Learn English Through Story - Story Of My Life - Practice Listening English

00:00 school and football 00:03 I was born an idiot but I'm cleverer 00:07 than people think I can think things 00:11 okay but when I have to say them or 00:14 write them down sometimes they come out 00:17 all wrong when I was born my mom named 00:22 me Forrest my daddy died just after I 00:27 was born he worked on the ships one day 00:31 a big box of bananas fell down on my 00:34 daddy and killed him I don't like 00:38 bananas much only banana cake I like 00:42 that all right 00:45 at first when I was growing up I played 00:48 with everybody but then some boys hit me 00:51 and my mom didn't want me to play with 00:54 them again I tried to play with girls 00:57 but they all ran away from me 01:01 I went to an ordinary school for a year 01:04 then the children started laughing and 01:07 running away from me 01:09 but one girl Jenny Curran didn't run 01:13 away 01:14 sometimes she walked home with me she 01:18 was nice 01:20 then they put me into another kind of 01:23 school and there were some strange boys 01:26 there some couldn't eat or go to the 01:30 toilet without help I stayed in that 01:33 school for five or six years but when I 01:36 was 13 I grew six inches in six months 01:41 and by the time I was 16 I was bigger 01:45 and heavier than all the other boys in 01:48 the school one day I was walking home 01:52 and a car stopped next to me the driver 01:56 asked me my name and I told him what 02:00 school do you go to he asked I told him 02:03 about the idiot school do you ever play 02:07 football he asked no I told him I see 02:12 other people playing but I don't play 02:15 and they never asked me to play with 02:16 them okay the man said three days later 02:23 the man in the car came and got me out 02:26 of school mom was there and they got all 02:30 the things out of my desk and put them 02:32 in a brown paper bag then they told me 02:36 to say goodbye to the teacher 02:39 the man in the car took me and mom to 02:42 the new high school there an old man 02:46 with gray hair asked me lots of 02:48 questions but I knew that they really 02:52 wanted me to play football the man in 02:55 the car was a football coach called 02:59 fellers coach fellers asked me to put on 03:03 a football suit then asked me to undress 03:07 and dress again 20 times until I could 03:11 do it easily I began to play football 03:16 with the high school team and coach 03:18 fellers help me and I went to lessons in 03:22 the school 03:24 one teacher Miss Henderson was really 03:27 nice she taught me to read and who do 03:32 you think I saw in the school cafe Jenny 03:36 Curran 03:37 she was all grown up now with pretty 03:41 black hair long legs and a beautiful 03:44 face I went and sat with her and she 03:48 remembered me but there was a boy in the 03:53 cafe who started calling me names and 03:56 saying things like how stupid then he 04:01 threw some milk at me and I jumped out 04:04 of my chair and ran away a day or two 04:09 later after school in the afternoon he 04:12 and his friends came up to me and 04:14 started pushing and hitting me then they 04:19 ran after me across the football field I 04:22 ran away fast I saw that Coach fellers 04:28 was watching me he had a strange look on 04:32 his face and he came and told me to put 04:35 on my football suit that afternoon he 04:40 gave me the ball to run with the others 04:44 started running after me and I ran as 04:47 fast as I could when they caught me it 04:51 needed eight of them to pull me down 04:54 coach fellers was really happy he 04:58 started jumping up and down and laughing 05:02 and after that everybody liked me we had 05:07 our first game and I was frightened but 05:12 they gave me the ball and I ran over the 05:15 goal line 05:16 two or three times people were really 05:19 kind to me after that then something 05:23 happened which was not so good I want to 05:27 take Jenny current to the cinema I told 05:30 mom one day so she phoned Jenny's mom 05:34 and explained next evening Jenny arrived 05:38 at our house wearing a white dress and 05:41 with a pink flower in her hair she was 05:45 the prettiest thing that I ever saw the 05:49 cinema was not far from our house Jenny 05:53 got the tickets and we went inside the 05:57 film was about a man and a woman Bonnie 06:01 and Clyde and there was a lot of 06:05 shooting and killing 06:08 well I laughed a lot but when I did this 06:13 people looked at me and Janey got down 06:16 lower and lower in her place 06:19 once I thought she was on the floor and 06:23 I put my hand on her shoulder to pull 06:26 her up but I pulled her dress and it 06:30 came open and she screamed I tried to 06:34 put my hands in front of her because 06:37 there were people looking at us then two 06:40 men came and took me to an office a few 06:44 minutes later four policemen arrived and 06:47 took me to the police station 06:51 came to the police station she was 06:54 crying and I knew that I was in trouble 06:57 again and I was in trouble but I was 07:02 lucky next day a letter arrived from a 07:07 university it was good news if I played 07:11 in their football team there was a place 07:14 for me in school there and the police 07:17 said well that's okay with us just get 07:20 out of town so the next morning mom put 07:25 some things into a suitcase for me and 07:28 put me on a bus 07:30 she was crying again but they started 07:34 the bus and away I went 07:41 chapter 2 life at University 07:47 when we got to the University Coach 07:50 Bryant came to talk to us last man to 07:55 get to the practice field will get a 07:57 ride there on my shoe he shouted at us 08:01 and he meant it when he said that kind 08:04 of thing 08:05 we soon learned that 08:07 the building that I went to live in was 08:11 nice on the outside but not on the 08:14 inside most of the doors and windows 08:18 were broken and the floor was dirty I 08:22 lived in a room with a man called Kurtis 08:26 he crashed into the room with a wild 08:30 look in his eyes he wasn't very tall but 08:34 he was very strong where are you from he 08:40 asked 08:41 mobile I told him that's a stupid town 08:45 he said and that was all of our 08:49 conversation for several days on the 08:54 practice field things didn't start very 08:56 well I got the ball but I ran the wrong 09:00 way with it and everybody