Congratulations for reaching Year 4 of your American English studies. This year we will read numerous American short stories to build American English listening and reading comprehension skills. Please pay close attention to each American short story assigned here and share your insights and what you’ve learned in the comments section below.
Directions: Listen and read each short story and then share what you learned in the comments section below.
4.7.4: – American short stories.
”The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock” written by O.Henry.
As I understand, the theme of the story is,’ Dreaming’. The story revolves around the two characters named, Prince Michail and a young man. They are not friends, but they meet in the park. Prince Michaeal is wealthy man, disguised as a bagger or a poor man, heir to the throne of the Electorate, of Valle lune, ragged clothes, multicolored bread, altruistic, wise and compassionate personality. Prince enjoys disguising himself as a poor man and spending his time in park. He finds pleasure in helping others and studying humanity.
One evening he notices a young man, the evening clothes, anxiously watching the illuminated clock in the park’s tower. Prince Michaeal approaches the young man and offers his assistance revealing his true identity. The young man shares his story with the prince that he has been engaged to a woman named, Marrian, but she has discovered his wrong doings and is considering ending their relationship. She has given him an ultimatum at exectaly8:30 pm,he should watch the middle upper window of her house. If she decides to forgive him, she will hang a white silky scarf from the window, if not, the relationship will be over.
Prince tells him to wait for the scarf, because he strongly believes the ‘power of the true love’. prince, himself lays down in the bench and goes to sleep.
It’s nine, a loud voice comes of the clock, telling the hours, the young man takes a deep breath and looks at the hours and he gives a shout of joy. From the middle window of on the third floor, a snow-white wonderful cloth is hanging. A man comes through the park, and the
happy young man asks him about the time. He says that it’s twenty-nine and half minutes after eight. It is the first time in ten years the clock is not working properly. The next morning, there is one person to be seen, a man asleep on a long park bench seat with fifty dollars in his hand