A True Love Learn English through story level 3

i don’t think that i’ve ever been in

love

she stopped for a minute

and then she continued

how will i know

my name is dr horatio fundabee but i am

not the kind of doctor who sees sick

people

i am called a doctor because i have

spent many many years studying

i studied history

and i now have an important job at the

british museum in london

every sunday afternoon i walk along a

path in chelsea

on the bank of the river thames

a lot of painters live in chelsea

people often think that i am a painter

i look like one and i dress like one

i have a white beard

i carry a black wooden stick and i wear

a large old hat

the hat is more than 40 years old

and i always wear it for my walks

i enjoy my walks very much there is a

lot to see and hear

boats pass on the river

birds cry noisily above it

along this bank of the river there are

some old houseboats

people buy these houseboats

because they like living on the water

they enjoy watching the passing boats

and listening to the sounds of a busy

river

they paint the boats in bright colors

one sunday afternoon

i was standing by the houseboats

looking across the river

in the deepest water in the middle of

the thames

i could see a beautiful white sailing

ship

it was called the poseidon

the back of the ship was a little

unusual

i knew that the owner of the ship was

lord struve

he was a great scientist who studied

ocean life

near the poseidon were a large ship from

south america

and a dirty spanish boat

then

i noticed one of the houseboats near the

bank

it was called the noreen

and it was very colorful

the boat was gray

but parts of it were painted in bright

colors

the door was blue

and the large wooden cover in the floor

of the front deck

was bright red

there were some steps going from the

boat to the bank of the river

these were painted blue

like the door

i saw a young girl trying to push back

the cover

she wanted to get out

and she was halfway out of the hole

but she had a problem

she saw me

she didn’t shout at me

but her mouth formed the words

i can’t open it

i hurried towards the narine it was

sitting on the bottom of the river

and i had to walk down the blue wooden

steps over the water of the thames

i went carefully along the deck of the

boat

until i reached the girl

the new red paint has dried

and i can’t open the cover

she said

wait a minute

i said

i used my stick to open it

a few minutes later

the girl climbed out onto the deck

she was about 20 years old

she was wearing old blue paint covered

trousers and a gray shirt

i thought that she looked quite

beautiful

she looked at me with big green eyes

they were the loveliest part of her face

thank you

she said

that’s all right

i replied

i was glad to help

you’re a dear man she said

do you know who you’re like

you’re like one of those

older men

who work in museums

i’m sorry

that wasn’t very polite

she smiled gently

but i am an old man

i said

please don’t worry

in fact i do work at the british museum

i’m doctor horatio fundabee

she said

the british museum

she was silent for a second

and then she asked

would you like to see my octopus

yes i would

i said smiling

she took me down through the blue door

into a green room

i could see a small bed

bookshelves and paintings

then i noticed two glass cases

one large

and one small

in the small case were two fish

and in the large one was the octopus

isn’t it beautiful she said

sometimes i sit and look at it for hours

does it have a name

i asked

oh i just call it octopus

she replied

and you

what’s your name i asked

after a minute she said

my name’s thetis

i said

that’s the name of one of the water

people in the greek stories of long ago

thetis was the daughter of nerius and

doris

they lived at the bottom of the sea

she pulled her ear thoughtfully

my real name’s alice

she said

i call myself thetis because i’d like to

live at the bottom of the ocean

when she said this

i could understand the reason for her

green room

it was quite dark in the room

the only lights were the ones that lit

the glass cases

the paintings on the wall were in blues

and greens

and showed fish and other underwater

animals

i was sure that she was the painter

she was almost a water child herself

with her small nose

large eyes and pretty short brown hair

would you like me to sing for you

she asked

oh please do i replied

my songs called the silver swans

she said

she sat down

closed her eyes

and sang in a sweet

gentle voice

how shall i know my true love

when will my true heart speak to me

oh when the silver swans come sailing

then i will know my true love

then i will be with my true love

forever with my true

love

it was a beautiful song

but i felt that there was a sadness

behind the words

the words were wise and understanding

but i knew that the young girl in front

of me was never in love

that was lovely

i said

thetis opened her eyes

thank you

she said

who wrote it

i asked

i did

she said it’s mine

do you often write songs

i asked surprised

only when they come into my head

she replied

suddenly she moved towards me

how will i know my true love

she asked seriously

how will i know when i’m really in love

how old are you thetis

i asked

i’m 21.

