way he had hidden the
best marbles from her.

92
If you do not give 100 percent in
a relationship, you will always be
doubting if the other person has
given her or his hundred percent.

93
Percent /pə ˈsɛnt/ (n.): phần trăm

Marble /ˈmɑːb(ə)l/ (n.): viên bi

In exchange for something (prep.): đổi lấy

thứ gì đó

Remaining /rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ/ (adj.): còn lại

Peacefully /ˈpiːsfʊli/ (adv.): bình yên

Doubt /daʊt/ (v.): nghi ngờ, hoài nghi

94
 24
Always Follow
Your Heart
A s a child, Monty Roberts was the son of
a horse trainer and moved from stable
to stable, from ranch to ranch, training horses.
The boy’s schooling was constantly interrupted.
One day, when he was a senior, his teacher asked
him to write about what he wanted to be when
he grew up. He did not hesitate and wrote a
seven page paper about his aim to be the owner
of a horse ranch. It was a detailed paper with the
location of buildings, stables and even a house
plan. Two days later he received his paper back
with an F on the front page.

After class he asked his teacher why he

received such a low score.

95
 The teacher told him, “This dream is unrealistic
for a boy like you, who has no money or resources
and who comes from a poor family. There is no
possibility that you will reach this goal.”

Then the teacher offered him the opportunity

to rewrite the paper with a more realistic attitude.

The boy went home and asked his father how

he should respond.

His father told him, “This is a very important

decision, so you must come to your own conclusion.”

After several days, the boy brought the same

paper to his teacher. No changes were made.

He told his teacher, “Keep the F and I will

keep my dream.”

Monty Roberts went on to own a 4,000

square foot house in the middle of a 200 acre
horse ranch. He framed the paper he wrote and
hung it over his fireplace.

Always remember to follow your heart and

never listen to those who do not believe in your
ability to achieve your dreams.

96
Keep your dreams, even if people
try to discourage you.

97
Horse trainer /hɔːs/ /ˈtreɪnə/ (n.): người nài ngựa
Ranch /rɑːn(t)ʃ/ (n.): trại nuôi ngựa
Interrupted /ɪntəˈrʌptɪd/ (adj.): bị gián đoạn
Senior /ˈsiːnɪə/ (n.): học sinh, sinh viên năm cuối
Hesitate /ˈhɛzɪteɪt/ (v.): do dự, ngần ngại
Aim /eɪm/ (n.): mục tiêu
Location /lə(ʊ)ˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ (n.): địa điểm
Unrealistic /ˌʌnrɪəˈlɪstɪk/ (adj.): viển vông,
phi thực tế
Resource /rɪˈzɔːs/ (n.): nguồn lực
Opportunity /ɒpəˈtjuːnɪti/ (n.): cơ hội
Realistic attitude /rɪəˈlɪstɪk/ /ˈatɪtjuːd/ (n.):
thái độ thực tế
Respond /rɪˈspɒnd/ (v.): đáp lại, trả lời
Conclusion /kənˈkluːʒ(ə)n/ (n.): kết luận
Square foot /skwɛː/ /fʊt/ (n.): một foot vuông
(tương đương 0,09 m2)
Acre /ˈeɪkə/ (n.): mẫu Anh (~ 0,4 hecta)
Frame /freɪm/ (v.): đóng khung
Fireplace /ˈfaɪəpleɪs/ (n.): lò sưởi
Achieve /əˈtʃiːv/ (v.): chinh phục
Discourage /dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒ/ (v.): ngăn cản

98
 25
Life Is Like a Piece
of Cake

A little boy is telling his grandma how

everything is going wrong: school,
family problems, severe health problems, etc.
Meanwhile, grandma is baking a cake. She asks
her grandson if he would like a snack, which, of
course, he does.

“Here, have some cooking oil.”

“Yuck!” says the boy.

“How about a couple of raw eggs?”

“Gross, grandma!”

“Would you like some flour then? Or maybe

baking soda?”

99
 “Grandma, those are all yucky!”

To which grandma replies, “Yes, all those

things seem bad all by themselves. But when
they are put together in the right way, they make
a wonderfully delicious cake!”

“God works the same way.” Grandma continued,

“Many times we wonder why he would let us go
through such bad and difficult times. But God
knows that when he puts these things all in his
order, they always work for good! We just have
to trust him and, eventually, they will all make
something wonderful!”

100
Life is made up of many good and
bad things. If something bad
happens, you have to have faith
that the future will get better.

101
Severe /sɪˈvɪə/ (adj.): nghiêm trọng, nguy kịch

Meanwhile /ˈmiːnwaɪl/ (adv.): trong khi đó

Raw egg /rɔː/ /ɛɡ/ (n.): trứng sống

Flour /ˈflaʊə/ (n.): bột mì

Yucky /ˈjʌki/ (adj.): kinh, tởm

Faith /feɪθ/ (n.): lòng tin

102
 26
Fiancé

A young woman brings home her fiancé

to meet her parents. After dinner, her
mother tells her father to find out about the
young man. The father invites the fiancé to his
study for a drink.

“So, what are your plans?” the father asks the

young man.

“I am a Torah scholar.” he replies.

“A Torah scholar. Hmmm...” the father says.

“Admirable, but what will you do to provide a
nice house for my daughter to live in, as she’s
accustomed to?”

“I will study,” the young man replies, “and

God will provide for us.”

103
 “And how will you buy her a beautiful
engagement ring, such as she deserves?”
asks the father.

“I will concentrate on my studies,” the young

man replies, “God will provide for us.”

“And children?” asks the father. “How will

you support children?”

“Don’t worry, sir, God will provide,” replies

the fiancé.

The conversation proceeds like this, and each

time the father questions, the young idealist
insists that God will provide.

Later, the mother asks, “How did it go,

honey?”

The father answers, “He has no job and

no plans, but the good news is that he thinks
I’m God.”

