Reading lesson: “The Blue Man”

The Blue Man

“Come!” Jenny says. “I want to show you something.” I follow her outside. We walk to the corner.

“Look at that man,” Jenny says, pointing to a man standing on the corner. The man is holding a blue umbrella. He is not moving. He is wearing a blue suit and blue shoes. Even his face and hair are painted blue.

“Is that a real man?” I ask.

“Yes,” Jenny says.

“Why is he painted blue?” I ask.

“And why isn’t he moving?”

“Because he is acting,” Jenny says. “He is doing that so we’ll give him money. It’s a show.” Jenny and I watch the man. We think that after a few minutes, the man will move. We watch for 15 minutes, but the man does not move at all.

“Doesn’t his arm get tired?” I ask.

“Maybe,” Jenny answers.

“Do you think he is going to stand there all day?” I ask.

“I think so,” Jenny answers.

“Let’s give him some money,” I say. Jenny and I walk toward the man. I put one dollar into the blue hat by the man’s feet.

The man smiles. I smile back.

“He moved,” I say to Jenny as we walk away.

Adapted from DAILY DEPARTURES Speed Reading Passages for Low-Intermediate English Language Learners by Regina Weaver, 2019.