she answered

have you been in love

i said

she replied

i don’t think that i’ve ever been in

love

she stopped for a minute and then she

continued

how will i know

who will tell me when i am

you’re so old and wise

can’t you help me

she looked pale and unhappy

i thought carefully before i answered

her questions

at last i replied

when he’s ill and ugly and you can still

love him

then you can be sure

when he is ill and ugly

she said to herself quietly

she sat there thinking

then suddenly she remembered that i was

there

oh i’m sorry i’m being rude

she said

would you like some tea dr fundabee

i’d love some

thank you

i replied

she disappeared for two or three minutes

i looked round the room again

at last she returned carrying the tea

things

she poured out the tea

as she lifted her cup to her mouth she

said again

when he is ill and ugly

oh thank you dr fundabee

she smiled at me

we talked for about half an hour

she told me about her mother and father

they also lived in london

but she wanted to live alone on this

houseboat

she loved it

because it was on the water

she had an evening job but she did not

tell me what it was

suddenly

i began to feel quite ill

i wasn’t sure why

but before i could decide

fetus asked

would you like to go out on deck

there was not much room at the back of

the boat but it was enough for the two

of us

then i saw with surprise that there was

water all around the boat now

four dirty white swans went past us

their feathers were dirty with oil from

the river and their eyes looked very

unfriendly

fetus looked at them

i said smiling

perhaps they’re the silver swans in your

song

perhaps you’re going to meet your true

love

she only said

these swans are a dirty gray silver

then a small wooden boat came up to us

there was a tall strong man in the boat

he looked about 35 years old

he was wearing a blue sailing shirt

and dark blue trousers

he had black hair

a beard

and bright blue eyes

hello

he shouted

and his white teeth shone against his

dark beard

have you some cotton to mend my trousers

i caught them on a piece of wood

yes of course

this is called back

if you climb up here i’ll mend them for

you

the sailor laughed

i’ll do it

i can’t tell you where they’re caught

he said

oh i understand

this said smiling

then she went to find the cotton

when she returned she put it carefully

in a piece of cloth

then she threw the cloth into the boat

the sailor caught it

clever child

he said thanks very much

i’ll be quick

he moved the boat away

and then tied it up next to another boat

we watched as he mended his trousers

with his back towards us

while we stood there

a large boat went past

the noreen started to go up and down in

the water

i suddenly felt very sick

thetis saw my face

oh you poor man

she cried

i forget that moving boats sometimes

make people ill

come with me

i’ve got a bottle of medicine

it will still make you better

she helped me down into the green room

and sat me in a chair

i was feeling very ill now

she went to a small cupboard

and got a small brown bottle from it

she poured something from it into a

spoon and gave it to me

they discovered this medicine during the

second world war

she said

some of the sailors suffered badly in

storms or when the sea was rough

you’ll feel fine in a few minutes

just sit there quietly

she went out on deck

i heard her shout to the man in the boat

hello again

what’s your name

[Applause]

