151. Where's My Flu Shot?

 Flu shots cost $20 at the drugstore. Only a few people are buying the flu shots. There are no long lines. No one is waiting in line. If you want the flu shot, pay $20. You don't have to wait in line. You can get the flu shot immediately. The mayor announced free flu shots. He said, "We will give free flu shots to everyone. Come to the library on Saturday". On Saturday 2,000 people went to the library. They stood in line for four hours. After four hours, there were no more free flu shots. They ran out of free flu shots. The drugstore still has many flu shots. But the flu shots at the drugstore aren't free. They cost $20.

 152. Will He Marry Me?

 She walked along the sidewalk. She wasn't paying attention. She was thinking about her boyfriend. He made her angry. He said he didn't want to marry her now. He wanted to marry her later. She wanted to get married now. She didn't want to get married later. Why didn't he want to marry her now? Maybe he didn't want to marry her later, either. Maybe he didn't want to marry her ever. Maybe he wanted to meet someone else. Maybe he wanted to marry someone else. She walked straight into a bench. She hurt her leg. Her leg started bleeding. She sat down on the bench. Her leg hurt so much. She tried to stop the bleeding.

 153. The Teacher.

 He loved his job. He had a good job. He was a teacher. He loved to teach. He loved his students. He loved to teach his students. His students listened to him. His students listened to almost every word he said. His students learned from him. They learned how to spell words. They learned how to pronounce words. They learned how to ask questions. They learned how to answer questions. They learned how to think. He taught them how to think. "Don't believe everything you hear," he said. "Don't believe everything you read," he said. "Don't believe everything you see," he said. "Use your head. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is," he said.

 154. A Clean Church.

 The janitor cleaned the church every day. He swept the floor with a broom. He mopped the floor with a mop. He vacuumed the carpet with a vacuum cleaner. He cleaned all the windows with a wet cloth. He cleaned the men's bathroom. He cleaned the women's bathroom. He cleaned the sinks in the bathrooms. He cleaned the toilets in the bathrooms. He cleaned the mirrors in the bathrooms. He scrubbed the steps outside the church. He scrubbed the steps with soapy water and a brush. He kept the steps clean. He kept the windows clean. He kept the bathrooms clean. He kept the floors clean. The steps were clean. The windows were clean. The bathrooms were clean. The floors were clean. It was a clean church.

 155. Can I Borrow $1,000?

 She was angry. She was angry with her brother. Her brother didn't help her. She needed to borrow $1,000. She had asked her brother to lend her $1,000. He said no. Her brother said he didn't have $1,000. Her brother was lying. Her brother had $10,000. He had ten times $1,000. Why did he lie to her? Why didn't he tell her the truth? Why didn't he lend her $1,000? She said, "I know you have $10,000. All I want is $1,000. I will pay you back next year. You will get your money back next year". He said no. He said people shouldn't borrow money. He said people shouldn't lend money. "But I'm not ‘people,'" she said. "I'm your sister!"

 156. The Cold Winter.

 It is winter. The sky is usually gray. The sun is not big. The sun is not warm. The sun is never high in the sky. It's always low in the sky. The shadows are long. In the morning they are long. In the afternoon they are long. The shadows are cold. The wind blows. The wind blows almost every day. Sometimes it is a strong wind. Paper blows everywhere. It is always a cold wind. People wear heavy jackets. People stand with their hands in their pockets. People blow on their hands to keep their hands warm. You can see people's warm breath. When they breathe, you can see their warm breath. Their breath is like steam from a teapot. Everyone is cold in the winter.

 157. Too Many Prisoners.

 Prisons today have too many prisoners. The prisoners sleep in bunk beds. They sleep in triple bunk beds. Triple bunk beds are for three prisoners. One prisoner sleeps in the bottom bunk bed. Another prisoner sleeps in the middle bunk bed. Another prisoner sleeps in the top bunk bed. They sleep on top of one another. They sleep beneath one another. Prisoners complain about the triple bunk beds. They don't like the triple bunk beds. Prisons didn't use to have bunk beds. Prisons didn't use to have any beds. Prisoners used to sleep on a cold floor. Prisoners today get three meals a day. They get three hot meals. Prisoners used to get one meal a day. They used to get one cold meal.

