24
V
OLUME
43 N
UMBER
1 2005
E
NGLISH
T
EACHING
F
ORUM
Mary Hines
O
ne day a hungry beggar went to the house of a rich man. He asked for some-
thing to eat. The rich man invited the beggar in and gave him some soup.
The beggar drank the soup very quickly. When he finished the rich man asked, “Do
you want more to eat?”
“No, thanks,” the beggar answered. “That was enough. I’m full.”
But the rich man gave the beggar a large plate of meat.
The beggar finished that very quickly also.
“Do you want more to eat?” the rich man asked again.
“No, thanks,” the beggar answered. “That was enough. I’m full.”
But the rich man didn’t stop. He gave the beggar some delicious chocolate cake. The
beggar quickly finished the food again. “Why do you lie to me?” the rich man asked.
“Every time I ask you if you want more to eat, you say no; but every time I give you
more, you eat it quickly.”
The beggar looked around. Outside the kitchen there was a box. He filled the box
with stones and asked the rich man, “Is this box full?”
“Of course it’s full, the rich man answered.
Then the beggar put some sand in the box that was full of stones. “Is this box full?”
he asked again.
“Of course it’s full,” the rich man answered.
Then the beggar got a pail of water. He poured the water into the box that was full
of stones and sand. “You see,” he said to the rich man. “Every time I ask you if the box
is full, you say yes; but every time you say yes, I fill the box again. It’s the same thing
with the food you gave me. There’s always room for more.”
