Text 23

An English tourist found himself in Norway with only enough money in his pocket to pay his passage back. As he knew that it would take him only two days to get to England, he decided that he could easily do without food. So he went on board the steamer and bought a ticket.

He closed his ears to the sound of the lunch bell. When dinner time came he refused the invitation to accompany a fellow traveller to the saloon saying that he didn’t feel well. The next morning he didn’t go to breakfast and at lunch time he again stayed in his cabin. At dinner time he was so hungry that he could not stand it any longer.

“I’m going to eat,” he said, “even if they throw me overboard afterwards.”

At dinner he ate everything the steward put in front of him and felt ready for the coming row.

“Bring me the bill,” he said to the steward.

“The bill, sir?” said the man.

“Yes,” answered the traveller.

“There isn’t any bill,” was the answer, “on the ship meals ship meals are included in the passage money.”

Appendix 5