illustrated Everyday Expressions with Stories 2 » Lesson 30 - In the park
Alice: What happened to you?
Ted: That big guy over there hit me!
Alice: ?
Ted: I'm not sure. what happened, it doesn't make any sense.
Alice: You must have done something to his hitting you.
Ted: I was playing with some kid. I guess it was his son.
Alice: How were you playing?
Ted: We were just at each other. Then I must have made a scary face because the kid started crying. But I didn't touch the kid, hurt him.
Alice: So the kid's father hit you?
Ted: Yeah, I guess when he heard his son crying, he and attacked me!
Alice: Let's go get some ice for your eye. It looks terrible.
I used to deliver the mail in a very rich neighborhood. When I look back on that time, I have to laugh. Most people in that neighborhood were very well off and had big houses, but they all tended to prefer small dogs. Those dogs were little, but they were also mean! In fact, I quit that job for good after one of those little dogs bit me.
One thing I learned about dealing with dogs is that you have to stand up to them when they start barking at you. Don't make faces at them. If you show them your teeth, it will just result in making them angry. And, as a rule, it's best not to move, let alone turn your back on them. Regardless of how much a dog barks, just stand there and wait for it to get I bored. Don't lose your head and panic. They usually won't bite unless you do something aggressive.
Once a little dog was barking at me when one of the people from the neighborhood passed by on the other side of the street. He yelled, "Ask the dog if he wants a bath!"
I asked him, "What for?"
The man yelled back, "If you ask him, he'll run away."
So I tried it. I asked the dog, "Do you want a bath?" And it stopped barking, looked at me, and then ran away! I told the man across the street, "Wow! That dog must really hate baths."
He said, "No, he loves them. He's running home now to get one."
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