got angry and 09:03 started shouting at me but coach Bryant 09:07 called me across just kidding the line 09:10 and start catching the ball he told me 09:13 and then I told him something that he 09:17 didn't want to hear they never taught me 09:21 to catch a ball at high school I said it 09:25 was difficult enough for me 09:27 just to remember where our goal I was I 09:31 don't think he was very pleased but he 09:35 started to teach me to catch I wanted my 09:39 mom and I wanted to go home I didn't 09:42 like that place and Curtis was always 09:46 angry and I couldn't understand him he 09:50 had a car and sometimes he gave me a 09:54 ride to the practice field but one day 09:58 when he had to change a wheel on the car 10:00 I helped him 10:04 you're an idiot he said angrily how do 10:07 you know how to do that maybe I am an 10:11 idiot I said but I'm not stupid then 10:16 Curtis ran after me and called me all 10:19 kinds of terrible names after that I 10:24 moved my bed to another room 10:28 the first football game was on Saturday 10:31 I ran well and we won 35 to 3 everybody 10:38 was pleased with me I phoned mom to tell 10:41 her 10:42 I heard the game on the radio she said I 10:46 was so happy I wanted to cry 10:51 that night everybody went to parties but 10:56 but he asked me to go 10:59 I went back to my room but I heard music 11:02 from somewhere upstairs I found a young 11:06 man who was sitting in his room playing 11:09 the harmonica his name was Bubba he 11:13 broke his foot in football practice and 11:16 couldn't play in the game i sat and 11:19 listened to him we didn't talk but after 11:23 about an hour I asked can I try it 11:28 he said okay and gave me the harmonica I 11:33 began to play 11:36 after several minutes Bobo was getting 11:39 really excited and saying good good good 11:44 then he asked where did you learn to 11:48 play like that 11:51 learn anywhere I said 11:54 when it got late he told me to take the 11:58 harmonica with me and I played it for a 12:00 long time in my room next day I took it 12:05 back to Bubba keep it he said I've got 12:10 another one 12:12 I was really happy and I went and sat 12:16 under a tree and played all day it was 12:20 late afternoon when I began to walk back 12:23 to my room suddenly I heard a voice 12:27 shout forest 12:30 I turned round and saw Jenny she had a 12:35 big smile on her face and she held my 12:38 hand I saw you play football yesterday 12:43 she said you were wonderful 12:47 she wasn't angry about the cinema and 12:50 she asked me to have a drink with her 12:54 I'm taking lessons in music and I want 12:58 to be a singer she told me I play in a 13:03 little group we're playing at the 13:05 Student Center tomorrow night why don't 13:08 you come and listen okay I said 13:18 Chapter three the big game 13:22 on Friday night I went to the Student 13:27 Center there were a lot of people there 13:30 and Jenny was wearing a long dress and 13:33 singing 13:35 three or four other people were in the 13:38 group with her and they made a good 13:40 sound Jenny saw me and smiled and I sat 13:46 on the floor and listened it was 13:48 wonderful 13:51 they played for about an hour and I was 13:54 lying back with my eyes closed 13:57 listening happily how did it happen 14:01 I'm not sure but suddenly I found that I 14:06 was playing my harmonica with them Jenny 14:10 stopped singing for a second or two and 14:12 the others in the group stopped playing 14:16 then Jenny laughed and began to sing 14:20 with my harmonica and then everybody was 14:23 saying wonderful to me Jenny came to see 14:28 me 14:29 Forrest where did you learn to play that 14:33 thing I didn't learn anywhere I told her 14:37 well after that Jenny asked me to play 14:42 with their group every Friday and paid 14:45 me $25 every time 14:49 the only other important thing that 14:51 happened to me at the university was the 14:54 big game at the Orange Bowl in Miami 14:58 that year it was an important game which 15:02 coach Bryant wanted us to win the game 15:06 started and the ball came to me I took 15:10 it and ran straight into a group of big 15:13 men on the other team crash it was like 15:18 that all afternoon when they were 15:22 winning 28 to 7 coach Bryant called me 15:26 across Forrest 15:28 he said all year we have secretly taught 15:32 you to catch the ball and run with it 15:35 now you're gonna run like a wild animal 15:39 okay 15:42 okay coach I said and I did 15:47 everybody was surprised to see that I 15:50 could catch the ball suddenly it was 28 15:54 to 14 and after I caught it four or five 15:58 more times it was 28 to 21 then the 16:05 other team got two men to run after me 16:08 but that meant Gwynn was free to catch 16:12 the ball and he put us on the 15 yard 16:15 line then weasel the kicker got a field 16:20 goal and it was 28 to 24 but then things 16:27 began to go wrong again Wiesel made a 16:31 bad mistake and then the game finished 16:34 and we were the losers 16:38 coach Bryant wasn't very happy 16:41 well boys he said there's always next 16:45 year but not for me 16:50 soon learned that I couldn't stay at the 16:55 university I wasn't clever enough at the 16:58 lessons and there was nothing that 17:01 anybody could do about it coach Bryan 17:04 was very sad 17:07 I knew this would happen Forrest he said 17:10 but I said to them just give me that boy 17:14 in my team for a year and they did and 17:19 we had a good year the best year Forrest 17:24 good luck boy 17:27 buhbuh helped me to put my things in my 17:31 suitcase then he walked to the bus with 17:34 me to say goodbye we went past the 17:38 Student Center but it wasn't Friday 17:41 night and Jenny's band wasn't playing I 17:44 didn't know where she was it was late 17:48 when the bus got to mobile mom knew that 17:52 I was coming but she was crying when I 17:55 got home what's wrong I asked a letter 18:01 came she cried you've got to go in the 18:05 army 18:10 chapter 4 Vietnam 18:16 after I left the idiot school people 18:20 were always shouting at me coach fellers 18:24 coach Bryant and then the people in the 18:28 army 18:30 but I have to say this the people in the 18:33 army shouted louder and longer than 18:37 anybody Fort Benning was in Georgia 18:43 after about a hundred hours on a bus me 18:47 and a lot of other new young soldiers 18:50 arrived there the place where I had to 18:54 