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Hans doing paper round
After he had worked on his paper round for 3 months, Hans had saved up enough money to buy a pair of steel skates but then something dreadful happened. One day, when he came home from school he saw that his mother was very upset.
"Whatever has happened?" he asked. "Your father is very ill," she said. " I have put him to bed and sent for the doctor." When the doctor arrived he went into the bedroom and spent a long time examining Mr Brinker.
When he came out he looked very worried. "I don't think that there is anything I can do," he said. He needs an operation by a specialist surgeon."
Doctor with Hans's father
"I have only heard of one person who could help and that is Dr Boekman and he usually charges a lot of money to do an operation."
Hans thought about the money he had saved up and he wondered what to do. He would be very sad if he could not buy the skates that he wanted so much but he knew it was very much more important that his father should get well again.
He said, "Well, I have saved up some money to buy some skates. I could use that to pay him." The doctor asked him how much he had saved and said, " I really don't think that would be enough. If I asked Dr Boekman to do an operation for so little money I think he would just be very cross."
Hans was very sad. He wondered if he should go out and buy the steel skates if the money could not be used to pay the doctor. He decided to think about it for a while.
One day when it was very cold, Hans went out on his wooden skates. He saw a big man skating towards him. It was Dr Boekman. " Please Dr Boekman! I need your help." Dr Boekman looked at Hans on his wooden skates. He thought Hans must be very poor and that he was going to ask for money. "I don't give money to beggars," he shouted angrily.
"But I am not asking for any money, "said Hans. My father is very ill and I want you to come and make him better. I saved up a lot of money to buy some steel skates and I can use it to pay you. Please come to see my father."
Dr Boekman was sorry that he had shouted at Hans and he could see that Hans was very upset. "All right. I will come and see your father and find out if there is anything I can do to help," he said. He went back home with Hans and went in to see his father. He saw that the man needed and operation and he thought he could make him well.
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