Skip to content 
Henry Leech was a salesman. He was a good salesman and sold lots of vacuum cleaners. One week, the manager sent Henry into the countryside to sell.
He drive out of town and stopped at a farmhouse. He knocked on the door and the farmer’s wife opened it. Henry started into his speech immediately.
“Mam, how much time do you spend sweeping the floors? “ “A lot of time. This is a farm and things get dirty quickly.” said the woman.
“And how much time do you spend beating the carpets?” asked Henry.
“A lot of time. This house gets dusty and my dog also lays on them”
“Well” said Henry, “This is your lucky day.” Henry showed her his vacuum cleaner and said, “You can clean the house in 5 minutes with this!”
The farmer’s wife didn’t look interested. Henry took out a big bag of dirt. He opened it and threw it all over the floor. The farmer’s wife was very surprised. Before she could speak Henry said, “ Mam, if this machine doesn’t pick up every last piece of dirt, I will eat all of it!!!!!” The farmer’s wife looked at Henry and said,
“WELL, I WILL GET YOU A SPOON.
WE HAVE NO ELECTRICITY.”
— THE END –
Vocabulary
1. Salesman /ˈseɪlzmən/ — a person who sells things to people.
Example: Henry was a good salesman.
2. Countryside /ˈkʌntrisaɪd/ — an area outside a city or town, with farms and fields.
Example: Henry went to the countryside to sell vacuum cleaners.
3. Farmhouse /ˈfɑːmhaʊs/ — a house on a farm.
Example: Henry stopped at a farmhouse.
4. Sweep /swiːp/ — to clean a floor using a broom.
Example: The woman spent a lot of time sweeping the floors.
5. Carpet /ˈkɑːpɪt/ — a thick material used to cover a floor.
Example: The dog often lay on the carpet.
6. Dusty /ˈdʌsti/ — covered with dust.
Example: The house got dusty very quickly.
7. Vacuum cleaner /ˈvækjuːm ˌkliːnə/ — a machine used for cleaning floors and carpets.
Example: Henry wanted to sell a vacuum cleaner.
8. Dirt /dɜːt/ — something that makes a place or thing dirty.
Example: Henry threw dirt all over the floor.
9. Electricity /ɪˌlekˈtrɪsəti/ — a form of energy used to power machines and lights.
Example: The house had no electricity.
10. Spoon /spuːn/ — a small object used for eating or serving food.
Example: The farmer’s wife said she would get a spoon.
Comprehension Questions
1. What was Henry Leech’s job?
2. What did Henry sell?
3. Where did the manager send Henry to sell vacuum cleaners?
4. Who opened the door when Henry knocked on the farmhouse?
5. Why did the woman spend a lot of time sweeping the floors?
6. What did Henry say his vacuum cleaner could do in five minutes?
7. What did Henry throw all over the floor?
8. What did Henry promise to do if the vacuum cleaner did not pick up all the dirt?
9. Why couldn’t the woman use the vacuum cleaner?
10. Why did the woman say, “I will get you a spoon”?
Grammar Exercises
1. Henry _______ a salesman.
A) is
B) was
C) were
D) be
2. He _______ lots of vacuum cleaners.
A) sell
B) sells
C) sold
D) selling
3. The manager _______ Henry into the countryside.
A) send
B) sends
C) sent
D) sending
4. Henry _______ at a farmhouse.
A) stop
B) stopped
C) stops
D) stopping
5. He _______ on the door.
A) knock
B) knocks
C) knocked
D) knocking
6. The woman _______ a lot of time sweeping the floors.
A) spend
B) spends
C) spent
D) spending
7. Henry said, “You _______ clean the house in five minutes.”
A) can
B) must
C) should
D) would
8. Henry _______ a big bag of dirt onto the floor.
A) take
B) takes
C) took
D) taking
9. The farmer’s wife _______ very surprised.
A) is
B) was
C) were
D) be
10. The house _______ no electricity.
A) have
B) has
C) had
D) having
Answer Key:
1-B, 2-C, 3-C, 4-B, 5-C, 6-C, 7-A, 8-C, 9-B, 10-C
— THE END –
More Funny Stories in English Elementary
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.