104
Your God is always with you, yet
seldom in the eyes of others.

105
Fiancé /fɪˈɒs̃ eɪ/ (n.): vị hôn phu

Study /ˈstʌdi/ (n.): phòng làm việc

Torah scholar /tɔːˈrɑː/ /ˈskɒlə/ (n.): Thầy

đạo, học giả Torah (Do Thái giáo)

Accustomed to something (adj.): quen với

điều gì đó

Engagement ring /ɛnˈɡeɪdʒm(ə)nt/ /rɪŋ/

(n.): nhẫn đính hôn

Deserve /dɪˈzəːv/ (v.): xứng đáng (với điều gì đó)

Concentrate on something (v.): tập trung

vào điều gì đó

Proceed /prəˈsiːd/ (v.): tiếp tục

Idealist /aɪˈdɪəlɪst/ (n.): tư tưởng gia

106
 27
Old Aunt Emma

A couple’s happy married life was almost

on the rocks because of the presence
in the household of old Aunt Emma. For seven
long years, she lived with them, always crotchety,
always demanding. Finally, the old lady died.

On the way back from the cemetery, the

husband confessed to his wife, “Darling, if I
didn’t love you so much, I don’t think I would
have put up with having your Aunt Emma in the
house all those years.”

His wife looked at him, “My Aunt Emma!”

She cried. “I thought she was ‘your’ Aunt Emma!”

107
Don’t wait too long to speak
your mind.

108
Be on the rocks (v.): có nguy cơ tan vỡ

Presence /ˈprɛz(ə)ns/ (n.): sự hiện diện

Crotchety /ˈkrɒtʃɪti/ (adj.): quái gở

Demanding /dɪˈmɑːndɪŋ/ (adj.): hay đòi hỏi

Confess /kənˈfɛs/ (v.): thú nhận

109
 28
Elementary Knowledge

S herlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on

a camping trip. After a good meal and a
bottle of wine, they lay down for the night and
went to sleep.

Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged

his faithful friend, “Watson, look up and tell me
what you see.”

Watson replied, “I see millions and millions

of stars.”

“What does that tell you?”

Watson pondered for a minute, “Astronomically,

it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and
potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I
observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I

110
deduce that the time is approximately a quarter
past three. Theologically, I can see that
God is all powerful and that we are small
and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect
that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Well,
what does it tell you?”

Holmes was silent for a minute, then spoke,

“Watson, you idiot. Somebody has stolen
our tent.”

111
Great visions can make you forget
the problems at hand.

112
Nudge /nʌdʒ/ (v.): lay dậy
Faithful friend /ˈfeɪθfʊl/ /frɛnd/ (n.): người
bạn trung thành
Ponder /ˈpɒndə/ (v.): trầm tư
Astronomically /astrəˈnɒmɪk(ə)li/ (adv.):
theo thiên văn học
Galaxy /ˈɡaləksi/ (n.): thiên hà
Potentially /pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/ (adv.): có khả năng là
Horologically /hɒˈrɒlədʒi/ (adv.): về mặt
thời gian
Deduce /dɪˈdjuːs/ (v.): suy luận
Approximately /əˈprɒksɪmətli/ (adv.): khoảng,
xấp xỉ
Theologically /ˌθɪəˈlɒdʒɪkli/ (adv.): theo thần học
Insignificant /ɪnsɪɡˈnɪfɪk(ə)nt/ (adj.): không
đáng kể, tầm thường
Meteorologically /ˌmiːtɪərəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)li/
(adv.): theo khí tượng học

Suspect /səˈspɛkt/ (v.): ngờ rằng

113
 29
A Silk Nightwear WAS
in the Tackle Box

A correspondent calls home to his wife

and says, “Honey, I have been asked to
go fishing at a big lake up in Canada with my
boss and several of his friends from the finance
division. We’ll be gone for two weeks. This is
an advantage for me to forge alliances, so would
you please pack me enough clothes for a
fortnight and set out my rod and tackle box?
We’re leaving from the office and I will swing
by the house to pick my baggage up. Oh! And
please pack my new blue silk nightwear.”

The wife detects that this sounds like a fishy

agenda, but being a decent wife she does exactly
what her husband asked. The second weekend

114
he comes home a little tired but otherwise looking
good and at ease.

The wife greets him by the door and asks if he

caught many fish. He says, “Yes! Lots of fish. But
why didn’t you pack my new blue silk nightwear
like I asked you to do?”

The wife replies, “Actually, I did. It was in

your tackle box.”

115
Women can uncover lies from
the slip-ups of men.

116
Silk nightwear /sɪlk/ /ˈnaɪtwɛː/ (n.): quần áo
ngủ bằng lụa

Tackle box /ˈtak(ə)l/ /bɒks/ (n.): hộp đựng dây câu

Correspondent /kɒrɪˈspɒnd(ə)nt/ (n.):

phóng viên

Finance division /ˈfaɪnans/ /dɪˈvɪʒ(ə)n/

(n.): bộ phận tài chính

Forge alliance /fɔːdʒ/ /əˈlaɪəns/ (v.): tạo

mối quan hệ

Fortnight /ˈfɔːtnaɪt/ (n.): hai tuần

Rod /rɒd/ (n.): cần câu

Swing by the house (v.): ghé qua nhà

Detect /dɪˈtɛkt/ (v.): phát hiện

Fishy agenda /ˈfɪʃi/ /əˈdʒɛndə/ (n.): âm mưu

đáng nghi

Decent /ˈdiːs(ə)nt/ (adj.): đoan chính

117
 30
The Good Things

W hen times become difficult (and you

know they sometimes will), remember a
moment in your life that was filled with joy and
happiness. Remember how it made you feel
happy, and you will have the strength you need
to get through any trial.

