Notes
permit 許可する;
plead 弁解する、言い訳に言う;
hump (ラクダなどの)背こぶ;
reward 報い;

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One cold night an Arab sat in his tent and his camel asked if he might put his nose inside the tent to keep it warm. “Yes,” said the kind heart-hearted man. Soon the camel said, “Please let me put my neck inside,” which his master permitted. “It will take no more room if I put two front feet inside too, will it?” pleaded the camel. The man moved a little to allow that. May I please put my hump in too?” begged the camel. Then as soon as his hump was in, the camel walked in all together. The Arab began to complain, but the camel said if you do not like this small space you can go outside yourself.” Then he gave the Arab a push that landed him right out of his tent and stayed inside all by himself. That was the Arab’s reward for allowing the camel to put his nose inside the tent. (from “The World Stories Retold)
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Notes
thrust (力強くすばやく)押す;
chubby まるまる太った;
flowing 流れ；
ache (ずきずき)痛む;
stiff (曲がらなくて)硬い;
numb まひした、無感覚になった;
be drowned 溺れる、溺死される;
groan うめき声;
faithfulness 忠実;

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He climbed down the side of the dike and thrust his chubby little hand and finger into the tiny hole and stopped the flowing of the water. Then he cried out for help, but no one heard him; no one came to help. It grew dark, and cold; he was hungry; his arm ached and it began to grow stiff and numb. He shouted again: “0 mother! mother!” But his mother thought Peter must be spending the night with the blind man, and did not know of his danger. Peter thought how warm and cozy all at home were sleeping in their beds, and he said to himself, “I will not let them be drowned!” So that good boy stayed there all night long, holding back the water. Early next morning, a minister on his way to visit the sick, heard a groan, saw the boy, and called out to him, “What is the matter, my boy? Are you hurt? Why are you sitting there?” When Peter told him what he had done, the minister said, “I will hold my hand there while you run quickly to the town and get help.” Very soon men came and repaired the leak in the dike, but all knew that Peter, by his courage and faithfulness, had saved the town of Haarlem that night. ((Excerpt from the book “Worlds Story Retold”. The end)
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