live was just a bit better than the 18:56 rooms at the University but the food was 19:00 not it was terrible then and in the 19:06 months to come I just had to do the 19:09 things that I was told to do they taught 19:12 me how to shoot guns throw hand grenades 19:16 and move along the ground on my stomach 19:20 one day the cook was ill 19:24 he said go you're going to be the cook 19:28 today 19:30 what am I going to cook I said how do I 19:34 cook it's easy said one of the man just 19:39 put everything that you see in the food 19:41 cupboard into a big pot and cook it 19:46 be it won't taste very good I said 19:49 nothing does in this place he said he 19:53 was right 19:55 well I got tins of tomatoes some rice 19:59 apples potatoes and everything that I 20:03 could find what am I going to cook it in 20:07 I asked one of the man there are some 20:11 pots in the cupboard he said 20:14 the pots were only small 20:17 you've got to find something 20:21 other man said what about this I asked 20:25 there was a big metal thing about six 20:28 feet tall and five feet round sitting in 20:32 the corner that's the boiler 20:35 you can't cook anything in that 20:39 not I asked it's hot it's got water in 20:43 it but the man had other things to do do 20:48 what you like they said 20:51 so I used the boiler 20:54 I put everything in it and after about 20:57 an hour you could smell the cooking 21:01 it smelled okay 21:04 then the men came back and everybody was 21:08 waiting for their dinner hurry up with 21:11 that food Gump we're hungry they shouted 21:15 suddenly the boiler began to shake and 21:19 make noises 21:21 and then it blew up it blew the food all 21:25 over us me and all the men who were 21:28 sitting at the tables 21:31 gump they screamed you're an idiot 21:35 but I already knew that after a year we 21:41 went to Vietnam to fight in the war one 21:45 evening we went to have a shower 21:48 the showers were just a long hole in the 21:52 ground for us to stand in while somebody 21:55 threw water over us we were standing in 21:58 it when suddenly there was a strange 22:01 noise 22:03 then the ground began to blow up all 22:05 around us we threw ourselves onto the 22:09 floor of the shower hole and somebody 22:12 started screaming it was some of our men 22:15 on the far side of the hole and there 22:18 was blood all over them 22:23 everything went quiet again and after a 22:26 minute or two the rest of us climbed up 22:29 out of the hole the enemy soldiers tried 22:33 to blow us up for the next five nights 22:36 and then it stopped but it was time for 22:40 us to move up north to help some of our 22:42 other men in the jungle we went in 22:46 helicopters and there was smoke coming 22:49 up out of the jungle when we got there 22:52 the enemy started shooting at us before 22:56 we got on the ground and they blew up 22:59 one of our helicopters 23:01 it was terrible 23:04 fire and nothing that we could do it was 23:08 almost night before we found our other 23:11 soldiers in the jungle and who do you 23:14 think one of them was it was Bubba well 23:20 in between the shooting Bubba told me 23:24 about himself his foot got too bad to 23:28 play football and he had to leave the 23:30 University but his foot wasn't too bad 23:33 for the army to get him and here he was 23:37 what happened to Jenny current I asked 23:41 she left school and went off with a 23:44 group of people who were against the war 23:47 he said 23:52 Chapter five danger in the jungle 23:58 there was a little valley between two 24:01 Hills we were on one Hill and the enemy 24:05 was on the other then we got orders to 24:09 move the machine gun about 50 meters to 24:12 the left of the big tree that was in the 24:15 middle of the valley and to find a safe 24:18 place to put it 24:19 before the enemy blew us all up we found 24:24 a place to put the gun and stayed there 24:27 all night 24:27 we could hear shooting all around us but 24:31 they didn't hit us when it was day again 24:35 our planes came and they blew up the 24:39 enemy soldiers then we watched while our 24:43 men moved off the hill and came down 24:46 into the valley 24:48 suddenly somebody started shooting at 24:52 them we couldn't see the enemy soldiers 24:55 because the jungle was too thick but 24:58 somebody was shooting at our men the 25:02 shooting was in front of us which meant 25:05 that the enemy soldiers were in between 25:08 us and our men and this meant that the 25:12 enemy was able to come back and find us 25:15 so we had to get out fast 25:20 we began to move back to the hill but 25:23 Doyle suddenly saw more enemy soldiers 25:26 who were going towards our men we waited 25:30 until they got to the top then bones 25:33 began shooting with the machine gun he 25:37 probably killed ten or fifteen enemy 25:40 soldiers Doyle and I and the other two 25:44 men threw grenades but then an enemy 25:48 soldier shot bones in the head 25:50 I pulled the machine gun from his hands 25:54 and shouted to Doyle 25:56 there was no answer two of them were 26:00 dead and Doyle was only just alive 26:05 I picked up Doyle and put him across my 26:08 shoulders then I ran towards the hill 26:12 there were bullets flying all around me 26:15 from behind and then I saw more enemy 26:19 soldiers in the low grass in front of me 26:22 they were shooting at our men on the 26:25 hill 26:25 I ran fast shouting and screaming as 26:30 loudly as I could and suddenly I was in 26:35 the middle of our soldiers and everybody 26:38 was pleased and hitting me on the back 26:40 my shouting and screaming frightened the 26:44 enemy soldiers away they just ran the 26:49 weeks went past slowly I got a letter 26:52 from my mom and I wrote back to her that 26:56 everything was ok 26:58 I also wrote a letter to Jenny Curran 27:01 and asked mom to ask her parents to send 27:04 it on to her but I didn't get a reply 27:09 Bubba and I decided that we would get a 27:12 shrimp boat when we got home again and 27:14 catched shrimps and make a lot of money 27:18 Bubba planned it all 27:22 started to rain one day and it didn't 27:25 stop for two months but we still had to 27:29 look for enemy soldiers and one day we 27:33 found them we were crossing a rice field 27:36 when suddenly they started shooting at 27:39 us somebody shouted back I picked up my 27:45 machine gun and ran towards some trees I 27:49 looked round