 158. Dead Bodies.

 The big room is air-conditioned. But it smells. Dead bodies are in metal drawers. The bodies have no clothes. The bodies are naked. A white sheet covers each dead body. The drawers slide in. The drawers slide out. A doctor works in the big room with the dead bodies. He works there almost every day. He cuts the bodies open. He cuts them open with a knife. He cuts them open with a saw. He looks at the bodies. He looks inside the bodies. Why did these people die? Why did this young man die, he wonders. He tries to answer the question. Every dead body is a puzzle. The doctor tries to solve the puzzle. Then he tells the police why the people died.

 159. Soccer.

 Soccer is a fun game. It is very popular. It is popular all over the world. It is fun to watch. It is fun to play. It is a simple game. There are two teams. They play on a big grassy field. There is one ball. There are two goals with nets. Each team tries to kick the ball into the other team's net. The players cannot use their hands. They cannot touch the ball with their hands. They use their feet to move the ball. They use their chests to move the ball. They use their heads to move the ball. The players run back and forth. They slide on the grass. They crash into one another. They play to win.

 160. Trees in the Jungle.

 It rains a lot in the jungle. The rain helps trees grow. The jungle has many trees. Trees are home for many jungle animals. Many animals live in the trees. Monkeys are jungle animals. Monkeys love trees. They love to swing from tree to tree. They climb down from the trees. They climb back up into the trees. They sit in the trees. They eat their food in the trees. They eat the plants in the trees. They eat the fruit in the trees. They live in the trees with the birds. They live in the trees with the lizards. They live in the trees with the snakes. They live in the trees with the ants. The trees in the jungle are full of animals.

 161. A Lot of Cash.

 She was sitting in a bar. She was drinking beer. She was getting drunk. She started to talk. She started to talk too much. She talked about her cash. She talked about a lot of cash. She had thousands of dollars in her purse. She said she had $20,000 in her purse. She said it out loud. Everyone in the bar heard her. Everyone looked at her. She took some cash out of her purse. She held the money in the air. "Look," she said, "here's $1,000 cash". She waved it around. She laughed. She put the money back in her purse. She had another beer. A man was watching her. She finished her beer. She left the bar. He followed her.

 162. What Rain?

 She had watched the news last night. The weatherman had said it was going to rain today. It was going to rain all day today. She got dressed. She put on her rain boots. She put on her raincoat. She grabbed her umbrella. She was ready for the rain. She was wearing her rain boots. She was wearing her raincoat. She had an umbrella in her hand. She walked outside. Something was wrong. What was wrong? It wasn't raining. Where was the rain? She looked up. She looked at the blue sky. She went back inside. She took off her raincoat. She took off her rain boots. She went back outside. She still had her umbrella. You never know about the weather, she thought.

 163. God Wants Good People.

 God takes good people to heaven. He wants good people to be with Him. He leaves bad people on Earth. He doesn't want bad people near Him. He lets them do bad things on Earth. When they die, He sends them to the devil. The devil makes them work every day. They work next to a big fire. They are always right next to the fire. They are always hot from the fire. They carry coal. The devil makes them carry heavy buckets of black coal. They carry the coal to the fire. They pour the coal on the big fire. Then they refill the big buckets with more coal. They never get a drink of water. They never get to rest.

 164. It's Not the Money.

 The brothers don't speak to each other. They had a fight. They had a fight a long time ago. The fight was about money. Money can make people happy. Money can make people unhappy. Money can bring people together. Money can tear people apart. It doesn't take a lot of money to tear people apart. Sometimes it takes only a little money. The two brothers were angry about $100. Only $100. But they both said, "It's not the money. It's the principle". A principle is a way of life. To tell the truth is a principle. To work hard is a principle. But both brothers lied. It wasn't the principle. It was the money.

 165. The Homeless Man.

 He was homeless. He was cold. He was shivering. He was in the park. He was sitting on a bench. A sign was next to him. The sign said, "Please hire me. I am homeless". People walked by. They looked at him. He looked dirty. He looked old. How could this man work? He was too old to work. He was too dirty to work. He needed a bath. He needed some food. One lady stopped. She sat down next to him. She said she belonged to a church. She said to come with her. They both got up. He walked with her to the church. The church was warm. He smelled hot food. She said, "Our church will help you."