When life throws you one more obstacle

than you think you can handle, remember
something you achieved through perseverance
and by struggling to the end. In doing so, you’ll
find you have the ability to overcome each
obstacle brought your way.

Take the necessary time in your own life to

dream your dreams and renew your energy, so
you’ll be ready to face each new day.

118
 When you feel tension building, find
something fun to do. You’ll find that the stress
you feel will dissipate and your thoughts will
become clearer.

119
Try to remember the good things
in your life.

120
Strength /strɛŋkθ/ (n.): sức mạnh

Trial /ˈtraɪəl/ (n.): thử thách

Obstacle /ˈɒbstək(ə)l/ (n.): trở ngại

Handle /ˈhand(ə)l/ (v.): khắc chế, vượt qua

Achieve /əˈtʃiːv/ (v.): đạt được, chinh phục

Perseverance /pəːsɪˈvɪər(ə)ns/ (n.): sự kiên

trì, nhẫn nại

Struggle to the end (v.): nỗ lực đến cùng

Overcome /əʊvəˈkʌm/ (v.): vượt qua

Renew your energy (v.): khôi phục năng lượng

Tension /ˈtɛnʃ(ə)n/ (n.): áp lực, căng thẳng

Dissipate /ˈdɪsɪpeɪt/ (v.): tiêu tan

121
 31
Aunt’s Peanuts

A man visits his aunt in the nursing

home. It turns out that she is taking a
nap, so he just sits down in a chair in her room,
flips through a few magazines, and munches
on some peanuts sitting in a bowl on the table.

Eventually, the aunt wakes up, and her

nephew realizes he’s absentmindedly finished
the entire bowl of peanuts!

“I’m so sorry, auntie, I’ve eaten all of your

peanuts!”

“That’s okay, dear,” the aunt replied, “After

I’ve sucked the chocolate off, I don’t care for
them anyway.”

122
Always be careful with things that
belong to others.

123
Nursing home /ˈnəːsɪŋ/ /həʊm/ (n.): viện
dưỡng lão

Take a nap (v.): ngủ trưa, nghỉ trưa

Flip through a magazine (v.): đọc lướt qua

cuốn tạp chí

Munch /mʌn(t)ʃ/ (v.): nhấm nháp

Absentmindedly /absəntˈmaɪndɪdli/ (adv.):

đãng trí, vô ý

Entire /ɛnˈtaɪə/ (adj.): toàn bộ

Suck something off (v.): mút hết, nhằn hết

124
 32
Flying Turtle

D eep within a forest, a little turtle began

to climb a tree. After hours of effort he
reached the top, jumped into the air waving his
front legs and crashed into the ground.

After recovering, he slowly climbed the tree

again, jumped, and fell to the ground. The turtle
tried again and again while a couple of birds
sitting on a branch watched his sad efforts.

Finally, the female bird turned to her mate,

“Dear,” she chirped, “I think it’s time to tell him
he’s adopted.”

125
 Not always like father like son.
Sometimes your children don’t have
the gifts that you have. Don’t teach
a turtle how to fly.

126
Deep within a forest (prep.): trong rừng sâu

Effort /ˈɛfət/ (n.): nỗ lực

Crash into /kraʃ/ /ˈɪntʊ/ (v.): rơi xuống, đập

mạnh xuống

Recover /rɪˈkʌvə/ (v.): hồi phục, khỏe lại

Branch /brɑːn(t)ʃ/ (n.): cành cây, nhánh cây

Chirp /tʃəːp/ (v.): kêu chiêm chiếp

Adopt /əˈdɒpt/ (adj.): nhận làm con nuôi

127
 33
You’re Late

I t was the final examination for an

introductory English course at the local
university. Like many such freshman courses, it
was designed to weed out new students, having
over 700 students in the class!

The examination was two hours long, and

exam booklets were provided. The professor was
very strict and told the class that any exam that
was not on his desk in exactly two hours would
not be accepted and the student would fail.

Half an hour into the exam, a student came

rushing in and asked the professor for a booklet.

“You’re not going to have time to finish this,”

the professor stated sarcastically as he handed
the student a booklet.

128
 “Yes, I will,” replied the student. He then took
a seat and began writing.
After two hours, the professor called for the exams,
and the students filed up and handed them in. All
except the late student, who continued writing.
Half an hour later, the last student came up to
the professor who was sitting at his desk preparing
for his next class. He attempted to put his exam
on the stack of exam booklets already there.
“No, you don’t. I’m not going to accept that.
It’s late.”
The student looked incredulous and angry.
“Do you know WHO I am?”
“No, as a matter of fact, I don’t,” replied the
professor with an air of sarcasm in his voice.
“DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?” the student
asked again.
“No, and I don’t care,” replied the professor
with an air of superiority.
“Good,” replied the student, who quickly lifted
the stack of completed exams, stuffed his in the
middle, and walked out of the room.

129
Sometimes blending in with others
is your best advantage.

130
Final examination /ˈfaɪn(ə)l/ /ɪɡˌzamɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/
(n.): kỳ thi cuối kỳ

Freshman course /ˈfrɛʃmən/ /kɔːs/ (n.): khóa

học năm đầu (đại học)

Weed out /wiːd/ /aʊt/ (v.): loại bỏ

Exam booklet /ɪɡˈzam/ /ˈbʊklɪt/ (n.): phiếu

kiểm tra

Come rushing in (v.): vội vã bước vào

Sarcastically /sɑːˈkastɪk(ə)li/ (adv.): hàm ý

mỉa mai

Incredulous /ɪnˈkrɛdjʊləs/ (adj.): ngờ vực

Superiority /suːˌpɪərɪˈɒrɪti/ (n.): sự cao ngạo,

ngạo nghễ

Stack /stak/ (n.): chồng, xấp giấy

Stuff /stʌf/ (v.): xáo trộn, trộn lẫn

131
 34
Jim’s Efforts

G eorge stole some money, but the police

caught him and he had been put in prison.
Now his trial was about to begin, and he felt sure
that he would be found guilty and sent to prison
for a long time.

