1、 Will somebody tell me whats going on? said Ray. Why are you all tipping your tea down the sink? Nobody spoke. Well? Because its not very nice. Why all the fuss about a broken cup? Hilda, whispered somebody. Who is this Hilda? She makes the tea, hissed Nick. Then I shall go and tell her that the tea
2、 is not very nice. Ssh, hissed the team. She will hear you. She certainly will hear me, said Ray. Oh dear, said Nick. Fancy, said Ray. A bunch of men, scared of a little old tea lady. Er, said one player. Shes not little. Shes not that old, said another. And were not scared of her, said Steve. Were
3、terrified. Thats enough, said Ray. Where will I find this Hilda? At the tea stand, said Nick. Ray strode towards the door. Good luck, said someone.二Ray meets HildaThe tea stand was an old caravan. Ray joined a quiet queue of fans.Id like one cup of tea please, with a dash of milk and no sugar, said
4、a big man.Youll get it how I make it and youll like it, boomed a voice from inside the caravan.The next man in the queue already had a cup of tea. Excuse me, he said politely.Yes, boomed the voice.Im sorry to bother you, continued the man. But this tea is not very nice.What did you say?The caravan b
5、egan to tremble. The caravan rocked and shook. There was a great bang and the door flew off its hinges.There in the hole where the door had been stood Hilda. She wore a green skirt ,an apron, red boots and a jumper that said,Smalltown F.C.Hilda, gasped Ray.Hilda stepped down from the caravan ,rollin
6、g up her sleeves.;She strode over to the man.Do you know what I do with great moaning minnies who come complaining about my tea?I-I dont know, stammered the man.I do this, said Hilda.Hilda grabbed the man and threw him over her shoulder. She marched down towards the pitch.Help! cried the man.Hilda s
7、trode into the goal area.She lifted the man over her head and sat him on the cross bar.Get me down, yelled the man.Hilda marched back to her tea stand.What are you looking at? she said to one supporter.Nothing.Is that cup on the floor yours?I- er. Put it in the bin.Hilda climbed back into the carava
8、n. Right ,said Hilda. Any more complaints?I think Ill talk to Hilda after the game, said Ray to himself.A group of fans helped the man down from the goalpost.Excuse me, Ray asked them. But if the tea is so horrible, Why do you buy it?One of the fans looked up towards the tea stand. Its OK, he said.
9、Shes looking the other way.If you dont buy a cup of tea, whispered another, She comes out and makes you drink two cups.So, said another, its safer to buy a cup and tip it away.Ray looked around. All over the terraces were puddles of tea.Shell have to go, said Ray to himself.Ray walked back to the ch
10、anging room. The players had just left to start the second half . Instead of watching the game, Ray paced up and down.The game ended in a 3-1 win for Smalltown F.C.As the players trotted into the changing room, Ray patted them on the back.Right , he said bravely. Im off to see Hilda.The players crow
11、ded into the shower room. Nick, the goalkeeper ,climbed up on Steves shoulders. He looked out of the window.Whats going on？asked the others.Hes reached the tea stand.Yes.Hes talking to Hilda. Oh no! Hes on his way back.The players raced out of the shower room, leaving Nick hanging onto the window le
12、dge.Oi , lads, yelled Nick. Get me down!The changing room door opened. In staggered Ray, with a tea urn rammed on his head.You told her, then, said Steve, as he pulled the urn off.The changing room door flew open and Hilda marched in. Where do you think you are going with my tea urn?Just then there
13、was a terrific crash from the shower room.Everybody raced into the shower room.Nick was lying on the floor.I fell, he moaned. My leg really hurts.He wont be able to play next week ,said Steve sadly.Thats the cup game against City, said Hilda.That is all I need, groaned Ray. A goalkeeper who cant mak
14、e saves and a tea lady who cant make tea. roared Hilda.The changing room fell silent.Ibegan Ray.Suddenly ,Hilda gave a great sob.Do you think I dont know what goes on? she sighed. Ive seen people tipping their tea away .Ive tried so hard to make a nice cup of tea. But I just can t. It always goes wr
