The Charm Learn English through story level 2
he’s a brave man
people say about me
he’s never afraid
they are wrong
i wasn’t always a brave man
and at times i was afraid very afraid
i am an important man now
i have an important job
people know me and like me
they don’t know that i wasn’t always
brave
i will tell you the story
i was a very shy young man
i didn’t like talking to other young men
i was afraid
they’ll laugh at me
i thought
women were worse
i never spoke to them
i was always afraid of them
i try to help shy people now
i never laugh at them
because i remember that time
i was very unhappy then
then
there was a war between my country
and another country
i had to be a soldier
me
i was always afraid but i had to be a
soldier
and it was very dangerous
i was afraid
the other soldiers didn’t talk about it
but they knew
they’re laughing at me
i thought
they aren’t afraid
i was wrong but i didn’t know that
i felt very bad
one day
i was in the town
i had two days holiday away from the
other soldiers
i wasn’t with friends
i didn’t have any friends
i was very unhappy
i walked slowly past some shops
an old man stood by the road there
weren’t many cars on it
why doesn’t he walk across the road
i thought
is he afraid
i went near him
and then i saw his eyes
oh
i thought
now i know
he can’t see
he wants to go across
but he can’t go without help
other people walked quickly past him
they had to go to work
or to their homes
they didn’t help him
they didn’t have time
but i had time
a lot of time
i’m not doing anything
i thought
why can’t i help him
i won’t be afraid of him
i took the old man’s arm
and i helped him across the road
thank you he said
his hand felt my coat
this is a soldier’s coat
he said
are you a soldier
yes
perhaps i said it in a sad voice
the old man put a hand in his jacket
he took something out
and gave it to me
take this
he said
it will help you
wear it
and you’ll be all right
nothing bad will happen to you
he walked away
and i looked at the thing in my hand
it was a small charm
pretty
but strange
it’s a girl’s thing i thought
and i put it in my coat
the next day
we went to war
i was afraid very afraid
but i remembered the charm in my coat
perhaps the charm will help me i thought
so i took it with me
suddenly i wasn’t afraid
why
i didn’t know
was it the charm
it was bad that day
men died all around me
perhaps i’ll die next i thought
but i wasn’t afraid
our leader was a brave man
he was in front of us
and we followed him
suddenly he was down
he fell to the ground and didn’t move
the other soldiers stopped
they were afraid
i thought
perhaps our leader isn’t dead
i’ll go and see
i went to him the fighting was worse now
but i wasn’t afraid
i’ve got the charm with me i thought
i’ll be all right
i brought our leader back to a better
place
and then i looked at him
he was very white and ill
but he wasn’t dead
his eyes opened
and he smiled at me
he spoke
not easily
but i heard him
go in front
he said
the men
will follow you
the men followed me and we fought well
that day
after that
i was fine
later i was a leader too
the men were happy and followed me
people didn’t laugh at me then
but is it right
i thought
i’m not very brave
it’s only the charm
i didn’t tell people about the charm
i had friends for the first time and i
was happy
one day we had to take an important
bridge
there were a lot of soldiers on it and
they had big guns
the country was open
without any trees
it was very dangerous
and my men were afraid
we’re going to die
they said
listen
i told them
i’ll go first
and we’ll run very quickly to the bridge
don’t be afraid
they can’t kill us all
follow me and we’ll take that bridge
i put my hand in my coat
but the charm wasn’t there
what am i going to do
i thought
i can’t be brave without the charm
i looked at the faces of my men
they weren’t afraid now
i thought
my words have helped them
they aren’t afraid now
they’re waiting for me
they’ll follow me everywhere
i’m their leader and i can’t be afraid
i shouted let’s go
we ran
we got to the bridge
we lost some men
but we got there
and we took the bridge
i will never forget that day
i learned something then about brave men
brave men are afraid too
but that doesn’t stop them
i will also remember that old man with
the charm
it will help you
he said
he was right
i learned to be brave without it
i was a young man then
and now i am old
i am a brave man people think
and
yes
they are right
i am
you