Henry & Sushil

During my days as a student, I used to hang out all the time with a friend from Nepal whose first name is Sushil. We were quite a team back then. The two stories below are purely fictional but can represent our friendship in some fashion. By reading and/or listening to this, you may learn some useful vocabulary and how intonation changes between narration and dialogue in spoken English.

Story 1

Henry and Sushil were two close friends who had known each other since childhood. They were always up for a good laugh and loved to tell each other jokes and stories.

One day, they decided to go on a camping trip. As they were setting up their tents, they noticed a black bear in the distance. Henry and Sushil quickly retreated to their tents and tried to stay as quiet as possible.

But their attempts to remain hidden didn’t last long. The bear started coming closer and closer until it was right outside Henry’s tent. Henry and Sushil were both terrified, but Henry had a plan. He grabbed a stick and started poking the bear. 

The bear was so startled that it started running away. As it ran away, it dropped a large bag. Henry and Sushil opened the bag to find that it was filled with all sorts of goodies, including chocolate bars, candy, and even a few coins.

Henry and Sushil were overjoyed at their unexpected find. They quickly gathered the items and decided to share these equally between the two of them. 

But it wasn’t long before Henry had an idea. He suggested that they should each eat one of the chocolate bars and then put the coins in the bag, so that the bear could find them the next time it came back.

Henry and Sushil were both amused by the idea, but they weren’t sure if the bear would appreciate it. Nevertheless, they decided to give it a try.

The next day, the bear returned and was delighted to find the coins in the bag. From then on, Henry and Sushil became known as the “Bear’s Friends” and the bear was always welcomed in the camp. 

Henry and Sushil’s friendship was even stronger than before because of their funny and thoughtful story.

Story 2

Henry and Sushil were two best friends who lived in a small town called Muggleton. They had known each other since they were kids and had been through thick and thin together. One day, they decided to go on a road trip to visit the nearby city.

As they were driving, Henry suddenly had a craving for donuts.

“Sushil, can we please stop at the next donut shop we see? I’m starving!” he pleaded.

Sushil, who was the designated driver, hesitated.

“Henry, we just had lunch an hour ago. Are you sure you need more food?”

But Henry was insistent. So Sushil finally gave in and pulled over at the next donut shop they saw. As they walked in, they were greeted by the sweet aroma of freshly baked pastries. Henry’s eyes lit up as he scanned the selection of donuts behind the glass case.

“I’ll have a dozen of those glazed ones, please.” Henry said to the cashier.

Sushil rolled his eyes.

“Henry, do you really need that many donuts? You’re going to end up with a sugar rush.”

But Henry didn’t listen and continued to pile on more and more donuts until he had a mountain of them on his plate. Sushil, on the other hand, opted for a single chocolate donut.

As they sat down to enjoy their treats, Henry couldn’t resist bragging about his massive pile of donuts.

“Look at all these delicious donuts, Sushil. I’m the king of donuts!” he exclaimed.

But little did Henry know that his reign as the donut king was short-lived. Just as he was about to take a big bite out of his first donut, a mischievous squirrel snuck up from behind and stole the entire pile, leaving Henry with just a single plain donut.

Sushil burst out laughing as Henry sat there with a shocked and disappointed expression on his face.

“I guess you’re not the donut king anymore.” Sushil chuckled.

Henry pouted and picked up his lonely donut.

“Well, at least I still have this one. And I learned my lesson to never underestimate the power of a hungry squirrel.”

Grateful for the funny and memorable experience they had shared together, the two friends laughed and finished the rest of their donuts, and then continued their journey.