for Bubba but he wasn't 27:53 there then I heard that he was out in 27:56 the rice field and he was hurt so I left 28:01 my gun by the trees and ran back into 28:04 the field Gump you can't go out there 28:08 somebody shouted 28:11 I just ran 28:14 halfway out I saw another man who was 28:17 hurt he was holding a hand up to me so I 28:21 picked him up and ran back to the trees 28:24 with him then I ran out again and found 28:27 Bubba there was blood all over him and 28:31 he had two bullets in his stomach 28:35 he looked up at me and said Forrest why 28:40 did this happen 28:43 but could I say then he said play me a 28:48 song on the harmonica will you 28:52 there was still a lot of shooting going 28:54 on but I played a song then all the 28:59 colour went out of Bubba's face and he 29:02 said something very softly 29:06 home 29:09 and then he died 29:11 and that's all I've got to say about 29:13 that 29:15 the rest of the night was terrible the 29:18 worst night that I've ever known 29:21 nobody could get any help to us and the 29:25 enemy soldiers were so near that we 29:28 could hear them talking then when it got 29:31 light an American plane came and used 29:35 fire throwers on the enemy and almost on 29:39 us suddenly the trees were on fire and 29:43 men were running out of the jungle with 29:45 burned to skin and clothes during all of 29:50 this somebody shot me in the back of the 29:53 leg but I can't remember when it 29:55 happened it didn't matter nothing 29:59 mattered Bubba was dead 30:02 the 30:03 shrimp business idea was dead with him I 30:06 just wanted to die too 30:10 then our helicopters came and the enemy 30:13 soldiers who were left ran away an hour 30:17 later I was out of there and on my way 30:20 to the hospital in the name 30:28 chapter six the white house 30:34 I was at the hospital for two months 30:37 after the first few weeks my leg was 30:41 getting better and one day I went down 30:44 into the little town to the fish market 30:47 I bought some shrimps and one of the 30:51 cooks at the hospital cooked them for me 30:54 two days later I went back to the fish 30:58 market and talked to a man who was 31:00 selling shrimps where do you get them I 31:04 asked him he immediately started talking 31:08 fast in a language that I couldn't 31:11 understand but he took me somewhere past 31:15 all the boats and the beach there he 31:19 took a net and put it in the water 31:23 out again it was full of shrimps every 31:28 day for the next few weeks I went with 31:31 mr. Chi that was his name and watched 31:35 him while he worked he showed me how to 31:38 catch shrimps with the net and it was so 31:41 easy that an idiot was able to do it 31:44 which I did 31:47 then one day I got back to the hospital 31:51 and a Colonel Gooch said Gump we're 31:56 going back to America together you're 31:59 going to see the President of the United 32:02 States and he's going to give you a 32:04 medal because you were very brave there 32:10 were about 2,000 people waiting for us 32:13 at San Francisco Airport when we got off 32:16 the plane what a surprise a lot of them 32:20 had beards and long hair I thought 32:24 perhaps they were there to welcome us 32:27 but I was wrong they were shouting 32:31 unpleasant things and then somebody 32:34 threw a tomato at Colonel Gooch and it 32:37 hit him in the face he tried to clean it 32:41 off and not look angry but I didn't want 32:44 to wait for them to start throwing 32:46 things at me no sir I started running 32:51 the people ran after me all 2,000 of 32:56 them but they couldn't catch me I ran 33:00 all around the airport and then I ran 33:03 into a toilet and locked the door I 33:06 waited in there for almost an hour 33:08 before I came out again 33:11 I went to look for Colonel Gooch and I 33:14 found him in the middle of a group of 33:16 policemen he was looking very worried 33:20 until he saw me 33:22 come on Gump he said the plane for 33:26 Washington is waiting for us the army 33:29 sent a car to meet us at Washington 33:32 Airport and we drove to a really nice 33:35 hotel after we put our suitcases in our 33:39 rooms the colonel asked me to go out to 33:42 a bar with him for a drink 33:45 people are different here he told me 33:49 they aren't like the people in 33:51 California he was wrong when we got 33:57 there he bought me a beer and he was 34:00 telling me about the President and my 34:03 medal when something happened 34:05 a pretty girl came up to our table and 34:08 the colonel thought she was a waitress 34:12 get us two more drinks please he said 34:16 she looked at him and said I won't get 34:21 you anything not as much as a glass of 34:25 warm river water you Pig then she looked 34:30 at me and said and how many babies have 34:33 you killed today you big ape 34:38 well after that we went back to the 34:41 hotel next morning we got up early and 34:46 went to the White House where the 34:48 president lives it's a really pretty 34:51 house with a big garden a lot of army 34:55 people were there and they immediately 34:58 started shaking my hand and telling me 35:01 that I was a brave man and that they 35:04 were pleased to meet me the president 35:08 was a great big old man who talked like 35:11 somebody from Texas and there were a lot 35:14 of people standing around him in the 35:16 flower garden then an army man started 35:21 to read something and everybody listened 35:24 everybody above me because I was hungry 35:27 and wanted some breakfast at last 35:31 the army man finished reading and then 35:34 the president came up and gave me the 35:37 medal after that he began to shake my 35:40 hand 35:42 I was just thinking of getting out of 35:44 there and having some breakfast when the 35:47 president said boy is that your stomach 35:51 making that noise so I said yes and the 35:58 president said well come on boy let's go 36:03 and get something to eat and I followed 36:06 him into the house and a waiter got us 36:09 some breakfast the president asked me a 36:12 lot of questions about Vietnam and the 36:15 army but I just said yes it's ok or 36:20 shook my head to say no and after 36:23 several minutes of this we were both 36:26 silent 36:28 do you wanna watch TV the press 36:31 asked suddenly so me and the president 36:36 of America watched TV while I ate my 36:39 breakfast 36:40 later when we were back in the garden 36:44 the