A tramp lie down and sleep in the park. He had been sleeping for about 5 minutes when a couple walked by. The man stopped, woke the tramp up, and asked him, “Excuse me.
Do you know what the time is?” The tramp replied, “I’m sorry – I don’t have a watch, so I don’t know the time.”
The man apologised for waking the tramp and the couple walked away.
The tramp lay down again, and after a few minutes went back to sleep. Just then, a woman, who was out walking her dog, shook the tramp’s shoulder until he woke up again.
The woman said, “I’m sorry to trouble you, but I’m afraid I’ve lost my watch – do you happen to know the time?” The tramp was a little annoyed at being woken up again, but he politely told the woman that he didn’t have a watch and didn’t know the time.
After the woman had gone, the tramp had an idea.
He opened the bag that contained all his possessions and got out a pen, a piece of paper and some string. On the paper, he wrote down, ‘I do not have a watch. I do not know the time’.
He then hung the paper round his neck and eventually dropped off again.
After about 15 minutes, a policeman who was walking through the park noticed the tramp asleep on the bench, and the sign around his neck.
He woke the tramp up and said, “I read your sign. I thought you’d like to know that it’s 2:30 p. m.”
Learning Part
Tramp = Homeless person
Apologize = To make excuse for a fault or offense
Politely = Adv for Politely. Refine / Showing consideration for others
Contain = To have as component part
Possession = Noun for possess. To own something