Sue and Alan had been dating for many years.Every weekend they went to a movie together on Saturday night On Sundays they went to the
country in the winter.
Sue knew that Alan wanted to marry her ,and she wanted to marry Alan ,too.She waited patiently for him to ask her to marry him.However,although he often told her he loved her,he never said anything about marriage.This made Sue unhappy.She was nearly thirty.She believed that if Alan did not mart her soon she might never marry.She did not want to be a spinster.She wantd to have a busband and a family of her own.
One evening,as they were walking home after a movie,she said,“Alan,don’t you think it is time you asked me something?”
Alan thought for a moment.He knew what she was thinking about.At last he said,“I’m sorry,Sue,but I don’t think I have anything to ask you at this time.”
“Then Iwill have to ask you ,Alan,”Sue said.“I cannot wait any longer.I’m getting old.”
She stopped walking ang looked at him.
“Alan,”she said,“we’ve known each other for ten years.I love you and you love me.Will you marry me?”
Alan took hold of Sue’s hand.
“Sue,”he said,“I want to marry you ,but we cannot get married yet.We have nowhere to live.I do not have much money and neither do you.We cannot buy a place of our own.”
“That isn’t important,” Sue said.“We can live with your parents .
Alan shook his head.
“I’m sorry but that isn’t possible.”
“Why not?”Sue asked.
“Because my parents are still living with their parents.”he explained.
“Have you washed your hands and face?”Billy ’s mother asked him.
“Yes,”he said.
“Show me．”
“He showed his mother his hands．
“they are filthy,”she said．“And your face is covered in dirt”
She pulled him into the bathroom,“Now wash your face and hands,”she said.
He did as she told him,but he hated doing it
“Are you afraid of soap and water?”his mother asked him．
“No,l’ m not afraid of them,”he said．“l just don’t like them．l hate washing.”
When he left the house he was clean．By the time he got to school he was dirty again．
“Look at you!”his teacher shouted．“Your face is filthy.lf your hands are dirty,too,you’ll be in trouble．Hold out your hands．”
Billy knew his hands were dirty.He quickly spit on one and rubbed it on his pants．Then he showed it to the teacher．
“That is not a clean hand,Billy,” she said．“it’s the dirtiest hand in the dirtiest hand in the class.I’m going to punish you.”
Billy looked around the class． “ It’s not he dirtiest hand in the class he said.
“All right,Billy,”the teacher said.“lf you can show me a dirtiest hand,l won’t punish you．”
With a smile,Billy quickly showed her his other hand．