president said you were hurt weren't 36:48 you boy well look at this and he pulled 36:53 up his shirt and showed me the place on 36:55 his stomach where he was hurt once where 36:59 were you hurt he asked me so I pulled 37:03 down my trousers turn round and showed 37:06 him 37:07 well lots of newspaper men started 37:10 taking photographs before Colonel Gooch 37:12 could run across and pull me away that 37:16 afternoon back at the hotel he came to 37:20 my room shouting and throwing newspapers 37:22 onto the bed and there I was on the 37:26 front page with my trousers down Gump 37:31 you idiot shouted Colonel Gooch yes sir 37:36 I said that's what I am but 37:39 just try to do the right thing 37:47 cd2 37:50 Chapter seven meeting Jenny again 37:55 soon after that I heard that I was 37:59 leaving the army early and they gave me 38:02 some money for a train ticket to go home 38:05 but all this time I was thinking about 38:09 Jenny Curran 38:11 just before I left the hospital in 38:14 Danang I had a letter from her she was 38:19 now playing in a group called the broken 38:21 eggs and they played two nights each 38:25 week at a place called the ho daddy club 38:28 near Harvard University now that I was 38:32 free from the army I just wanted to go 38:36 and see her so I got a ticket for Boston 38:41 instead of mobile I tried to walk to the 38:46 ho daddy club from the train station but 38:49 I lost my way so I took a taxi it was in 38:54 the afternoon and the man behind the bar 38:58 said Jenny will be here about nine 39:01 o'clock 39:03 can I wait I asked okay he said so I sat 39:09 down and waited for five or six hours 39:14 students began to come in most of them 39:17 wearing dirty jeans the men had beards 39:21 and the women had long untidy hair later 39:26 the group the broken eggs arrived but I 39:31 didn't see Jenny then they began to play 39:34 and they were loud the music sounded 39:39 like a plane that was taking off but the 39:42 students loved it and then Jenny came on 39:47 she was different 39:49 her hair was all the way down her back 39:53 and she was wearing sunglasses at night 39:58 she was wearing blue jeans and a shirt 40:01 with lots of colors on it the group 40:05 started playing again and Jenny began to 40:08 sing later I went outside and walked 40:13 around for about half an hour then went 40:16 back there were a lot of people waiting 40:19 to go in so I went round to the back of 40:23 the place and sat on the ground 40:25 I had my harmonica in my pocket 40:28 so I took it out and started to play I 40:32 could hear the music that was playing 40:35 inside and after a minute or two I began 40:39 playing with it suddenly a door behind 40:43 me opened and there was Jenny who is 40:48 that playing the harmonica she said 40:52 then she saw me Forrest Gump and she ran 40:58 out of the door and threw her arms 41:01 around me we talked together until it 41:04 was time for her to sing again 41:07 I didn't leave school said Jenny they 41:10 threw me out after they found a boy in 41:13 my room one night I went to California 41:16 and stayed there for some time 41:19 she laughed I wore flowers in my hair 41:24 and talked about love but the people 41:28 that I was with were strange then I met 41:32 a man and we came to Boston but he was 41:36 dangerous he was against the war like me 41:40 but he blew up buildings and things I 41:43 couldn't stay with him next I met a 41:47 teacher from Harvard University but he 41:50 was married then I began to sing with 41:54 the broken eggs 41:56 where do you live I asked 42:00 friends she said he's a student you can 42:04 come back and stay with us tonight the 42:08 boyfriends name was Rudolph he was a 42:12 little man and he was sitting on the 42:14 floor with his eyes shut when we got to 42:17 Jenny's flat 42:19 Rudolph this is forest Jenny said he's a 42:24 friend of mine from home and he's going 42:26 to stay with us for a few days Rudolph 42:31 didn't speak or open his eyes but he put 42:35 up his hand and smiled next morning when 42:39 I got up Rudolph was still sitting on 42:42 the floor with his eyes shut that 42:45 afternoon 42:46 Jenny took me to meet the other people 42:49 in the group and that night I began 42:52 playing my harmonica with them at the 42:55 whole daddy Club it went well 42:59 with them every night after that then 43:03 one day I came back to the flat and 43:05 Jenny was sitting on the floor 43:08 where's Rudolph I asked 43:11 gone she said walked out like all the 43:16 others and then she started to cry don't 43:22 cry Jenny I said and I put my arm around 43:25 her well it started like that but the 43:30 next minute we were kissing and making 43:33 love and when we finished Jenny said 43:38 Forrest 43:39 where have you been all this time 43:46 Chapter eight into space 43:50 spring and summer went by and I 43:54 continued to play my harmonica with the 43:56 group 43:56 it was my happiest time of all but 44:00 you've guessed it something went wrong 44:05 it happen 44:07 I don't know but one night I was sitting 44:10 outside the ho daddy Club smoking a 44:13 cigarette when a girl smiled and came up 44:17 to me she sat down across my legs and 44:20 put her arms around me she was laughing 44:24 and kissing me and I didn't know what to 44:27 do 44:28 suddenly the door opened behind me and 44:32 there was Jenny Forrest it's time - she 44:38 stopped when she saw me with the girl 44:41 then she said 44:43 no not you too I jumped up and pushed 44:49 the girl away Jenny I said stay away 44:53 from me Forrest she said you men are all 44:57 the same just stay away from me 45:02 didn't speak to me again that night and 45:03 the next morning she told me to find 45:07 another place to live I went to live 45:10 with Moses one of the other men in the 45:13 group and soon after that Jenny went to 45:17 Washington to talk and work against the 45:20 war Moses wrote down the address for me 45:23 so I went back to Washington - there was 45:29 a lot of trouble there police were 45:31 everywhere and people were shouting and 45:34 throwing things and the police were 45:37 taking some of them away I went to find 45:40 Jenny's address but there was nobody at 45:43 home I waited outside for most of the 45:47 day then at about nine o'clock a car 45:51 stopped near the house and some people 45:54 got out and there she was I started to 45:59 walk