 166. A Patient Mom.

 May called her mom. Her mom lived in China. China was far away. Her mom was 50 years old. Her mom had many friends. But she missed her daughter. May lived in America. She was a waitress. She was a waitress in a restaurant. It was a Chinese restaurant. "Guess what, Mama?" May asked. "I met a nice man". Her mom said she was happy. "Will you marry him?" she asked. She wanted May to marry. She wanted a grandson. She wanted a granddaughter. She wanted May to bring her children back to China. "Be patient," May said. "I only met him last month. But he's very nice". Her mom said, "Okay, I will be patient. But hurry up!"

 167. A Clean Car.

 He had a beautiful car. It was a Cadillac. It was a 1993 Cadillac. It was a four-door Cadillac. It was light brown. It had a big engine. The big engine didn't leak oil. The big engine didn't leak water. He drove his car only five miles a day. He took good care of his car. He washed it every week. He washed it by himself. He washed it with dishwashing soap and water. He dried it with paper towels. He vacuumed inside the car every week. He vacuumed it with a small vacuum cleaner. The outside of his car was clean. The inside of his car was clean. He never ate anything inside his car. He never drank anything inside his car.

 168. They Want a Baby.

 She wanted to have a baby. She wanted to have a baby girl. He wanted to have a baby. He wanted to have a baby boy. He loved her. He said, "Okay, we will have a baby girl". She loved him. She said, "Okay, we will have a baby boy". They both loved each other. They both wanted to make each other happy. He talked to his parents. He asked them what to do. She talked to her parents. She asked them what to do. His parents said, "No problem. Have two babies. Have a baby girl and a baby boy". Her parents said the same thing! So they had two babies. They had a baby girl. Then they had a baby boy.

 169. Too Many Problems.

 Emily sat down on the sofa. She had a big, soft sofa. It was comfortable. It was a comfortable sofa. She took off her shoes. She put her feet on the coffee table. The TV remote was on the coffee table. She picked up the remote. She pointed it at the TV. She turned on the TV. The news was on. The reporter said that a plane had crashed. More than 100 people died. The reporter said that a bridge had collapsed. More than 20 people died. She turned off the TV. She had enough problems at home. She didn't need to hear about more problems in the world. She had money problems. She had health problems. She had family problems. Who needed to hear about more problems?

 170. No More Meat for Her.

 She used to eat meat. She used to eat a lot of meat. She used to eat beef. She used to eat pork. She used to eat ham. She used to eat chicken. She ate meat every day. She ate bacon for breakfast. She ate a hamburger or hot dog for lunch. She ate meat loaf for dinner. She ate vegetables sometimes. She ate fruit sometimes. She ate salad sometimes. But she ate meat all the time. One day she walked by a dumpster. She smelled something. It smelled bad. It smelled really bad. She opened the dumpster lid. She looked in. She saw an opened package of raw hamburger meat. It was covered with flies and ants. It stunk. She closed the lid. She stopped eating meat.

 171. Out of Food.

 He drove to the supermarket. He was out of food. He had no food in his refrigerator. He had no food in his cupboards. He needed to buy some food. He hoped he would find a sale. A sale would save him money. He walked into the supermarket. He walked over to the produce section. The apples were on sale. The bananas were on sale. It was his lucky day. He loved apples. He loved bananas. The apples were only one dollar a pound. The regular price was $2.50 a pound. The bananas were only 49 cents a pound. The regular price was 89 cents a pound. He bought four pounds of apples. He bought four pounds of bananas. Then he walked over to the dairy section. Maybe the milk was on sale, too.

 172. Will the Car Start?

 She got into her car. She hoped it would start. Sometimes it started immediately. Sometimes it started after five minutes. Sometimes it didn't start for 20 minutes. She had taken it to a mechanic. He couldn't fix the problem. He didn't know what the problem was. She had taken it to another mechanic. He knew what the problem was. She needed new spark plugs. He put in the new spark plugs. She paid him. She thanked him. Now her worries were over. She didn't have to worry anymore. Every time she turned the key, her car started immediately. But a week later, her car didn't start immediately. It started after five minutes. She called up the mechanic. He said to bring the car in. He would look at it again.

