[00:01.120]--- lesson 28 Five pounds too dear
[00:06.280]--- Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
[00:12.080]--- Why was even five pounds 'too dear'?
[00:17.600]Small boats loaded with wares sped to the great liner as she was entering the harbour.
[00:24.520]Before she had anchored, the men from the boats had climbed on board
[00:29.400]and the decks were soon covered with colourful rugs from Persia, silks from India, copper coffee pots, and beautiful handmade silverware.
[00:39.760]It was difficult not to be tempted.
[00:42.720]Many of the tourists on board had begun bargaining with the tradesmen,
[00:47.080]but I decide not to buy anything until I had disembarked.
[00:53.000]I had no sooner got off the ship than I was assailed by a man who wanted to sell me a diamond ring.
[01:00.400]I had no intention of buying one, but I could not conceal the fact that I was impressed by the size of the diamonds.
[01:08.360]Some of them were as big as marbles.
[01:11.920]The man went to great lengths to prove that the diamonds were real.
[01:16.680]As we were walking past a shop, he held a diamond firmly against the window and made a deep impression in the glass.
[01:24.400]It took me over half an hour to get rid of him.
[01:28.600]The next man to approach me was selling expensive pens and watches.
[01:33.480]I examined one of the pens closely.
[01:36.320]It certainly looked genuine.
[01:38.720]At the base of the gold cap, the words 'made in the U.S.A' had been neatly inscribed.
[01:45.880]The man said that the pen was worth $50, but as a special favour, he would let me have it for $30.
[01:54.560]I shook my head and held up five fingers indicating that I was willing to pay $5.
[02:02.400]Gesticulating wildly, the man acted as if he found my offer outrageous, but he eventually reduced the price to $10.
[02:12.120]Shrugging my shoulders, I began to walk away when, a moment later, he ran after me and thrust the pen into my hands.
[02:21.040]Though he kept throwing up his arms in despair, he readily accepted the $5 I give him.
[02:27.440]I felt especially pleased with my wonderful bargain -- until I got back to the ship.
[02:33.960]No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to fill this beautiful pen with ink and to this day it has never written a single world!