towards her but she turned and 46:01 walked away the other people two men and 46:05 a girl didn't know what to say 46:09 what's wrong with her I asked one of the 46:11 two men 46:13 she just got out of prison he said she 46:17 was there all night before we could get 46:19 her out 46:21 Jenny was in the back of the car now so 46:24 I went over and talked to her through 46:27 the window I told her how I felt I was 46:32 sorry about the girl and I didn't want 46:34 to play in the group without her she 46:37 listened quietly then opened the car 46:40 door for me to get in and we sat and 46:43 talked the others were talking about 46:46 something that would happen the next day 46:49 some American soldiers planned to take 46:52 off their Vietnam medals and throw them 46:55 away in front of the crowds of people 46:58 suddenly Jenny said did you know that 47:02 forest won a medal the others went quiet 47:06 and looked at me then looked at Jenny 47:11 next morning Janie came into the living 47:13 room I was sleeping on the floor of 47:16 their house she woke me up Forrest she 47:21 said I want you to do something for me 47:26 what I said I want you to come with us 47:30 today and I want you to wear your army 47:33 clothes 47:34 why I asked because you're going to do 47:39 something to stop all the killing in 47:41 Vietnam you can guess what I had to do 47:45 can't you I had to throw away my medal 47:49 with the other American soldiers but 47:52 because my medal was a more famous medal 47:55 than theirs it was more important to 47:57 Jenny and her friends 48:00 it got me into more trouble oh I threw 48:03 my medal away okay but it hit somebody 48:07 really important one of the presidents 48:10 men so they threw me into prison why do 48:14 things like that always happened to me 48:19 as it happened I didn't stay in prison 48:22 long because they soon realized that I 48:25 was an idiot and they put me in a 48:28 special Hospital for idiots it was the 48:31 doctors at the hospital who decided to 48:34 send me to NASA 48:36 that's the Space Center at Houston in 48:38 Texas you're just the kind of person 48:42 they're looking for the doctors told me 48:46 I soon understood why NASA sent me on a 48:50 journey into space with a woman and an 48:54 ape me a spaceman it was very strange 48:59 all kinds of things went wrong because 49:02 of that ape instead of coming down in 49:05 the sea when we returned the spaceship 49:08 came down in the jungle somewhere and it 49:11 was four years before the NASA people 49:14 found us but the ape and I were soon 49:18 good friends his name was sue yes I know 49:22 it's a girl's name but they sent a male 49:25 ape up by mistake and NASA didn't like 49:28 to tell the newspapers that and it was 49:32 in the jungle that I met Big Sam a man 49:36 who taught me to play chess and that was 49:38 important as you will see later 49:47 chapter 9 a real idiot of course the 49:54 first thing that I wanted to do when I 49:56 got back to America was find Jenny so I 50:00 phoned Moses in Boston 50:04 Okin eggs group has broken up he told me 50:07 I don't know what happened to Jenny I 50:10 heard that she went to Chicago but that 50:14 was five years ago 50:18 you have a telephone number or anything 50:20 I asked 50:22 it's an old number he said but perhaps 50:26 she's still there I phoned the number 50:29 and she wasn't 50:32 Jenny Curran I'm 50:35 or said she went to Indianapolis got a 50:39 job at the tempura Factory so I went to 50:44 Indianapolis on the bus 50:46 the temporary factory was outside the 50:50 town 50:50 I asked about jenni at the office and 50:53 the woman said yes 50:56 she works in here why don't you wait at 50:59 the side of the factory it's almost 51:01 lunchtime and she'll probably come out 51:04 so I did a lot of people came out at 51:09 lunchtime then Jenni came out she went 51:13 and sat under a tree on the grass and 51:16 began eating an apple I went up behind 51:20 her and said that looks like a nice 51:23 apple she didn't look up she just said 51:28 Forrest it 51:30 has to be you 51:32 a minute later I had my arms around her 51:35 and we were both crying people were 51:39 watching us with strange looks on their 51:41 faces but it didn't matter 51:43 Jenny and me were together again 51:48 I finished work in three hours forest 51:50 Jenny said why don't you wait for me in 51:54 that bar across the street then I'll 51:56 take you to my place so I waited in the 52:01 bar 52:02 and I got into the wrestling business 52:05 how I'll tell you it started when I arm 52:11 wrestled a man in the bar and won some 52:13 money on a bet that gave me an idea but 52:18 at first I didn't say anything to Jenny 52:21 she came across to the bar after work 52:24 and we had a drink and talked I saw you 52:29 on TV when he went up into space Forrest 52:32 she said and I told her all about that 52:36 and about sue the ape what happened to 52:41 him she asked I don't know I said but he 52:47 was a good friend later we went back to 52:51 Janie's flat and she said you can stay 52:55 here 52:57 next day when Jenny went to work I went 53:01 back to the bar several people wanted to 53:04 try armwrestling with me again and I 53:07 said okay none of them won because I was 53:11 too strong but plenty of people wanted 53:14 to try their luck after about a month I 53:19 was winning nearly $200 a week 53:21 armwrestling 53:23 then one day a man called Mac came into 53:27 the bar you can make a lot more money he 53:32 told me 53:34 how I asked wrestling real wrestling he 53:39 said I can teach you to make a long 53:44 story short he did Jenny wasn't happy 53:48 about the wrestling but I want a lot of 53:51 money sometimes by winning fights 53:54 sometimes by losing them because Mac 53:57 told me to lose them yes that happens 54:01 too but then I did 54:03 things stupid again I bet on myself 54:06 winning a fight after Mike told me to 54:09 lose it Jenny got really angry 54:13 it isn't honest she said I didn't listen 54:20 my money on myself to win and then I 54:23 lost the fight but there was worse to 54:26 come 54:27 when I got back to the flat Jenny was 54:30 gone and there was a letter waiting for 54:33 me it said 54:36 dear forest 54:38 you're doing something bad tonight it 54:41 isn't honest and I cannot go on with you 54:43 like this I think about having a house 54:47 and a family and