 173. A Mountain Drive.

 She wanted to go for a drive. She told her husband. He said that was a good idea. "Where do you want to go?" he asked. She wanted to drive to the mountains. She wanted to go to Big Bear Lake. Big Bear Lake is high in the mountains. It is 7,000 feet high. It is a two-hour drive from their home. It takes two hours to get there. The lake is big and beautiful. They could park their car next to the lake. They could sit next to the lake. They could watch the boats. They could watch the fishermen. They could watch the squirrels and deer. It is a beautiful drive to Big Bear Lake. The road goes through a big forest full of tall trees.

 174. Help Him Die.

 Nick was old. Nick was old and sick. His wife was Sherry. Sherry was younger than Nick. Nick was older than Sherry. Nick was 81. Sherry was 61. They had been married for 41 years. They loved each other. "Kill me," Nick said. "You say you love me. If you really love me, you will kill me". "I will not kill you," Sherry said. "You will get better. The pain will go away". Nick had cancer. He had lung cancer. He used to smoke. He used to smoke cigarettes. He used to smoke two packs of cigarettes a day. Nick was in pain every day. "This cancer is killing me," he said. Sherry said, "If the cancer is killing you, it doesn't need my help."

 175. The Mayor Is Late.

 The mayor was in a hurry. He was late. He drove his car faster. He didn't want to miss his plane. The traffic light was red. He went through the red traffic light. I'm glad no police are around, he thought. He heard a siren. He saw a red light behind him. The red light was on top of a police car. The mayor didn't stop. He was in a hurry. He was late. He was the mayor. He drove his car faster. The police car followed the mayor. It followed the mayor to the airport. The mayor got out of his car. The policeman got out of his car. "You're under arrest," he said. "You can't arrest me. I'm the mayor," said the mayor.

 176. He Will Work for Gas.

 Doug went to the gas station. "Can I have a job?" he asked. The owner said, "Maybe you can have a job. Can you count money? Can you put gas in a car?" "Yes," said Doug. "I can count money. I can put gas in a car. So, can I have a job?" "There is just one problem," said the owner. "I cannot pay you with money". "You cannot pay me with money?" asked Doug. "What good is that? What will you pay me with - bananas?" "No," said the owner. "I won't pay you with bananas. You aren't a monkey, are you? No, I will pay you with gasoline. I have lots of gasoline". "It's a deal. My car uses lots of gasoline," said Doug.

 177. A Book Sale.

 He was a famous cartoonist. He drew political cartoons. His cartoons made fun of presidents. His cartoons made fun of vice presidents. His cartoons made fun of Congress. Politicians hated him. Ordinary people loved him. His name was Paul. He put 400 of his cartoons in a book. He sold the book at a book fair. Many people bought the book. He signed the book for everyone. He autographed the book for everyone. "Why are you selling this book? Do you need extra money?" Becky asked. "Yes, I need extra money," Paul said. "The newspaper laid me off. They said my cartoons are mean. My cartoons make the politicians cry". "But your cartoons tell the truth," Becky said. "Yes, and the truth hurts," said Paul.

 178. House Price Goes Up.

 Jack paid $100,000 for his house. He had bought his house 30 years ago. It was a big house. It had four bedrooms. It had four bathrooms. Jack was alone. His wife had died. His children had moved out. His house was too big for one man. He decided to sell his house. He called up a real estate agent. She visited Jack. She looked at his house. She looked at all the rooms. She looked at the front yard. She looked at the back yard. She looked at the garage. "This is a beautiful house," she said. "I think this house will sell for $500,000". Jack said, "That's great. I will give $300,000 to my children. I will buy a small house for $200,000."

 179. The New Neighbor.

 A new neighbor moved in. Will the new neighbor be quiet, Liz wondered. The new neighbor wasn't quiet. The new neighbor was loud. He played his TV loud. He played his music loud. He talked on the phone loud. Loud, loud, loud! He slammed the door when he left his apartment. He slammed the door when he entered his apartment. Slam, slam, slam! He had a basketball. He bounced the basketball everywhere. He bounced it on his apartment floor. He bounced it against his apartment wall. He bounced it off his apartment ceiling. Bounce, bounce, bounce! Liz asked him to be quiet. "Please be quiet," she asked. "I will not be quiet," he said. Liz wanted to kill the new neighbor. Kill, kill, kill!

