Money for a Motorbike

 ’You haven't taken anything, have you?' asked Frank. 'I haven't taken anything of yours,' replied Stuart. 'You've moved this mattress,' said Frank.

Stuart was seventeen years old. He wanted to buy a bike, but it cost £350 and he didn't have £350. He didn't have any money. 'Where can I find £350?' Stuart asked himself and he often searched it in Blenheim Street where there were lots of old, empty houses. When Stuart came to a large house at the corner of Blenheim Street, he was spoken to by a man aged twenty. It was Frank. He was a squatter and lived in old, empty house without paying any rent. Frank asked Stuart to keep an eye on the house for half an hour, and Frank walked away. It was hot outside, so Stuart got into the house, where there were some banknotes in the bundle of newspapers. He thought of buying the motorbike he wanted with the money. Then, Stuart heard a voice. 'Hey - Stuart - where are you? It was Frank and he was shouting. Stuart hid the money behind his back and he told Frank that he was here. However, Frank had a good intuition. He noticed what Stuart had behind his back and asked him what it was. What will happen after this?

Stuart finds the money in the house which Frank lives, and he tries to buy a motorbike by using the money. However, the money is not Stuart's. Also, the money is not Frank's because Frank is a squatter and the money was found in the house where he illegally occupied. Thus, it was interesting to claim that the money belonged to each other even though it was not their money.

• gramophone: 蓄音機
• squatter: 不法占拠者
• floorboard: 床
• stitch: 縫い目
• a bundle of: 一束の
• bush: 低木
• sergeant: 軍曹
• constable: 巡査
• mad: 狂った
• cop: 巡査
• lad: 若者
• keep an eye: 見張る
• banknote: 紙幣