Then he discovered that an old friend of his

was one of the members of the jury at his trial.
Of course, he did not tell anybody, but he managed
to see his friend secretly one day. He said to him,
“Jim, I know that the jury will find me guilty of
having stolen the money. I cannot hope to be
found not guilty of taking it-that would be too
much to expect. But I should be grateful to you
for the rest of my life if you could persuade the
other members of the jury to add a strong

132
recommendation for mercy to their statement
that they consider me guilty.”

“Well, George,” answered Jim, “I shall

certainly try to do what I can for you as an old
friend, but of course I cannot promise anything.
The other eleven people on the jury look terribly
strong-minded to me.”

George said that he would quite understand

if Jim was not able to do anything for him, and
thanked him warmly for agreeing to help.

The trial went on, and at last the time came

for the jury to decide whether George was guilty
or not. It took them five hours, but in the
end they found George guilty, with a strong
recommendation for mercy.

“Well, George,” Jim answered. “As I thought,

those eleven men were very difficult to persuade,
but I managed in the end by tiring them out. Do
you know, those fools had all wanted to find you
not guilty!”

133
Never interfere in a situation that
is currently causing no problems,
but might do so as a result
of such interference.

134
Prison /ˈprɪz(ə)n/ (n.): nhà tù, trại giam

Guilty /ˈɡɪlti/ (adj.): có tội

Discover /dɪˈskʌvə/ (v.): phát hiện ra

Jury /ˈdʒʊəri/ (n.): bồi thẩm đoàn (trong tòa

án Mỹ)

Secretly /ˈsiːkrɪtli/ (adv.): một cách bí mật

Grateful /ˈɡreɪtfʊl/ (adj.): lấy làm biết ơn

Persuade /pəˈsweɪd/ (v.): thuyết phục

Recommend for mercy (v.): xin khoan hồng

Strong-minded /ˌstrɒŋˈmaɪndɪd/ (adj.):

kiên quyết

Warmly /ˈwɔːmli/ (adv.): nồng nhiệt, chân thành

135
 35
The Lion and the Fox

T he lion called a sheep to him one day and

said, “Tell me the truth, sheep. Does my
breath smell?” “Yes,” said the sheep. “How dare
you insult me!” roared the lion, and he bit off
her head.

Next he called the wolf to him. “Tell me the

truth, wolf,” he said, “Does my breath smell?”
“Certainly not,” said the wolf. “Flatterer!”
roared the lion, and he bit off his head.

Finally he called the fox to him. “Tell me the

truth, fox,” he said, “Does my breath smell?” “I
cannot tell you whether it does or not,” said the
fox cunningly. “I have a bad cold in my nose
and have quite lost my sense of smell.”

136
Sometimes it is safer not to
have an opinion.

137
Breath /brɛθ/ (n.): hơi thở

Dare /dɛː/ (v.): dám, cả gan

Insult /ɪnˈsʌlt/ (v.): sỉ nhục

Roar /rɔː/ (v.): gầm lên

Flatterer /ˈflat(ə)rə/ (n.): kẻ nịnh hót

Cunningly /ˈkʌnɪŋli/ (adv.): gian xảo

Sense of smell (n.): khứu giác (cảm giác mùi)

138
 36
The Miser

T here was once a rich man who sold all

his property. He made a great deal of
money, for he had many beautiful and valuable
things to sell. Instead of spending it or putting
it safely in the bank, he bought a great lump of
gold and buried it deep in the ground.

Every day he went secretly to the hiding place,

dug down a little way to make sure the gold was
safe and then carefully covered it all up again.

One day a man who worked in the garden

happened to see him from behind the hedge.
“That is very strange behavior for a rich man,”
he said to himself. “He’s not digging for potatoes,
that’s certain.”

139
 The next day the gardener watched again. “It
can only be treasure that is hidden there,” he
thought. “And hidden treasure is there for the
finder.” As soon as it was dark, the gardener took
his spade and dug up the gold.

The next day the rich man came as usual

to inspect his gold. To his horror the hole was
empty – all his wealth was gone forever. As he
sat moaning by the empty hole a neighbor came
by and asked what had happened.

“I would not worry a minute longer about it,”

he said as soon as he had found out what was
wrong. “Here, take this stone. Bury it carefully in
the same place and pretend that it is your lump
of gold. As you never intended to do anything
with the gold anyway, a stone will do you just as
much good.”

140
An unused lump of gold is just
like a useless stone.

141
Miser /ˈmaɪzə/ (n.): người keo kiệt, bủn xỉn

Property /ˈprɒpəti/ (n.): của cải, tài sản

Great deal of money (n.): một số tiền lớn

Valuable /ˈvaljʊb(ə)l/ (adj.): đáng giá, giá trị

Lump of gold (n.): khối vàng

Bury /ˈbɛri/ (v.): chôn giấu

Dig /dɪɡ/ (v.): đào

Hedge /hɛdʒ/ (n.): bờ rào

Certain /ˈsəːt(ə)n/ (adj.): nhất định, chắc chắn

Spade /speɪd/ (n.): cái thuổng, cái xẻng

Inspect /ɪnˈspɛkt/ (v.): xem xét, kiểm tra

Wealth /wɛlθ/ (n.): của cải

Moan /məʊn/ (v.): than vãn, rên rỉ

Intend /ɪnˈtɛnd/ (v.): có ý định

142
 37
The House of
1000 Mirrors

L ong ago in a small and remote village,

there was a place known as the House of
1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog heard of
this place and decided to visit. When he arrived,
he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway
of the house. He looked through the doorway
with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as
fast as it could. To his surprise, he found himself
staring at 1000 other happy little dogs with their
tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great
smile, and was answered with 1000 great smiles
just as warm and friendly. As he left the House,
he thought to himself, “This is a wonderful
place. I will come back and visit it often.”