 180. Don't Pick Up the Trash.

 Each September volunteers clean up the beach. Hundreds of volunteers clean up the beach. They carry empty trash bags. They pick up trash. They fill up the trash bags. They fill up hundreds of trash bags. They put all the trash bags into trucks. The trucks take the trash bags to a landfill. The trash goes from the beach to the landfill. Every year there is more beach trash. Every year there is more landfill trash. Jill picked up trash for three years. Finally she said, "People leave trash here every year. They know we will pick it up. We shouldn't pick it up. In a few years, trash will cover this beach. People will stop coming here. They will stop leaving trash here."

 181. Copycat Copycat.

 Lucy had a cat. His name was Pirate. Pirate was 14 years old. Fourteen is old for a cat. "What can I do?" Lucy asked her dad. "Pirate is old. He will die soon. I will miss him so much". Dad said, "Why don't you clone him? They will make a brand new Pirate for you. It will look like Pirate. It will walk like Pirate. It will meow like Pirate. It will love you like Pirate. But it will be a kitten. It won't be an old cat. It will be a new kitten. You can have a new Pirate for 14 more years". "Dad," said Lucy, "that's a great idea. Then, when my new Pirate is 14, I can get another new Pirate!"

 182. A Loud Party.

 "I'm calling the police," Barry said. "I'm glad you're calling the police," Ruth said. Barry and Ruth had a nice house. They had a nice, quiet house. They had nice neighbors. They had nice, quiet neighbors. But tonight, their neighbors were not quiet. They were having a pool party. Everyone was drinking. Everyone was talking loud. Everyone was jumping into the pool. Loud music was playing. Car horns were honking. Barry and Ruth closed all their windows. But they still heard the party. Barry called the police. The policeman said, "We'll be there in an hour or two". Barry asked, "Why not sooner?" "The mayor's having a big party," the policeman said. "Most of our officers are protecting the mayor and his guests."

 183. Chop Down the Trees.

 "You have to chop down those two trees," said the fire control agent. "Why do I have to chop down those two trees?" asked Diane. "Because those two trees are a fire hazard," said the fire control agent. "All trees are a fire hazard," said Diane. "Yes, but those two trees are a super fire hazard," said the agent. "Why are those two trees a super fire hazard?" Diane asked. "Because those two trees are right next to your house. Chop them down," he said. Diane was poor. She couldn't afford to pay someone to chop the trees down. The agent said, "Chop them down, or I will fine you". The next day, she poured gasoline on both trees. Then she set them on fire.

 184. Sleep In or Get Up?

 They drove to the park. They got in line. Many cars were in front of them. They should have gotten up earlier. "We should have gotten up earlier," said Mom. "I know," said Dad. "We should not have slept in". "I know," said Mom. "But sometimes it's nice to sleep in, especially on the weekend. Weekends are for sleeping in". The line moved slowly. Finally they were at the front of the line. "I'm sorry," said the park ranger. "We're closed". "What?" said Dad. "It's not even noon. How can you be closed?" The ranger said the parking lot was full. There was no place to park. He said to come back tomorrow. "Don't sleep in," said the ranger. "The early bird gets the worm."

 185. Learn to Swim.

 It was summer. Swim classes were beginning. She didn't know how to swim. She wanted to learn. She called up the pool. "Do you teach adults how to swim?" she asked. The instructor said, "Yes, we teach adults how to swim. We teach kids how to swim. We teach everyone how to swim". She asked how much. "How much do you charge?" she asked. "We charge only $25 for adults," the instructor said. She gave him her name. He put her name on the swim class list. "You are on the swim class list," he said. "Your first lesson is Saturday at noon. Bring $25 and a towel". She asked, "That's all I need to bring?" He said, "I'm sorry. Bring your swimsuit, too."

 186. He Likes That Idea.

 He lived in a nursing home. "I don't have anything to do," he told the nurse. "Why don't you watch TV?" she asked. "I hate watching TV. TV is nothing but reruns," he said. "Why don't you play chess?" she asked. "I hate playing chess," he said. "I always lose". "Why don't you play cards?" she asked. "I hate playing cards. The others always cheat," he said. "Why don't you read a book?" she asked. "I hate reading books," he said. "They give me a headache". "Why don't you take a nice walk?" she asked. "I hate taking walks," he said. "It's always too hot outside". "Why don't you take a nap?" she asked. "That's a good idea," he said. "I like taking naps."

