Cerpen Bahasa Inggris

A light for a lamp

(Favourite story from Chinese)

A long, long time ago, a kind old woman lived next door to a young woman. The young woman had a very fierce mother-in-law. One day, the mother-in-law chased the young woman from the house. She said she had stolen some food. The young woman went to see the old woman living next door.

“Don’t be unhappy!” the old woman said. “You can stay with me. I will think of a way to make your mother-in-law ask you to return.”

A few evening afterwards, she called at the mother-in-law’s house. She carried a lamp in her hand.

“Ah!” she cried. “My dogs have stolen some food. Can you please give me a light for my lamp! I want to go and look for them. When I find them, I shall give them a good beating. They have given me a lot of trouble.”

Afterwards, the mother-in-law thought about what she had said. “Perhaps my daughter-in-law did not steal the food,” she said. “Anyway, she really does not look like a thief”

She decided to ask her to return home.

Several days later, the young woman met the old woman again. She thanked her for her help. “It is nothing,” the old woman replied. “But now you will understand that-it is not always easy to make people believe the truth.”