143
 In this same village, another little dog, who
was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to
visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and
hung his head low as he looked into the door.
When he saw the 1000 unfriendly-looking dogs
staring back at him, he growled at them and was
horrified to see 1000 little dogs growling back
at him. As he left, he thought to himself, “This
is a horrible place, and I will never go back
there again.”

144
 All the faces in the world are
mirrors. If you smile, the world
will smile back.

145
Remote /rɪˈməʊt/ (adj.): xa xôi, hẻo lánh

Wag /waɡ/ (v.): ve vẩy

Hang ones’ head low (v.): cúi thấp đầu

Growl /ɡraʊl/ (v.): gầm gừ

Horrified /ˈhɒrɪfaɪd/ (adj.): khiếp sợ

146
 38
Gifts of the Magic

A young married couple whose names

are Jim and Della are preparing for
the holiday season. They are poor but very
much in love with each other.

As Christmas approaches, Della wonders

what to get Jim for Christmas. She would like
to give him a chain for his gold pocket watch,
but she doesn’t have enough money. Then she
gets an idea. She has beautiful long hair. So Della
decides to cut off her hair and sell it to buy the
fancy chain for Jim’s watch.

On Christmas Eve she returns home, and in

her hand is a beautiful box containing a gold
watch chain which she purchased by selling her
hair. Suddenly Della begins to worry. She knows

147
Jim admired her long hair, and she wonders if
he will be disappointed that she cut it off and
sold it.

Della climbs the final flight of stairs leading

to their tiny apartment. She unlocks the door
and is surprised to find Jim home and waiting
for her. In his hand is a neatly wrapped box
containing his gift he purchased for her.

When Della removes her scarf, Jim sees

Della’s short hair, and tears well up in his eyes.
But she says nothing. He chokes back the tears
and gives Della the gift box.

When Della opens it, she can’t believe her

eyes. There in the box is a set of beautiful silver
combs for her long hair.

And when Jim opens his gift, he, too, is

astonished. There inside the box is a beautiful gold
chain for his gold pocket watch. Only then does
Della realize that Jim pawned his gold watch to
buy her the silver hair combs.

148
Love can touch our hearts in a way
that money can’t.

149
Approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ (v.): đến gần

Wonder /ˈwʌndə/ (v.): băn khoăn, tự hỏi

Chain /tʃeɪn/ (n.): sợi dây đeo

Pocket watch /ˈpɒkɪt/ /wɒtʃ/ (n.): đồng hồ bỏ

túi, đồng hồ quả quýt

Admire /ədˈmaɪə/ (v.): mê đắm

Disappointed /dɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/ (adj.): thất vọng

Flight of stairs (n.): bậc thềm

Contain /kənˈteɪn/ (v.): chứa, đựng

Purchase /ˈpəːtʃɪs/ (v.): mua

Remove /rɪˈmuːv/ (v.): tháo ra

Choke back tears (v.): nuốt nước mắt

Astonished /əˈstɒnɪʃt/ (adj.): kinh ngạc

Pawn /pɔːn/ (v.): cầm cố

150
 39
Misplaced Mail

I t’s wise to remember how easily this

wonderful technology can be misused,
sometimes unintentionally, with serious
consequences.

Consider the case of the Illinois man who left

the snow-filled streets of Chicago for a vacation
in Florida. His wife was on a business trip and
was planning to meet him the next day. When he
reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a
quick e-mail. Unable to find the scrap of paper
on which he had written her e-mail address, he
did his best to type it in from memory.

Unfortunately, he missed one letter, and his

note was directed instead to an elderly preacher’s
wife, whose husband had passed away only the

151
day before. When the grieving widow checked
her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let
out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a
dead faint.

At the sound, her family rushed into the room

and saw this note on the screen.

“Dearest wife, just got checked in, everything

prepared for your arrival tomorrow.”

152
A miss is as good as a mile.

153
Misplaced /mɪsˈpleɪst/ (adj.): bị gửi nhầm

Wise /waɪz/ (adj.): sáng suốt

Misuse /mɪsˈjuːz/ (v.): dùng sai cách

Serious consequence /ˈsɪərɪəs/

/ˈkɒnsɪkw(ə)ns/ (n.): hậu quả nghiêm trọng

Scrap of paper (n.): mảnh giấy

Preacher /ˈpriːtʃə/ (n.): người giảng đạo

Pass away /pɑːs/ /əˈweɪ/ (v.): qua đời

Grieving widow /ɡriːvɪŋ/ /ˈwɪdəʊ/ (n.): quả

phụ khó tính

Monitor /ˈmɒnɪtə/ (n.): màn hình (máy tính)

Piercing scream /ˈpɪəsɪŋ/ /skriːm/ (n.): tiếng

hét thất thanh

Check in /tʃɛk/ /ɪn/ (v.): nhận phòng

(khách sạn), đến nơi

154
 40
A Good Boy

L ittle Jack asked his mother for four cents.

The next day, his mother asked him,

“What did you do with the money I gave
you yesterday?”

“I gave it to a poor old woman,” he answered.

“You’re a good boy,” said the mother proudly,

“Here are four cents more. But why are you so
interested in the old woman?”

“She is the one who sells the candy.”

155
If you have a chance, support the
poor any way you can.

156
Cent /sɛnt/ (n.): đồng xu Mỹ, bằng 1/100 đô-la

Proudly /ˈpraʊdli/ (adv.): một cách tự hào

Interested /ˈɪnt(ə)rɪstɪd/ (adj.): chú ý, quan tâm

157
 41
Throw Him
into the Sea
A king was in a ship with a Persian
businessman who had neither seen the
sea nor suffered from sailing in a ship, so that he
kept weeping and wailing along the way.