 187. Job Training, but No Job.

 Many homeless people were sitting on the sidewalk. A young man walked up to each homeless person. He gave each person a flier. The flier was from a trade school. The flier described a class. The trade school was offering a barber class. The class was free for homeless people. Matt read the flier. He talked to the man. Matt said he wanted to take the class. The man wrote down Matt's name. He told Matt to go to the school on Monday. "How long does the class last?" Matt asked. "The class lasts eight weeks," the man said. "Will the school find me a job?" Matt asked. "No, you have to find your own job," the man said. "We can only do so much."

 188. Burned Up.

 Brad was angry. He was angry at the apartment building manager. The apartment building manager had kicked him out. "If you can't pay the rent," the manager said, "I have to kick you out". "But I always pay the rent on time," Brad said. "That's nice, but you're supposed to always pay the rent on time," said the manager. One evening Brad drove to the gas station. He bought a gallon of gas. He put the gas into a gas can. He waited until 11 p.m. The manager lived in a corner apartment. His apartment was on the ground floor. Brad waited until the manager's lights went out. He poured all the gas in the hall near the manager's door. He lit a match.

 189. Meet Halfway.

 He stopped at the motel. It was late at night. It was almost midnight. He asked the motel clerk, "Do you have a vacant room?" She said she had a vacant room. He asked how much it was. She said it was $100 for the night. "But the night is half over," he said. "Can I pay half price for the room?" She said yes. "But there is one condition," she said. "If we only get half, you only get half. You must sleep on only one-half of the bed. You can use only one of the two pillows. The bathroom has hot and cold water faucets. You can use only one faucet. The cable TV has 100 channels. You can watch only 50 channels."

 190. Starving Artists.

 "I'm not coming to this art fair again," said Molly. "Why aren't you coming to this art fair again?" asked Teri. "There aren't enough visitors," Molly said. "That's for sure," said Teri. "There aren't enough visitors spending money". "That's for sure," said Molly. Visitors stopped and looked at Molly's paintings. Visitors stopped and looked at Teri's paintings. Visitors said Molly's paintings were very nice. Visitors said Teri's paintings were very nice. But no one bought anything. "No one buys anything," said Molly. "They stop. They look. They say, ‘Oh, how pretty.' Then they walk on". Molly and Teri had not sold one painting. They lowered their prices. They put "Sale! 50% Off!" tags on all their paintings. But no one bought a single painting.

 191. Believe the Chief.

 The police chief said crime was down. "Crime is down," said police chief Braddon. He talked to TV reporters. He talked to newspaper reporters. He talked to radio reporters. He was proud. "I'm proud," he said. "Our police are doing a good job. I'm proud of our police". He said crime was down 50 percent. "What kinds of crime?" asked a reporter. "All kinds of crime," said Braddon. "Bicycle theft is down 60 percent. Cell phone theft is down 55 percent. Computer theft is down 50 percent". He didn't say anything about other crimes. "What about other crimes?" asked a reporter. "What other crimes?" asked Braddon. "You should be happy with this news. Report it to the public. The public will be happy, too."

 192. A Hood in a Hoody.

 The man walked into a bank. He wore a hoody. He wore gloves. It was summertime. It was hot outside. No one else was wearing a hoody. No one else was wearing gloves. The bank guard looked at the man. "Why are you wearing a hoody?" the bank guard asked. "Why are you wearing gloves?" The man said he had a disease. He had a contagious disease. He coughed. He coughed again. The bank guard backed away. He did not want to get a disease. He stopped watching the man. He watched other people enter the bank. He forgot about the man with the contagious disease. A few minutes later, the man ran out of the bank. He was carrying a money bag.

 193. Speaking English.

 Alex wanted to become a citizen. He signed up for a citizenship class. He went to the first class. The teacher spoke only Spanish. All the other students spoke only Spanish. Alex spoke Spanish, too. He asked the teacher, "Why are you speaking Spanish? We need to speak English. We need to understand English. We need to read English. We need to write English". The teacher said, "Don't worry. English isn't important anymore. My students never fail the interview. Can you say Yes in English? Can you say No in English? Then your English is good enough. You want to become a citizen. That is more important than your English". Alex dropped out. He signed up for another citizenship class. The teacher spoke only English.