15、ong.Then Hilda pulled her apron over her head and cried. The players had never seen Hilda cry. It was more frightening than any of her tempers.Ray put his arm around Hildas shoulder.Im sorry, he said. I should never have said anything about your tea.But its true, wailed HildaWhat can I do to make it
16、 up to you? asked Ray.Hilda slowly let the apron fall. A little smile crept across her face. You could let me play in goal on Saturday.Impossible, said Ray.But theres no one else, said Steve.Ill think about it. said Ray.Think about it, sniffed Hilda. If I dont play on Saturday, two things will happe
17、n. One, We will lose against City because we havent got a goalkeeper.And the other?I shall stuff you back in that tea urn for not letting me play.Gentlemen ,said Ray. May I introduce Hilda, our new goalie.三A Proper GoalkeeperThe two teams raced onto the pitch to a great roar from the crowd. Hilda st
18、rode towards the goal at the City fans end. Someone in the crowd yelled, Thats not a proper goalkeeper. Its the tea lady! Slowly Hilda turned.Who said that?She growled. The crowd fell silent.I asked who spoke? She pointed into the crowd.It was you. Come here. Nervously, a man wearing a long City sca
19、rf came to the front of the crowd.Right, you squirt, snarled Hilda. You sit here, by the goal, where I can keep an eye on you. As for the rest of you City fans, you may cheer your team ,but no rude comments about me. Got it?Yes, Hilda, chanted the City fans. The game began. Almost at once, City were
20、 on the attack. The centre forward broke through and rushed towards the goal. He was about to shoot when he saw Hilda running at him.Yaar! screamed Hilda. The player was so shocked that he kicked the ball over the bar and into the crowd. The City fans groaned.Ball, please, snapped Hilda. Hilda boote
21、d the ball up the pitch . By half-time neither team had scored.Well played, everybody ,smiled Ray. As he went round talking to the players, he noticed something odd. Everyone was happily drinking their tea. The second half dragged and nobody looked like scoring. Hilda looked at her watch. It was nea
22、rly time. She turned to the fans behind her.What happens if its a draw? she asked.You have to play half an hours extra time, shouted someone.Another half an hour of standing around in the cold? said Hilda. Blow that. She marched up the pitch. A City player had the ball. Hilda charged towards him. He
23、 was so surprised that he passed the ball to Hilda instead of his own team. Hilda steamed up the pitch, yelling, I want this game finished. Out of my way. And that is what all the players did. Hilda scored. The referee blew the final whistle and the Smalltown team carried Hilda round on their should
24、ers. They let her collect the cup.If you all love Hilda, clap your hands, chanted someone in the crowd. The ground shook with the sound of the fans clapping.Listening to that, shouted Steve. They love you.Youre right, sniffed Hilda. They do. Now lets fill this cup with tea. Hang on, cried Nick. He l
25、imped onto the pitch pushing a trolley. There was a slightly dented urn on the trolley. He poured the tea into the cup. All the players took a great gulp of delicious tea.So it was you who made the tea, said Steve. The simple end to this story would be that Nick went on making the tea and Hilda play
26、ed in goal. But as soon as Nicks leg was better he told Ray that he wanted to play again.Thats great, said Ray.What about Hilda? said Nick.Leave that to me. said Ray with a smile. Hilda was trying to fix the door back on the caravan.Can you stop for a minute? Hilda put down her tools.Id like to than
27、k you for playing in goal, he began.But Nicks leg is better and you dont want me in goal any more ,said Hilda.How did you know what I was going to say?Im not daft ,said Hilda, dabbing her eyes with a hankie.Theres something else, said Ray .I want the club to look more modern. S Im getting rid of this old caravan.Oh ,sniffed Hilda. So you dont want me at all.Yes ,I do, smiled Ray. So do all the fans and the team. Thats why Im going to put you in charge of a brand new automatic