things like that now 54:50 I watched you grow up big and strong and 54:54 good and then in Boston I realized that 54:59 I loved you and I was the happiest girl 55:01 in the world 55:03 but then there was that girl outside the 55:05 whole daddy Club then you went up into 55:08 space and I lost you for four years and 55:11 I think you changed and I think perhaps 55:15 I changed too I just want to live in an 55:19 ordinary way now so I must go and find 55:22 it I'm crying while I write this but 55:26 please don't try to find me goodbye my 55:29 dear love Jenny 55:34 and for the first time ever I knew that 55:37 I was a real idiot 55:45 chapter ten money for playing games I 55:50 decided to go home to mobile but the bus 55:54 stopped at Nashville on the way and I 55:57 went into town for a drink and something 56:00 to eat I was going past a hotel when I 56:04 looked in the window and saw some people 56:08 who were playing chess like I said 56:11 before big Sam taught me how to play 56:14 chess 56:15 when I was in the jungle well I went 56:19 into the hotel to watch them but it was 56:22 a special chess tournament and it cost 56:25 $5 to watch so I didn't go into the 56:29 chest room I was just walking out again 56:33 when I saw a little old man who was 56:37 playing chess with himself at a table 56:39 near the door I had another hour before 56:43 I had to catch the bus again so I went 56:46 across and watched him then I said if 56:50 you make that move you'll lose your 56:53 queen he didn't look up but after a 56:58 minute he said 57:02 perhaps you're right 57:04 it was time for me to get back to the 57:07 bus station 57:08 but when I started to leave the old man 57:11 said why don't you sit down and finish 57:15 this game with me 57:16 I can't I said I have to catch a bus so 57:23 he waved at me with his hand and I went 57:26 back to the bus station 57:28 but I missed the bus that evening and 57:30 there wasn't another one until the next 57:33 day 57:34 so I'll walk back to the hotel and there 57:38 was the little old man still playing 57:41 against himself he looked up and saw me 57:44 and told me to sit down 57:48 it took me an hour to win that chess 57:50 game just who are you he said after the 57:56 game Forrest Gump I said where did you 58:02 learn to play chess he asked in the 58:06 jungle I told him he looked surprised 58:11 aren't you in the tournament he asked no 58:15 I told him I'm going home and I'm going 58:19 to start a shrimp business 58:21 you can make a lot of money from chess 58:23 he said you're very good Emma I said the 58:31 old man's name was mr. Tribble 58:34 two days later we were on our way to Los 58:37 Angeles to a big chess tournament 58:41 we were a day or two early for the 58:43 tournament and mr. Tribble took me to 58:46 see some people who were making a film 58:49 they make a lot of films in Los Angeles 58:53 we were watching a man who was crashing 58:56 through a window in a film fight when a 58:58 man walked over to us are you an actor 59:02 he asked me who me I said 59:09 we're here for the chess tournament said 59:12 mr. Tribble but the other man was 59:15 looking at me 59:16 you are a big strong man aren't you he 59:21 said you're just what I need for a film 59:24 that I'm making my name is Felder he has 59:28 to play chess in a tournament tomorrow 59:31 said mr. Tribble 59:33 he hasn't got time to be an actor they 59:37 won't take long said mr. Felder so we 59:41 went with mr. Felder and I found myself 59:44 acting in a film about the jungle with 59:47 Raquel Welch the famous film star is 59:51 that really Raquel Welch I asked mr. 59:55 Felder 59:57 but things did not go well somehow when 60:02 I was helping miss Welch to escape from 60:04 the jungle her dress came off and I had 60:07 to run into the trees to hide her but 60:10 who do you think we met there sue the 60:14 ape he was in another film the three of 60:19 us ran out of there fast and miss Welch 60:22 shouted and screamed now things didn't 60:27 go very well I wasn't an actor for very 60:30 long 60:32 I think mr. Tribble was secretly pleased 60:34 I was pleased because I was back with 60:38 Sue again back at our hotel the three of 60:43 us sat in our room and tried to decide 60:46 what to do 60:48 it's going to be difficult traveling 60:50 with an ape said mr. Tribble he won't be 60:54 any trouble mr. Tribble I said but mr. 60:58 Tribble seemed worried next day was the 61:02 big chess tournament at the Beverly 61:04 Hills Hotel 61:06 mr. Tribble and I got there early and I 61:09 had to play chess all day it took me 61:13 about seven minutes to win the first 61:15 game and half an hour to win the next 61:20 I played all that day and the next and 61:23 suddenly I was in the final playing with 61:27 a Russian honest Ivan the best player in 61:31 the world he was a big man with long 61:34 black hair and he didn't want to lose it 61:40 was a long game honest Ivan was good 61:43 very good 61:45 but just when honest Ivan seemed to be 61:48 winning sue ran across the room and 61:51 jumped onto the chess table honest Ivan 61:55 fell off his chair and everybody started 61:58 screaming and running everywhere let's 62:02 get out of here Forrest shouted mr. 62:05 Tribble we got back to the hotel and 62:09 hurried up to our room Forrest said mr. 62:13 Tribble you're a wonderful chess player 62:17 but I never know what's going to happen 62:19 next here's half of the money that 62:22 you've won 62:23 it's almost $5,000 take sue back to 62:27 Alabama with you and start your shrimp 62:30 business 62:32 hand and gave me his address 62:37 time's forest good luck 62:45 chapter 11 the shrimp business 62:49 well I finally went home to mobile again 62:53 the train got into mobile station about 62:57 three o'clock in the morning and Sue and 63:00 I got off we walked into the town and 63:03 finally found a place to sleep in an 63:06 empty building the next morning I bought 63:10 some breakfast and got sooo some bananas 63:12 to eat then we went to see mom she was 63:16 pleased to see me 63:18 so forest she said you're home at last 63:24 yes mom I said but I didn't stay long 63:29 two days later sue and I got the bus to 63:33 Biola battery we're Bubba's parents lift 63:36 and I explained to Bubba's daddy about 63:39 the shrimp business that Bubba and I 63:41 planned to start after we came out of 63:44 the army he