LESSON 19
HOW TO TELL BAD NEWS

Mr. H. and the Steward

Mr.H.Ha!Steward,how are you,my old boy?How do things go on at home?

Steward. Bad enough,your honor;the magpie's dead.

H. Poor Mag!So he's gone.How came he to die?

S. Overeat himself,sir.

H. Did he?A greedy dog;why,what did he get he liked so well?

S. Horseflesh,sir;he died of eating horseflesh,

H. How came he to get so much horseflesh?

S. All your father's horses,sir.

H. What!are they dead,too?

S. Ay,sir;they died of overwork.

H. And why were they overworked,pray?

S. To carr y water,sir.

H. To carr y water!and what were they carr ying water for?

S. Sure,sir,to put out the fire.

H. Fire!what fire?

S. O,sir,your father's house is burned to the ground.

H. My father's house burned down!and how came it set on fire?

S. I think,sir,it must have been the torches.

H. Torches!what torches?

S. At your mother's funeral.

H. My mother dead!

S. Ah,poor lady!she never looked up,after it.

H. After what?

S. The loss of your father.

H. My father gone,too?

S. Yes,poor gentleman!he took to his bed as soon as he heard of it.

H. Heard of what?

S. The bad news,sir,and please your honor.

H. What!more miseries!more bad news!

S. Yes,sir;your bank has failed,and your credit is lost,and you are not worth a shilling in the world. I made bold, sir, to wait on you about it, for I thought you would like to hear the news.

STUDY GUIDE

A. Word Definition

1.steward:attendant at a club or a property manager.

2.magpie's:crow with a long tail and black and white feathers.

3.torches:sources of heat or light.

4.funeral:ceremonial burial or cremation of a corpse.

5.shilling:unit of currency worth 12 pence,formerly used in Great Britain.

B. Comprehension Questions

1. Do you think “How To Tell Bad News” is funny? Why or why not?

2. How did the magpie die?

3. Do you think Mr. H. was wealthy? Explain.

4. Label these statements true or false.

a. All birds eat meat. _____

b. Money in a bank is always safe. _____

c. Horses carried water to put out fires in the nineteenth century. _____

5. Is there a moral to this story? Why or why not?

6. Do you think “How To Tell Bad News” is based on real life?

7. How was Mr. H.'s father's house set on fire?

8. Give an example of bad news you have heard recently.

C. Writing Work

Write a letter to your parents giving them good news.