Ann and Charles worked long hours every day, but they still had little money. Their home was a tiny one-room flat in a dirty part of the city. At the end of each month, they counted coins and worried about the rent.
Every Sunday morning, they went to the park with their dog, Max. This was the only time they had together because of the long hours they spent at work.
One Sunday morning, they sat on a bench and watched Max play. They were both feeling exhausted and had difficulty keeping their eyes open. Next to them on the bench, an old woman was feeding the birds. She looked at them kindly and said, “You both look tired. Life seems hard for you.”
Ann smiled a little. “Yes, we work and work, but we never seem to have enough money.”
The old woman nodded slowly. “I can give you something. Five million dollars. Enough to change your lives forever.”
Charles laughed nervously. “That sounds impossible. What’s the catch?”
The woman’s voice was calm. “It is simple. Each of you must give up one sense. You can choose which one.”
Ann and Charles looked at her in shock. But the woman only kept feeding the birds, as if her words were normal.
That night, they did not sleep. They thought about the money. A house by the sea, no more work, no more bills.
Finally, Ann whispered, “I will give up smell. I can live without it.”
Charles thought for a long time. “Then I will give up touch. It will not be too bad.”
The next day, they went back to the park. The old woman was waiting on the same bench. She touched their foreheads gently.
In that moment, their senses were gone.
The money came soon after.
At first, everything was wonderful. They bought a large house by the sea with many rooms and big windows.
They travelled to other countries. They ate in famous restaurants and wore new clothes. Life seemed perfect.
But soon, problems began.
Ann could not smell the roses in the garden. She could not smell fresh bread or coffee in the morning.
Food had no taste for her anymore. One evening, she burnt dinner because she did not smell the smoke.
Charles could not feel Ann’s hand in his. He could not feel the warm sun or the soft sheets.
One afternoon he cut his hand badly and did not notice until he saw the blood.
Ann cried, “This is not life. You could die and not feel it.”
Charles looked around at their big house. Ann looked too. They had money, cars, and everything they once wanted.
But they both felt empty inside.
“We are rich,” Charles said, “but we are not happy.”
Ann nodded. “We gave away too much.”
They went back to the park many times, but the old woman never came again. The choice was final.
And in their fine new house, Ann and Charles realised that money cannot buy back the senses that make life real.
📒 Key vocabulary
- tiny – very small
- flat – a small home, usually in a building with many homes
- rent – money you pay to live in a flat or house
- bench – a long seat in a park or public place
- feed (feed, fed, fed) – give food to
- sheets – thin covers on a bed
- empty – with nothing inside
- nod (nod, nodded, nodded) – move the head to show agreement
- final – last, cannot be changed
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