All the people tried by every means to comfort

him, but he still kept crying. The king couldn’t be
at ease, so he was very annoyed. The people had
no idea how to keep the businessman from crying.

A philosopher on board said to the king, “If

you allow me to have a try, I can calm him down.”

The king said, “Wonderful. What a

boundless kindness!”

The philosopher immediately threw the

Persian businessman into the sea. After the
businessman sank and rose several times, the

158
people dragged him by his hair onto the ship. He
quickly held tightly onto the side with his hands.
The people hauled him onto the ship. Over the
side, he sat in a corner without saying a word.

So pleased, the king asked the philosopher,

“What’s the secret of your method?”

The philosopher said, “He didn’t know

what suffering was before he drowned in the
sea, so he couldn’t think of the value of sitting
on board.”

159
Only one who has experienced
hardship can know the value
of peace and happiness.

160
Persian businessman /ˈpəːʃ(ə)n/ /ˈbɪznɪsmən/
(n.): Thương nhân xứ Ba Tư

Suffer /ˈsʌfə/ (v.): chịu đựng, trải qua

Weep /wiːp/ (v.): khóc lóc

Wail /weɪl/ (v.): rên la

Comfort /ˈkʌmfət/ (v.): an ủi

Be at ease (v.): cảm thấy thoải mái

Philosopher /fɪˈlɒsəfə/ (n.): nhà hiền triết

Calm somebody down (v.): trấn an ai đó

Boundless /ˈbaʊndləs/ (adj.): bao la, bát ngát

Sank and rose (v.): trồi lên hụp xuống

Haul /hɔːl/ (v.): lôi mạnh lên

Method /ˈmɛθəd/ (n.): phương pháp, chiêu thức

Drown /draʊn/ (v.): đuối nước

Value /ˈvaljuː/ (n.): giá trị

Board /bɔːd/ (n.): boong tàu

Hardship /ˈhɑːdʃɪp/ (n.): khó khăn,

gian khổ

161
 42
The Crow and
the Magpie
A crow in the southern part of a small
country had just hatched a baby. The
mother crow took great care of her young baby.
Soon the baby became fully-fledged, and the
mother wanted to teach her baby how to chirp.

The mother crow thought, “My voice doesn’t

sound nice, and everybody hates me for that. If I
can’t do anything about it, why not let my baby
have a chance to make a change!”

Therefore, the mother crow took her baby to

see a magpie. She said, “My son is a crow but I
would like him to sound like you. I hope you will
be my son’s teacher. Please don’t reject. In the
future, when he can get rid of his harsh voice
and acquire a sweet one, everybody in the world

162
will start admitting him instead of condemning
him. I will definitely remember your good deeds
and repay your kindness in some way.”

The magpie finally accepted the baby crow

and started to teach him how to chirp. At first,
the magpie patiently taught the baby crow. As
time went by, he showed no change at all, and
the magpie couldn’t stand any more. Finally, the
magpie lost his temper. He pecked the baby
crow and hit him with his claws, and the baby
crow couldn’t endure the misery.

Then the magpie looked at the baby crow

thoughtfully and said, “Of course, you were
born a crow, and I can’t possibly change the way
you sound!” Then the magpie sent him home.

When the baby crow returned home and saw

his mother, both of them started to cry, in
perfect harmony – the way that crows are
supposed to sound.

163
Never try to change the
nature of any creature.

164
Crow /krəʊ/ (n.): con quạ
Hatch /hatʃ/ (v.): nở, ấp cho nở
Fully-fledged /ˌfʊli ˈflɛdʒd/ (adj.): đủ lông cánh
Chirp /tʃəːp/ (v.): hót
Magpie /ˈmaɡpaɪ/ (n.): chim ác là
Reject /rɪˈdʒɛkt/ (v.): từ chối, khước từ
Harsh voice /hɑːʃ/ /vɔɪs/ (n.): giọng thô
Acquire /əˈkwaɪə/ (v.): có được
Admit /ədˈmɪt/ (v.): thừa nhận
Condemn /kənˈdɛm/ (v.): chỉ trích, lên án
Good deed /ɡʊd/ /diːd/ (n.): lòng tốt, việc tốt
Repay kindness /riːˈpeɪ/ /ˈkaɪn(d)nəs/ (v.):
đáp lại lòng tốt
Patiently /ˈpeɪʃ(ə)ntli/ (adv.): kiên nhẫn
Lose temper /luːz/ /ˈtɛmpə/ (v.): mất bình tĩnh
Peck /pɛk/ (v.): mổ
Claw /klɔː/ (n.): móng vuốt
Endure the misery (v.): chịu đau
Thoughtfully /ˈθɔːtf(ə)li/ (adv.): trầm ngâm
Harmony /ˈhɑːməni/ (n.): sự hòa âm

165
 43
The New House
by the Road

O nce upon a time, a man earned a lot of

money, so he built a house by the road.
As his house was nearly finished, a person
walked by and said, “That’s too bad. If I were
you, I wouldn’t build a house like this.”

On hearing this, the owner asked, “Then

what would you do?”

“I would make every room face the east

so that I can see the sunshine when I get up
every morning.”

The owner thought that was a good idea, so

he decided to rebuild the house.

166
 When the rebuilt house was nearly done
again, he invited his friend to come to visit his
new house.

His friend told him, “You should make every

room face the south, so that it will be warm in
winter and cool in summer.” The man agreed
with his friend, so he decided to have the house
rebuilt again.

Then, more and more people had different

opinions about the house, and they all sounded
right. Thus, the man kept rebuilding his house.
And the house still wasn’t finished after three years.

167
You cannot complete anything just
by following others’ advice and
ignoring your own opinions.

168
Sunshine /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/ (n.): ánh mặt trời

Decide /dɪˈsaɪd/ (v.): quyết định

Rebuild /riːˈbɪld/ (v.): xây lại, dựng lại

East /iːst/ (n.): hướng Đông

South /saʊθ/ (n.): hướng Nam

169
 44
So It Is with the Monk

A nthony was relaxing with his disciple

outside his hut when a hunter came by.
The hunter was surprised to see Anthony
relaxing, and rebuffed him for taking it easy.

