## The Magic Stick

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Before you read the story

- Do you believe in miracles?
- If you could perform a miracle, what would you do?

Now read the story

Part One

A poor man was married to a beautiful woman. The man and his wife never quarrelled. The husband loved his wife. The wife loved her husband. They were very happy.

But this happy couple had a rich, handsome neighbour. He saw the poor man's beautiful wife and he fell in love with her.

I want to marry her myself, he thought.

Every day, when the woman's husband was working in the fields, the rich man went to the poor man's house.

"You’re a beautiful woman," he said to the poor man's wife, "but your clothes are old. Why doesn't your husband buy new, pretty clothes for you? I'm sure he doesn't love you. If he loved you, he would buy wonderful clothes for you. Divorce him, and marry me. I will buy you beautiful new clothes, the best in the land. Then you will be the most beautiful woman in Ethiopia."

At first the woman didn't listen to the rich man. But he came to her house every day, and every day he said the same things.

At last, she began to think, “Perhaps my neighbour is right. Why doesn't my husband buy beautiful new clothes for me? Perhaps he doesn't love me! “

That night, she said to her husband, "Look at me, husband! My clothes are old and ugly. I want new ones. Buy me some new clothes!"

Her husband smiled at her.

"You don't need new clothes," he said. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me."

She was angry.

"Don't you love me?" she said. "If you love me, buy me a new dress!"

Her husband loved his wife and he wanted to please her.

"I have only a little money," he thought, "and I need a new plough. But I want my dear wife to be happy."

So the next day, he went to the market and he bought a new dress for his wife.

He took it home to her and she put it on.

"Thank you, my dear husband," she cried. "Now I know that you love me!"

When the rich man came to see her again, she was wearing her new dress.

"You see?" she said to him. "My husband loves me very much. He bought me this beautiful new dress."

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