Learn English Through Story Level 2 ⭐ English Story - The Five Towns

we are slow Silent People we of the five towns Perhaps it is because we make pottery which is slow silent work there are many stories about us and how slow and Silent we are these stories often surprise the rest of the world very much but we just laugh at them here is an example Toby Hall was born in turn Hill the smallest of the five towns last New Year's Eve he was traveling by train from crew to Derby which was now his hometown he got out of the train at KNE in the center of the

five towns for a quick quick drink the station was busy and he had to wait for his drink when he returned to the train it was already moving Toby was not a young man he couldn't jump on the train so he missed it he went to speak to the man in the station office young man he asked when's the next train to Derby there isn't one before tomorrow Toby went and had another drink I'll go to turn Hill he said to himself slowly and he paid for his drink this was his first visit to the

five towns for 23 years but KN station was still the same and so were the times of the trains to turn Hill the train was the same too in 20 minutes he was leaving turnill station and walking into the town he walked past a number of fine new buildings in the Town Center almost everything was different He Walked on into smaller streets and at last came to child Row the old houses here were the same as always and he looked at one small house very carefully the light was on so there was somebody at home

he crossed the street to the house it was a special house for him number 11 it was and is because 24 years ago it was his home 24 Years Ago Toby Hall married Miss Priscilla brat A Quiet Woman of 23 the house belonged to her the two young people were perhaps not really in love but they liked one another their only problem was the house Priscilla often said that the house belonged to her Toby knew that everybody in turnill knew that she didn't have to say it so often Toby asked her not to but she

didn't stop he was happy to live in his wife's house but he didn't want to hear about it every day and after a year it was too much one day he put some things in a bag put on his hat and went to the door where are you going asked Priscilla he stopped for a minute then answered America and he went it was not difficult for prisilla she did not think that Toby was a very good husband she could live with without him she had her house and some money Toby went to the bank and

got all his money and sailed off to New York on the Adriatic from New York he went to Trenton New Jersey which was the five towns of America Toby was a good Potter and he found work easily after a year he asked a friend to write to Priscilla and tell her that he was dead he wanted to be a free man and it was only fair for her to be a free woman after a few years he returned to England he changed his name from Hall and started work as a Potter in Derby he did

well the money was good and he didn't have much to spend it on he lived quietly working all week and going fishing at the weekends and now because of a visit to crew a train and a drink he was in child row and crossing the street to number 11 he knocked on the door many doors in the five towns opened slowly and carefully and so did this one it opened a few cenm and a woman looked out at Toby is this Mrs Halls he asked no it's not Mrs Halles it's Mrs tansley's I thought the

door opened a little more is that you Toby it is answered Toby smiling a little well well said the woman well well the door opened a little more are you coming in Toby yes said Toby and he went in sit down said his wife I thought you were dead someone wrote to me yes said Toby but I'm not dead he sat down in a comfortable chair by the fire he knew the chair and he knew the fire he put his hat on the table Priscilla locked the door again and sat down herself her dress was

black and like Toby she was getting a little fat well well she said so you've come back yes they were both silent for a minute the weather's cold isn't it he said yes it's been a cold winter another s silence what were they thinking and feeling perhaps they weren't thinking anything very much and uh what's the news he asked news oh nothing special there was a picture above the fire it was a picture of Priscilla when she was young it surprised Toby I don't remember that picture he said what that he looked up at the

picture oh that that's my daughter oh now Toby was surprised I married job tanley said Priscilla he died four years ago she she's married she said looking up at her daughter's photograph she married young Gibson last September well well they were silent again that's a good fire said Toby looking at it yes it is good coal 70 p a ton again they were silent is Ned walk late still at the pub Toby asked I think so said Priscilla I think I'll go around and have a drink said Toby standing up he was unlocking the door

when Priscilla said you've forgotten your hat Toby no he answered I haven't forgotten it I'm coming back they looked at one another speaking without words that'll be all right she said well well yes and he walked round to the p up