Modul 4: Story 54 The Suitcase
Video 01 Story Presentation 01.
Video 02 Story Presentation 02.
Audio 01 The story
The Suitcase
Vince arrived at the airport two hour before his flight was due. He was very tired as it was only 3:00 in the morning. He was strolling around the airport with his old black suitcase dragging behind him. He hadn’t slept properly, so he decided to go over to a café for some coffee to wake him up.
Despite the early hour, it was rather crowded and noisy. He found a table where a woman was sitting quietly reading a book. He slid his suitcase under the table and sat next to her.
An hour later, the caffeine still hadn’t kicked in, and he now needed the toilet. He wheeled his suitcase over to the toilets and left it by the sink. Another man walked in behind him and did the same. When Vince had finished, he went to the departure board to find his flight.
When he arrived at his gate, he sat next to a teenager who was using his suitcase as a pillow. Vince propped his own suitcase next to him, sat back in his seat and closed his eyes.
“Sir, your flight is boarding,” a flight attendant said, waking Vince from his nap.
He grabbed his suitcase and rushed onto the plane. There was a small slot in the overhead storage unit for his suitcase above his head. He shoved it in and took his seat. The flight was long and smooth, but Vince still didn’t manage to get much sleep.
When they arrived at their destination, Vince retrieved his suitcase and his face turned pale. The suitcase was not his own! It was black and worn but definitely not his. His mind instantly flashed back upon all the possible moments that it could have been swapped. There was the woman in the café, the man in the toilet and the teenager at the gate. Vince cursed himself for having such an ordinary, mistakable suitcase.
“How on earth will I find it now?” he panically thought to himself.
“Excuse me, sir, that’s my suitcase,” a voice interrupted. “Yours is the one that was next to it.”
Vince breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m so sorry sir. I’m very tired.”
Video 03 Simple statements
Audio 02 Simple statements
- Vince – arrived airport – two hours before – flight due
- only three – morning
- strolling – around airport – old black suitcase
- dragging – behind him
- not slept properly
- very tired
- decided – go over – café
- wanted – coffee – wake him up
- early
- café – crowded – noisy
- found table
- woman – sitting – table.
- quietly reading book
- slid suitcase – under table
- sat next to her
- an hour later – caffeine – still not kicked in
- now needed – toilet
- wheeled suitcase – over to toilets
- left – by sink
- another man – walked in – behind him
- did same
- Vince finished
- went – departure board – find flight
- gate – sat on bench- next to teenager
- fell asleep
- flight attendant – woke him up
- time – board plane
- Vince rushed – onto plane
- shoved suitcase – overhead storage unit
- sat down
- tried hard – rest
- didn’t manage – get much sleep – on plane
- arrived – destination
- Vince retrieved – suitcase
- turned pale
- had – wrong suitcase
- “excuse me, sir – my suitcase” – voice said
- Vince said – really sorry
- said – very tired.
Audio 05-6 Story versions
The story (version A)
Vince had arrived at the airport two hours before his flight was due. It was only three in the morning. He was strolling around the airport with his old black suitcase, dragging it behind him. Since he hadn’t slept properly, he was very tired, so he decided to go over to a café for some coffee to wake him up.
Although it was early, the café was crowded and noisy. He found a table where a woman was sitting, quietly reading a book. After he had slid his suitcase under the table, he sat next to her.
An hour later, the caffeine still hadn’t kicked in. He now needed the toilet, so he wheeled his suitcase over to the toilets and left it by the sink. Another man walked in behind him and did the same. As soon as Vince had finished, he went to the departure board to find his flight.
At the gate, he sat on a bench, next to a teenager and fell asleep, but soon a flight attendant woke him up because it was time to board his plane, so Vince rushed onto the plane. After he had shoved his suitcase in the overhead storage unit, he sat down and tried hard to rest but didn’t manage to get much sleep on the plane.
When arriving at their destination, Vince retrieved his suitcase. Suddenly, he turned pale as he had the wrong suitcase.
“Excuse me, sir, that’s my suitcase,” a voice said which Vince replied he was really sorry and very tired.
The story (version B)
Vince had arrived at the airport two hours before his flight was due. It was only three in the morning. He was strolling around the airport with his old black suitcase which he was dragging behind him. Due to the lack of proper sleep, he was so tired that he decided to go over to a café to get some coffee to wake him up.
It was early, but the café was crowded and noisy. He found a table with a woman sitting at it, quietly reading a book. He slid his suitcase under the table and sat next to her.
An hour later, the caffeine still hadn’t kicked in. Since he now needed the toilet, he wheeled his suitcase over to the toilets and left it by the sink. Another man walking in behind him did the same.
When finishing, Vince went to the departure board to find his flight. Then, at the gate, he sat on a bench, next to a teenager and fell asleep. A flight attendant woke him up, for it was time to board his plane, so Vince rushed onto the plane.
After shoving his suitcase into the overhead storage unit, he sat down, but however hard he tried to rest, he didn’t manage to get much sleep on the plane. As soon as they had arrived at their destination, Vince retrieved his suitcase but suddenly turned pale, for he had the wrong suitcase.
“Excuse me, sir, that’s my suitcase,” a voice said.
Vince said he was both really sorry and very tired.