Anthony replied, “Bend your bow and shoot

an arrow.”

And the hunter did so.

“Bend it again and shoot another arrow,”

said Anthony.

The hunter did so, again and again.

The hunter finally said, “Abba Anthony, if I

keep my bow always stretched, it will break.”

“So it is with the monk,” replied Anthony.

“If we push ourselves beyond measure, we will
break. It is right from time to time to relax.”

170
Everyone needs time to relax,
despite how respected they are.

171
Monk /mʌŋk/ (n.): thầy tu, người tu hành

Relax /rɪˈlaks/ (v.): thư giãn, xả hơi

Disciple /dɪˈsaɪp(ə)l/ (n.): môn đệ

Hunter /ˈhʌntə/ (n.): thợ săn

Rebuff /rɪˈbʌf/ (v.): không vừa lòng, chỉ trích

Take it easy (v.): tỏ ra thoải mái

Bend the bow (v.): kéo cung, giương cung

Shoot the arrow (v.): bắn tên

Stretched /strɛtʃ/ (adj.): căng, bị kéo căng

Beyond measure /bɪˈjɒnd/ /ˈmɛʒə/ (adv.):

quá giới hạn

172
 45
The Parish’s Garden

W hen he started his new post in a new

parish, a pastor encountered a hot
potato: there was a garden in front of the gate
and a number of children would cross the
garden to go to school, so the flowers were
picked from time to time.

That spring, the flowers in the garden were in

full bloom. One early morning, the pastor stood
in the garden waiting for the children going to
school. Soon, some of them came along; a little
boy asked the pastor, “Can I pick a flower?”

“Which one do you want?” the pastor

asked genially.

The boy chose a tulip.

173
 The pastor said, “Very good. It belongs to
you now. However, if you leave the flower here,
it can still bloom for several days; if you pick it
now, you can only play for a little while. You are
a smart kid, so you choose by yourself.”

The little boy thought for a while and said,

“Then I’ll leave it here. I will come back to see it
when class is over.”

On that day, more than 20 children agreed to

leave the flowers in the garden until they wilted.

That spring, the pastor left the whole garden

to the people, but he had never lost one flower.

174
Give everything, and you
will lose nothing.

175
Parish /ˈparɪʃ/ (n.) giáo xứ

Pastor /ˈpɑːstə/ (n.): mục sư

Encounter /ɛnˈkaʊntə/ (v.): bắt gặp

Hot potato /hɒt/ /pəˈteɪtəʊ/ (n.): cảnh tượng

khó chấp nhận

Pick /pɪk/ (v.): hái, ngắt (hoa)

In full bloom: nở rộ

Genially /ˈdʒiːnɪəli/ (adv.): ân cần, trìu mến

Tulip /ˈtjuːlɪp/ (n.): hoa tulip

Wilt /wɪlt/ (v.): tàn úa

176
 46
The Taste of Happiness
T here was a rich man who carried many
treasures a long distance to seek for
happiness. But, after a long march, he failed
to find happiness. He sat frustrated by the path
to a mountain when a farmer carrying a large
bundle of firewood came down from the
mountain. The rich man said, “I’m an enviable
rich man. Can you tell me why I’m unhappy?”

The farmer put down the heavy firewood,

wiped the sweat pleasantly and said, “Happiness
is very simple; put it down and you’ll be happy!”

The rich man suddenly was enlightened.

Careworn all day, he bore that heavy jewelry,
afraid of being murdered. How could he be happy?
The rich man helped the poor with jewelry and
money, doing good deeds leniently, so his soul was
nurtured and he savored the taste of happiness.

177
 Happiness is very simple;
put down what you’re carrying
and you’ll be happy.

178
Treasure /ˈtrɛʒə/ (n.): châu báu

Distance /ˈdɪst(ə)ns/ (n.): phương xa

Seek for happiness (v.): tìm kiếm hạnh phúc

Long march /lɒŋ/ /mɑːtʃ/ (n.): quãng đường dài

Frustrated /frʌˈstreɪtɪd/ (adj.): chán nản

Bundle of firewood (n.): bó củi

Enviable /ˈɛnvɪəb(ə)l/ (adj.): đáng ghen tỵ

Wipe sweat /waɪp/ /swɛt/ (v.): lau mồ hôi

Enlightened /ɪnˈlaɪt(ə)nd/ (adj.): tỉnh ngộ

Careworn /ˈkɛːwɔːn/ (adj.): kiệt sức

Jewelry /ˈdʒuːəlri/ (n.): trang sức, châu báu

Murdered /ˈməːdəd/ (adj.): bị sát hại, bị giết

Leniently /ˈliːnɪəntli/ (adv.): khoan dung

Soul /səʊl/ (n.): tâm hồn

Nurture /ˈnəːtʃə/ (v.): nuôi dưỡng

Savor /ˈseɪvə/ (v.): thưởng thức, nếm trải

179
 47
If You Smile,
I Will Stay at Your Lips

W rinkle went to a man and said to him, “If

you smile, I will stay at your lips; if you
cry, I will lie on the sides of your eyes.”

The man suddenly got an idea and was

determined to outwit Wrinkle.

“I neither smile nor cry,” he said to Wrinkle,

“If I don’t do anything, what would you do?”

However, he could not help but think.

As a result, when he was thinking, Wrinkle

climbed up to his forehead, then on the sides of
his eyes and at his mouth because when he was
thinking, he needed to cry or smile.