 194. A Cool Laptop.

 His laptop sat on his desk. His laptop always overheated. It always overheated quickly. How could he keep it cool? He turned on his living room fan. It cooled his laptop. But the fan blew dust around. It blew paper around. He turned off his living room fan. He thought. He thought some more. How could he keep his laptop cool? He had an idea. He bought little plastic blocks. Each block was one inch square. He put the laptop on top of the blocks. One block was under each corner of the laptop. Now the laptop sat a little above the desk. There was space under the laptop. There was space for cool air to flow. The cool air prevented overheating.

 195. From Hot to Hot.

 The days were hot. The nights were hot. He turned on the living room fan. He turned on the dining room fan. Both fans were on high speed. They made a lot of noise. But they didn't blow cool air. They blew hot air. They blew hot air everywhere. He turned off the fans. He turned on the air conditioner. He closed all the windows. He closed the front door. The apartment began to cool down. It got cooler and cooler. Then he heard a bang. It was a loud bang. He thought a plane had crashed onto the roof. But it wasn't a plane. It was the air conditioner compressor. It had broken down. He opened the door. He opened the windows.

 196. Lost and Found.

 He couldn't find his pen. Where is my pen, he wondered. He looked for his pen. It was on top of the microwave. He couldn't find his cell phone. Where is my cell phone, he wondered. He looked for his cell phone. It was on top of the TV. He couldn't find his glasses. Where are my glasses, he wondered. He looked for his glasses. They were on top of his head. I'm tired of looking for everything, he thought. He invented a tiny video recorder. It recorded everything he did. It recorded everywhere he went. He couldn't find his toothbrush. Where is my toothbrush, he wondered. He played his tiny video recorder. He found his toothbrush. He didn't have to look for it.

 197. They Deliver.

 He called up the post office. "Where is my package?" he asked. "What is the tracking number?" the postal worker asked. He told her the tracking number. She said, "Your package is at the main post office. You can pick it up anytime". He said, "I don't want to pick it up. Can you deliver it?" She said yes. "We will deliver it on Monday," she said. "Will you be home?" He said, "What time on Monday?" She said, "Anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m". He said, "I have to work. I can't stay home all day". She said, "That's okay. We can deliver it on Tuesday". He said, "I have to work on Tuesday, too. Please deliver it on Saturday."

 198. A Brush with God?

 He dropped his toothbrush. It fell on the floor. He picked up his toothbrush. He rinsed it off. He brushed his teeth. He rinsed his mouth. He walked out of the bathroom. He sat on his bed. He felt something. It was under the sheet. He took the sheet off the bed. Something was in his mattress. It was a brand new mattress. He had bought it yesterday. What is in the mattress, he wondered. He went to the kitchen. He took a knife from the kitchen drawer. He cut open the mattress. What could it be, he wondered. It was small. It was black. It was a book. It was the New Testament. Is God trying to tell me something, he wondered.

 199. The Pier Couldn't Run.

 Some people stood on the small pier. They saw a boat approach. The boat was approaching fast. The boat was approaching the small pier. Was the boat going to stop? People started running. They started running off the pier. They were worried. They were worried about the boat. The boat kept coming. It didn't slow down. One man stood on the pier. He didn't run. He yelled at the boat. He waved his arms. He yelled, "Stop! Stop! You're going to crash!" But the boat didn't stop. It kept coming. The man kept yelling. The boat kept coming. Is the driver drunk, the man wondered. He ran as fast as he could. He ran off the pier. The boat crashed into the pier.

 200. Does It Hurt?

 Jenny went to the lake. She went to the lake with her dad. It was a big lake. It was a big, blue lake. It had a lot of water in it. It had a lot of fish in it. Big fish were in the lake. Little fish were in the lake. Jenny didn't see any fish. "I don't see any fish. Where are the fish, Daddy?" she asked. "They're swimming around. They're looking for food," her dad said. Dad put a worm on a hook. "Does the hook hurt the worm?" Jenny asked. "No, the hook doesn't hurt the worm," her dad said. "How do you know?" she asked. "How do I know?" her dad asked. "Well, the worm doesn't say anything. So I guess the hook doesn't hurt it". Jenny said, "But how can the worm say anything, Daddy? The worm can't talk!"