A PUPIL OF A FAMOUS COMPOSER
Toscanini (comes, is coming) to a little town in Amer ica. In the evening he (goes, is going) for a walk. Sud denly he (hears, is hearing) that some musician (plays, is playing) Chopin in one of the houses. Toscanini (stops, is stopping) and (listens, is listening). Then he (sees, is seeing) some paper in the window. It says: “Miss Smith. Music lessons. 2 dollars an hour.”
The composer (thinks, is thinking): “Miss Smith (doesn’t, isn’t) (play, playing) this piece well at all. She (wastes, is wasting) her time. She (makes, is mak ing) too many mistakes.”
So he (decides, is deciding) to teach her how to play the piece. He (rings, is ringing) the door-bell. The music (stops, is stopping) and a young woman (opens, is opening) the door.
— Are you Miss Smith? — the composer (asks, is asking) her.—My name is Toscanini. I (see, am seeing) that you (play, are playing) Chopin’s Nocturn. I (want, am wanting) to show you how to play it better. Miss Smith is very happy, Toscanini’s name is familiar to her. She (asks, is asking) him to come in. The compos er (sits, is sitting) down at the piano and (tries, is trying) to teach Miss Smith how to play Chopin’s piece. Miss Smith (thanks, is thanking) the composer and (promises, is promising) not to forget his lesson. Then Toscanini (leaves, is leaving).
A year (passes, is passing) and Toscanini (comes, is coming) to the same town again. One day he (passes, is passing) Miss Smith’s house and he (sees, is seeing) a new big piece of paper in the window. It says: “Miss Smith. Pupil of Toscanini. Music lessons. 4 dollars an hour.”