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A woman needed to buy her mother a birthday present. She didn’t know what to buy her mother. She only had one day to buy her mother something.
So she went out window shopping. Soon enough, she walked by a pet store window. She thought to herself, “What a lovely idea for a present! My mother is so lonely and she needs a pet.”
The woman went into the store and saw many wonderful animals. Puppy dogs, fluffy cats,gold fish, cute mice. But the woman didn’t think these were special enough. She asked the manager if he had a pet that was really special.
The manager thought for a moment and replied, “Yes, but it costs a lot of money. $5,000” “I have a parrot that can speak 7 languages, Chinese, English, French, Korean, German, Russian and even Hindi!”
The woman said, “Perfect” and bought the bird. She sent it by special delivery to her mother, so she would get it the next day.
The next evening after work, the woman called her mother. She asked, “How do you like your birthday present.”
Her mother replied, “Thank you, IT’S DELICIOUS!”
— THE END –
Vocabulary
1. Lonely /ˈləʊnli/ — feeling sad because you are alone.
Example: Her mother was lonely and needed a pet.
2. Pet /pet/ — an animal that people keep at home.
Example: She thought her mother needed a pet.
3. Animal /ˈænɪməl/ — a living thing such as a dog, cat, or bird.
Example: She saw many animals in the pet store.
4. Special /ˈspeʃəl/ — different from usual and important or unusual.
Example: She wanted to buy something special.
5. Manager /ˈmænɪdʒə/ — a person who is in charge of a shop or business.
Example: She asked the manager about a special pet.
6. Cost /kɒst/ — to have a particular price.
Example: The parrot cost $5,000.
7. Language /ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/ — a way of speaking used by people in a country or group.
Example: The parrot could speak seven languages.
8. Buy /baɪ/ — to get something by paying money for it.
Example: She decided to buy the parrot.
9. Delivery /dɪˈlɪvəri/ — the act of taking something to a person or place.
Example: She sent the bird by special delivery.
10. Delicious /dɪˈlɪʃəs/ — tasting very good.
Example: Her mother said the birthday present was delicious.
Comprehension Questions
1. Why did the woman need to buy a present for her mother?
2. How much time did the woman have to find a present?
3. Where did the woman see the animals?
4. Why did she think her mother needed a pet?
5. What animals did she see in the pet store?
6. Why didn’t she choose a puppy, cat, or fish?
7. What was special about the parrot?
8. How much did the parrot cost?
9. How did the woman send the parrot to her mother?
10. What did the mother mean when she said, “It’s delicious!”?
Grammar Exercises
1. The woman _______ to a pet store.
A) go
B) goes
C) went
D) going
2. She _______ a birthday present for her mother.
A) need
B) needed
C) needs
D) needing
3. The woman _______ many animals in the store.
A) see
B) sees
C) saw
D) seeing
4. The parrot _______ speak seven languages.
A) can
B) could
C) must
D) should
5. She _______ the parrot because it was special.
A) buy
B) buys
C) bought
D) buying
6. The parrot _______ $5,000.
A) cost
B) costs
C) costing
D) costed
7. She sent the bird _______ her mother.
A) at
B) on
C) to
D) for
8. The woman called her mother _______ the next evening.
A) in
B) on
C) at
D) —
9. “How _______ you like your birthday present?”
A) do
B) did
C) does
D) are
10. Her mother _______ the present was delicious.
A) say
B) says
C) said
D) saying
Answer Key:
1-C, 2-B, 3-C, 4-B, 5-C, 6-A, 7-C, 8-D, 9-B, 10-C
More Funny Stories in English
01. Witches’ Loaves (for Advanced Levels C1-C2)
Witches’ Loaves by O. Henry is one of the author’s most memorable short stories, celebrated for its gentle humour, sharp irony, and unforgettable twist ending. O. Henry, the pen name of William Sydney Porter, was an American writer renowned for creating stories that explore ordinary life while revealing unexpected truths about human nature.
His works continue to be widely read because of their engaging characters, clever plots, and timeless moral lessons.
In Witches’ Loaves, a kind-hearted bakery owner develops a deep sympathy for one of her regular customers and tries to help him in secret. However, her well-intentioned act leads to an entirely unexpected outcome, reminding readers that assumptions can sometimes do more harm than good.