A man was selling medicines at a fair.At first he sold bottles of a cure for colds for just a dollar a bottle.

　　Many people wanted to buy it and the man's young assistant(助手)moved quickly through the crowd collecting money and handing out bottles of the cold cure.

　　Then,when he had a big crowd,the man held up a very small bottle.

　　"And now,ladies and gentlemen,"he shouted,"here is the medicine you have been waiting for.The cure for old age.Drink just one bottle of this and you will live forever."

　　"And,ladies and gentlemen,"the man continued,"I am not going to charge you a hundred dollars a bottle for this wonderful medicine.I'm not going to charge you fifty dollars a bottle.I'm not going to charge you twenty-five dollars a bottle.No,Ladies and gentlemen,I'm going to charge you just ten dollars a bottle.Think,my friends,for ten dollars you can live forever."

　　Most of the people in the crowd did not believe this.

　　One person shouted,"If it will make you live forever,why don't you drink it?"

　　Then another person cried,"Yes,you look as if you're at least sixty years old."

　　"Thank you,sir,thank you,"the man replied,"I'm so glad you said that.My real age is three hundred and twenty-nine."

　　The crowd laughed at this,but there were still a few people who wanted to believe the man.One of them spoke to the man's assistant as she passed by."Is that true,"he asked,"that he's three hundred and twenty-nine?"

　　"Don't ask me,"the assistant said,"I've only worked for him for a hundred and fifty years."

　　(文/陕西宝鸡张炳乾；英语辅导报高中一年级版03-04学年第18期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)