180
Don’t hate wrinkles. They are
traces of our lifetime.

181
Wrinkle /ˈrɪŋk(ə)l/ (n.): nếp nhăn

Determined /dɪˈtəːmɪnd/ (adj.): quyết tâm,

kiên quyết

Outwit /aʊtˈwɪt/ (v.): đánh lừa

As a result (prep.): kết quả là

Forehead /ˈfɒrɪd/ (n.): trán

182
 48
The Traveler and
the Bear

T wo men traveling through a forest

together promised to help each other
whenever danger threatened them. They had
not gone far when a bear rushed at them from
the bush. One man was a good climber and
quickly climbed a nearby tree, but the other,
seeing that he had no chance alone against the
bear, fell flat on his back and pretended to be
dead. The bear came up to him and sniffed at
him. Thinking him dead, it went off into the
woods again without hurting him.

When the bear had gone, the other traveler

came down from the tree and smilingly asked
his companion what the bear had said to him.

183
“For I could see,” he said, “that he put his mouth
close to your ear.”

“He told me to tell you,” replied the other, “that

you were a great coward, and that in the future I
should not trust those who make fine promises,
but will not stand by their friends in danger.”

184
Only hardship can
test friendship.

185
Danger /ˈdeɪn(d)ʒə/ (n.): mối nguy hiểm

Threaten /ˈθrɛt(ə)n/ (v.): đe dọa

Rush /rʌʃ/ (v.): lao tới

Bush /bʊʃ/ (n.): bụi rậm

Have no chance (v.): không có cơ may nào

Fall flat on somebody’s back (v.): ngã ngửa

người ra

Pretend to be dead (v.): giả chết

Sniff /snɪf/ (v.): hít, ngửi

Smilingly /ˈsmaɪlɪŋli/ (adv.): tươi cười

Companion /kəmˈpanjən/ (n.): đồng bạn,

bạn đồng hành

Coward /ˈkaʊəd/ (n.): kẻ hèn nhát

186
 49
God Is Looking at You

T he only survivor of a shipwreck was

washed up on a small, uninhabited
island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue
him from there, and every day he scanned the
horizon to see if any passing-by ships could
help him, but none seemed to come.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build

a little hut out of the driftwood that protected
him from the elements, and to store his few
possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food,

he arrived home to find his little hut in flames,
the smoke rolling up to the sky.

The worst had happened; everything was lost

in that moment. He was stunned with grief and

187
anger. “God, how could you do this to me!” he
cried. Instantly, tears came to his eyes.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened

by the sound of a ship that was approaching the
island. Yes, someone had come to rescue him.

“How did you know I was here?” the weary

man asked of his rescuers after boarding.

“We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.

188
Sometimes your worst circumstance
becomes your best.

189
Survivor /səˈvaɪvə/ (n.): kẻ sống sót
Shipwreck /ˈʃɪprɛk/ (n.): vụ đắm tàu
Washed up /wɒʃt/ /ʌp/ (adj.): trôi dạt
Uninhabited /ʌnɪnˈhabɪtɪd/ (adj.): không người
Pray feverishly /preɪ/ /ˈfiːv(ə)rɪʃli/ (v.): rối rít
cầu nguyện
Rescue /ˈrɛskjuː/ (v.): giải cứu
Scan the horizon (v.): trông về phía chân trời
Passing-by /ˌpasɪŋˈbaɪ/ (adj.): ghé ngang qua
Exhausted /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd/ (adj.): kiệt sức
Hut /hʌt/ (n.): cái lều
Driftwood /ˈdrɪftwʊd/ (n.): mảnh gỗ trôi dạt
Element /ˈɛlɪm(ə)nt/ (n.): môi trường, ngoại cảnh
Possession /pəˈzɛʃ(ə)n/ (n.): vật sở hữu
Scavenge /ˈskavɪn(d)ʒ/ (v.): tìm, bới
Flame /fleɪm/ (n.): ngọn lửa
Grief /ɡriːf/ (n.): nỗi đau khổ
Awakened /əˈweɪk(ə)n/ (adj.): bị đánh thức
Approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ (v.): đến gần
Weary /ˈwɪəri/ (adj.): mệt lử
Smoke signal /sməʊk/ /ˈsɪɡn(ə)l/ (n.):
tín hiệu khói

190
 Contents
1. Secret Casket 5
2. Moment of Madness 12
3. Royal Servant 15
4. The Two Beggars 21
5. Honesty Is the Best Policy 25
6. Words and Actions 29
7. The Two Brothers and the
White-bearded Old Man 33
8. The Clever Barber 37
9. Finding Happiness 41
10. The Brainy Donkey 45
11. Help Yourself 49
12. Fruits of Labor 53
13. The Wolf in Sheepskin 57
14. The Thirsty Crow 60
15. The Right Person 63
16. The Peacock and the Crane 67
17. The King and the Spider 70
18. The Inexperienced Mouse 74
19. The Horse Who Wanted Safety 77
20. The Greedy Lion 81
21. The Giant and the Traveler 84
22. The King Cobra and the Ants 88
23. 100 Percent Love 92

191
24. Always Follow Your Heart 95
25. Life Is Like a Piece of Cake 99
26. Fiancé 103
27. Old Aunt Emma 107
28. Elementary Knowledge 110
29. A Silk Nightwear Was in the Tackle Box 114
30. The Good Things 118
31. Aunt’s Peanuts 122
32. Flying Turtle 125
33. You’re Late 128
34. Jim’s Efforts 132
35. The Lion and the Fox 136
36. The Miser 139
37. The House of 1000 Mirrors 143
38. Gifts of the Magic 147
39. Misplaced Mail 151
40. A Good Boy 155
41. Throw Him into the Sea 158
42. The Crow and the Magpie 162
43. The New House by the Road 166
44. So It Is with the Monk 170
45. The Parish’s Garden 173
46. The Taste of Happiness 177
47. If You Smile, I Will Stay at Your Lips 180
48. The Travelers and the Bear 183
49. God Is Looking at You 187

192