listened and he was very 63:48 interested and the next day he took Sue 63:52 and me out in his little boat to look 63:55 for a good place to start the shrimp 63:57 business 63:59 it took almost a month to start things 64:01 up to get nets and a boat and everything 64:07 finally the day came when Sue and I were 64:10 ready to go shrimping and by that night 64:13 we had hundreds and hundreds of shrimps 64:17 in our nets it was the beginning of my 64:21 shrimp business we worked hard all that 64:24 summer and that autumn and winter and 64:27 the next spring and after a year mom was 64:32 working for me and mr. Tribble and 64:35 Curtis my old football friend and 64:38 Bubba's daddy at the end of that year we 64:43 had $30,000 everybody was very happy but 64:48 me I was thinking of Jenny of course I 64:52 wanted to find her again 64:54 and one day I dressed in my best clothes 64:58 and got the bus to mobile and I went to 65:02 Jenny's mom's house 65:05 Forrest Gump she said when she saw me 65:09 come on in well we talked about mom and 65:15 the shrimp business and everything 65:18 then I asked about Jenny I don't hear 65:22 from her very often she said I think 65:26 they live somewhere in North Carolina 65:28 now 65:30 they I said didn't you know she said 65:35 Jenny married two years ago 65:39 why wasn't I ready for that news I don't 65:43 know but I wasn't and part of me seemed 65:47 to die when I heard it 65:50 Jenny only did what she had to do 65:52 because I'm an idiot a lot of people say 65:56 that they married an idiot but they 65:59 don't know what it's like to marry a 66:01 real one I cried that night but it 66:05 didn't help I'm just going to work hard 66:09 I told myself 66:12 all I can do and I did and at the end of 66:17 that year we had $75,000 time went on I 66:23 looked in the mirror and saw lines on my 66:27 face and gray in my hair the business 66:31 was doing well but I asked myself what 66:35 are you doing all this for 66:38 and I knew that I had to get away mr. 66:42 Tribble understood well why don't you 66:45 tell everybody that you're taking a long 66:48 holiday Forest 66:49 he said the business will be here when 66:53 you want it again 66:55 so I did soo came with me and we went to 67:00 the bus station 67:02 where do you want to go the woman in the 67:05 ticket office asked I don't know I said 67:10 why don't you go to Savannah she said 67:13 it's a nice town okay I said 67:22 chapter 12 little forest 67:27 sooo and I got off the bus at Savannah 67:30 then I went and got a cup of coffee and 67:33 sat outside the bus station what could I 67:37 do next 67:39 I didn't know so after I finished my cup 67:43 of coffee I took out my harmonica and 67:46 began to play I played two songs and a 67:51 man walked past and threw some money 67:53 into my empty coffee cup I played two 67:56 more songs and soon the cup was half 67:59 full of money by the end of the next 68:03 week we were getting $10 a day then one 68:08 afternoon when I was playing to some 68:10 people in the park I noticed that a 68:13 little boy was watching me carefully 68:15 then I looked up and saw a woman who was 68:19 standing near him 68:20 it was Jenny currant 68:24 her hair was different and she looked a 68:27 bit older and a bit tired but it was her 68:30 all right 68:31 and when I finished playing she held the 68:35 little boy's hand and came across she 68:38 was smiling 68:39 Oh Forrest I knew it was you when I 68:43 heard that harmonica nobody plays the 68:47 harmonica like you do 68:50 what are you doing here I asked her we 68:54 live here now 68:55 she said Donald works in a business here 68:59 in Savannah we came here about three 69:02 years ago 69:04 when I stopped playing the rest of the 69:06 people walked away jenny sat next to me 69:09 while the little boy started playing 69:12 with Sue 69:13 why are you playing your harmonica in 69:16 the park asked Jenny 69:19 mom wrote and told me about your shrimp 69:21 business and how rich you were it's a 69:25 long story 69:26 I said is that your little boy yes she 69:32 said 69:33 what do you call him 69:37 his name is Forrest she said quietly 69:41 then she went on he's half yours 69:46 he's your son forest 69:49 I looked at the boy who was still 69:52 playing with Sue my son 69:58 I knew that a baby was on the way when I 70:00 left Indianapolis said Jenny 70:04 I didn't want to say anything I don't 70:07 know why I was worried that perhaps 70:11 perhaps he would be an idiot 70:14 I finished for her 70:17 yes but Forrest he's not an idiot 70:21 he's really clever 70:24 are you sure that he's mine I asked I'm 70:29 sure said Jenny he wants to be a 70:33 football player 70:35 I looked at the boy can I see him for a 70:39 minute or two 70:42 course said Jenny and she called to him 70:45 Forrest I want you to meet another 70:49 forest he's an old friend of mine 70:54 boy came and sat down 70:56 what a funny animal you've got he said 71:01 he's an ape I said he 71:04 is sue why is it called sue if it's a he 71:09 I knew then that I didn't have an idiot 71:12 for a son your mom tells me that you 71:17 want to be a football player 71:19 yes he said do you know anything about 71:23 football a bit I said but ask your daddy 71:29 he'll know more than me he put his arms 71:34 around me for a second then went off to 71:37 play with Sue again Jani looked at me 71:42 how long have we been friends forest 30 71:45 years sometimes it doesn't seem true she 71:50 moved nearer and gave me a kiss 71:54 idiots said Jenny who isn't an idiot 72:01 then she got up and held lil forests 72:04 hand and they walked away well after 72:09 that I did a few things first I phoned 72:14 mr. Tribble and told him to give some of 72:17 my money from the shrimp business to my 72:19 mom and some to Bubba's daddy then send 72:24 the rest to Jenny and little Forrest I 72:27 said 72:29 at night I sat up thinking 72:33 perhaps I can put things right with 72:35 Jenny I thought 72:37 now that I found her again 72:40 but the more I thought about it the more 72:43 I finally understood that it was better 72:45 for the boy to be with Jenny and her 72:48 husband and not to have an idiot for a 72:51 father 72:52 an idiot 72:54 yes I'm an idiot 72:58 the time I just tried to do the right 73:00 thing

littleflute / english

Learn English Through Story - Story Of My Life - Practice Listening English #146