hadley

richard hadley

he called back

what’s yours

i’ve heard that name before

i thought

but i can’t remember where

fetus

she replied

there was silence for a minute

then he said

oh that’s the name of the daughter of

nerius and doris in the old greek

stories

they lived at the bottom of the sea

he was silent

again then i heard him call

where’s your father

he isn’t my father

thetis said

he’s an old man who’s visiting me

he’s feeling sick so i’ve given him some

medicine

i heard the laugh in the sailor’s voice

as he shouted

what

sick

on that old houseboat

it’s like dry land on there

another boat passed and the noreen

suddenly moved up and down again

but the medicine was beginning to work

it isn’t an old boat

fetus said seriously

it’s my home

and it does move up and down a lot

sometimes

you need a strong stomach

oh yes i’m sure that you do

he said

but i knew from his voice that he didn’t

really believe her

really it’s true

she continued

perhaps even you’ll get sick one day

the sailor laughed loudly

who me

listen child i’ve sailed every ocean and

sea in the world and in all sorts of

weather

and i haven’t been sick yet

i heard fetus say

there’s always a first time

would you like to try

tell me when it gets really rough

he said

i heard his boat touch against the

noreen as he continued

you’re not as young as i thought

i’m sorry that i called you a child

perhaps i’ll try your boat sometime

well thanks again for the cotton

at last i began to feel better

when i went up on deck

fetus was looking out across the

she was watching the sailor as he went

out towards the lovely white ship

she said

you’re better

yes

i said

good

she said

that medicine always works

then she added

he said some very unkind things didn’t

i started to say

but wasn’t he beautiful

she continued dreamily

he’s very ill isn’t he dr fundabee

and i love him even more than when he’s

well

i did not see my friend for some weeks

then on a rainy sunday

as i walked past the houseboats

somebody called my name

dr thunderbee

i turned round

fetus was running up the steps from the

noreen

she ran to me and said

dr thunderbee

what shall i do

my octopus has eaten one of his arms

i replied

they often do that when people keep them

even when they feed them very well

she said

thanks for telling me that

i feel much better now

she turned and went back to her boat

as she reached the deck

i called out to her

did your sailor ever come back

yes

she answered and disappeared into the

boat

a few days later a friend asked me to go

and see a play with him

it was called the unwanted and it was at

wyndham’s theater in london

there’s a young woman in it

alice adams

my friend said

she’s very good they say

one day she’ll be a great actress

when the play started

i couldn’t believe my eyes

the young actress was thetis

i remembered then that her real name was

alice

so this was her evening job

it was a sad play

thetis played a young girl who falls in

love with an older man

[Music]

