Who Is Speaking?

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The following story appears as an English-language reading lesson in
E. Belova and L. Todd,English: A Textbook of the English Language for the 7th Grade in 7-year and Secondary Schools (third edition)State Textbook and Pedagogical Publishers of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR, Moscow, 1952; pp. 14-15.

WHO IS SPEAKING?

Not all children in capitalist countries can go to school. Many parents are too poor to send their children there. Often children do not like school because in some countries teachers still beat the children. Sometimes teachers hate their work and hate the children whom they must teach. The children feel this, of course, and do not try to learn. They simply do not like their lessons. They like holidays better than school-days.

Here is a story about a little English boy who did not want to go back to school after the summer holidays. He wanted some more days at home. So he telephoned to his teacher and tried to speak like his father.

"Smith is ill in bed," he said. "He cannot go to school for three or four days."

"Oh," said the teacher, "I am sorry to hear that. Who is speaking?"

"My father, sir," answered the boy.

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