Teenagers around Steve were interested in playing video games and they often shared their experience about how to play well. Steve was a very clever boy. He was good at playing games. He would win at any game he played. He won so many times that everyone around him saw him as champion.

In fact, Steve not only became an expert at all kinds of skills but he was also good at cheating because he couldn’t stand losing to anyone. He became so skilled at cheating that he could play practically and win any game by cheating without even being noticed. Every time he beat other boys, he would be proud to see others admiring him and praising his excellent skills. He enjoyed that feeling.

No one wants to play with someone who is always going to win. As time went by, almost no one around Steve wanted to play with him. But there was one poor boy named Tom who would always play with him. At first, Tom had few skills and Steve beat him easily. Gradually, Tom learnt more skills. It was still a piece of cake for Steve to beat him. One day Steve found that Tom became more skilled and it was a challenge to win the game with Tom. In order to win, Steve used his tricks. Tom was defeated. Since then, the tricks helped Steve win any game. Although Tom lost face, he would always accept Steve’s challenge. Champion Steve enjoyed himself at poor Tom’s expense and always made that poor boy look funny as he lost.

One day, Steve got bored with just playing around and thought that he could win bigger games. So he decided to apply for video game championship as he thought that there he would find some top players that could match him.

I live on a farm where dogs are part of the landscape. Yet the dog I spotted didn’t quite fit in, as I moved down my driveway that chilly late February day. At first glance I thought it was my brother’s Chihuahua. But a second glance raised doubts, for I knew my brother’s little house dog was no candidate for a swift run across a yard. So I figured this unknown dog would soon find its way home, and I had tasks to do.

A few days later, while walking past the door to the back of my house, I saw the deck swing moving. Clearly, someone or something had set that swing in motion. Being home and alone that evening, the thought of an unknown presence wandering about set me on edge.

Next morning, standing directly in my front yard, biting on grass, was that tiny dog I had spotted earlier. I called my husband to take a look. But when the dog heard the front door open, she ran away for the safety of the nearby woods.

It was just a matter of time before the bad weather or the wolves would be the death of such a small and defenseless dog. We realized the poor thing must have been waiting secretly around our house for weeks. My husband and I formulated a rescue plan. We placed food and water near the deck swing. The next morning, the food and water had been consumed, so we put out more. It took several days of putting out food and water before we caught the dog in the act, and another two weeks after that before the dog felt comfortable enough to approach one of us.

One afternoon, I came home and found my husband holding out his hand while leaning forward in the deck swing. I witnessed a happy dog, tail wagging furiously and eating hot-dog pieces from my husband’s hand. The stage was set for the final part of our plan: to persuade the dog inside.

A few nights afterward, when it was pouring, I opened the door and the dog was there.

Moments later, holding the hot dog, my husband announced, “The dog is back.”

Missus Sommers one day found herself the unexpected owner of fifteen dollars. It seemed to her a very large amount of money. For a day or two she walked around in a dreamy state as she thought about her choices. Her daughter Janie was wearing worn shoes and needed new ones. She would buy cloth for new shirts for the boys. Her daughter Mag should have another dress. And still there would be enough left for new stockings for her children. The idea about how to spend the dollars made her restless with excitement.

On the day she planned to go shopping with the money, she ate a light meal—no! Between getting the children fed and the house cleaned, and preparing herself to go shopping? She forgot to eat at all!

When she arrived at the large department store, she spotted a pile of silk stockings at the entrance. A sign nearby announced that they had been reduced in price. A young girl behind the counter asked her if she wished to examine the silky leg coverings. She smiled as if she had been asked to inspect diamond jewelry, and started to feel the soft，expensive items. Missus Sommers picked up a black pair and looked at them closely. Two red marks suddenly showed on her pale face. She looked up at the shop girl and said proudly, "Well. I will buy this pair."

Missus Sommers changed her cotton stockings for the new silk ones in the ladies9 rest area. She had let herself be controlled by some machine-like force that directed her actions and freed her of responsibility. How good was the touch of the silk on her skin! Then she put her shoes back on and put her old stockings into her bag. Next 5 she went to the shoe department where she tried on a pair of new boots. Her foot and ankle looked lovely. She could not believe that they were a part of herself.

After buying a pair of new boots, she walked into the clothing department.

She was about to leave the store when a kid running around reminded her of something.