in the end he leaves her

and she kills herself

thetis played the part with deep feeling

and

understanding it seemed to me almost

that she was the poor girl

i cried for her at the end of the play

the next sunday i visited her on her

boat

there was now another glass case in her

room

there were two large fish in it

she was sitting in front of the case

watching them

she got up to get the brown bottle

the boat was not moving much

but she gave me some of the medicine and

i drank it

my dear

i said

why didn’t you tell me who you were i

was at wyndham’s last week

i did tell you

she said

this is the person that i am here

this is the person that i really want to

you played the part very well

i said

i cried at the end

how can you put so much feeling into the

pot night after night

how can you show all that pain and

unhappiness if you have never been in

love

she thought for a minute

then replied

that’s the other side of me

i just do it

she saw me looking at the glass case

he gave them to me

she said

the sailor i said

yes she said

where did he get them

i asked

from the bottom of the river

she answered

did he

how

i asked

he went down and looked for them

she replied

now i remember who richard hadley is

i thought to myself

does she know

and will her heart break like the heart

of the girl in the play

is he in love with you

i asked

he laughs at me and says unkind things

she said

does that mean that he’s in love

and you

i asked

are you in love with him

i don’t know

she cried

i don’t know i don’t know

oh dr fundabee i hate being young

she put her head on my shoulder and

started to cry

i tried to find the words to make her

better

the next sunday i went for my usual walk

it was very windy and the river was

rough

when i saw the noreen she was moving

from side to side

thinking of this i hurried towards the

boat

her room was small and the glass cases

were not safe in bad weather

i noticed that the blue door was open

so i quickly went down the steps

when i reached the last step

i heard a deep cry

from fetus’s room

i was afraid for her

and i hurried in

richard hadley was lying on the bed

he was very sick

thetis was sitting on the side of the

bed holding his head in one of her arms

his skin was a gray color

and his face was pale

at first i thought that he was dying

then the boat moved suddenly

i understood then why he was like this

fetus

i cried

the medicine quickly

where is it

cried the unhappy man

go away both of you and leave me to die

alone

i love him

thesis said

happily holding his poor head in her

arms

oh now i know that i love him

he’s very ill isn’t he dr thunderbee

and i love him even more than when he’s

well

i went to the cupboard where thetis kept

the brown bottle of medicine

it was locked

i looked at this

she looked sad

he refuses to say that he’ll marry me

she said

then she added looking down at him

i don’t mind being a poor sailor’s wife

when you sail away

i’ll come with you

we can sail round the world together

i almost laughed at her words

thetis had no idea about a sailor’s life

and she had no idea who richard hadley

was

the unhappy weak man cried out

all right all right i’ll marry you i’ll

do anything if you’ll just go away

please leave me to die

i was beginning to feel very ill myself

so i cried

fetus you cold-hearted girl

give me the key now

how can you leave him to suffer

how can you do this to the man that you

love

she untied a piece of blue cloth from

around her neck

the key was on it

she looked at the floor as she gave it

to me

i knew that she was sorry now

as i opened the cupboard

i heard her say quietly

he sailed on every ocean and sea in all

sorts of weather

i took some of the medicine

then i gave some to the great ocean

scientist

richard hadley

lord struve

thetis looked at me

will you come to our wedding dr fundabee

she asked

i was still feeling sick

and i was not happy with her

so i replied if he marries you after

this suffering he’s crazy

lord struve probably suddenly felt

better because he sat up he said

i’m glad that you said that dr fundabee

promises don’t mean anything when they

are made in ill health

but you wanted to come on to the noreen

in this weather

she said sadly

the color was returning to his face

i came for a good reason

i love you

and i wanted to tell you that

he said

so why didn’t you tell me

thetis asked simply

for a minute

he did not know what to say

then he said suddenly

because i felt ill

now listen thetis

if you’re going to marry me

you must know two things

you must know who i am

you must know what i do

they don’t matter

thetis replied i love you

i was feeling better so i said

and your acting

lord struve looked at me in surprise

who’s acting

he asked

this is alice adams i cried she’s been

in the play the unwanted at wyndham’s

for the last two years

he looked at her

this child

he said

she is a child isn’t she

thetis moved her head in a silent yes

but i said

she’s england’s best young actress and

she’s 21.

he stood up

yes

he cried i remember reading something a

long time ago

i’ve just come back from the galapagos

he continued

i haven’t heard anything about england

for nearly two years

thetis jumped up and ran to him

oh please take me there

she said in an excited voice

all my life i’ve wanted to go to the

galapagos

can sailors take their wives with them

when they go

lord struve cried

i’m not a sailor fetus

i’m a

he stopped

he found it difficult to say

i’m a lord

he started again

i’m a kind of ocean scientist

i do a lot of my work underwater

but you’re

acting before he could finish

thetis said

it doesn’t matter

i never wanted to be an actress

i only do it for the money

i can buy octopuses and live on the

noreen

do you know what a good octopus costs

lord struve held both her arms

thetis can you be serious for a minute

do you really mean that you’ll give all

that away for me

of course

she replied

more than anything in the world i would

like to walk with you on the bottom of

the ocean near the galapagos because

she stopped for a minute thinking

because

i’m sure that i love you

dr thunderbee showed me that

for another minute

lord struve held her two arms

while he looked up with a very happy

look on his face

he seemed unable to believe what he was

hearing

and so the song of the silver swans came

true

thetis the water child

married her lord of the sea

richard hadley

i still walk along by the river thames

but i don’t enjoy the walk as much as

before

lord struve his wife and her octopus

have gone away to a beautiful island in

the pacific ocean

there they work together with the

wonderful undersea plants and animals

around them

a family have bought the noreen

and they have painted her a dark brown

color

they have changed the name to the nelson

after one of the greatest british

sailors

sir horatio nelson

i pass her every sunday and a washing

line goes from the back of the boat to

the front

it is filled with washing

the clothes of small children

and i think as i go past

do they have strong stomachs like thetis

or did she give them the name of that

wonderful medicine in the brown bottle

you