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    The Mysterious Stranger

    It all began many years ago on a cold and windy day in December. The waves were beating against the shore of the rocky coast of New England.

    Sarah was sitting in the bay window of a big house,looking out at the gray sky.She was playing with her friends,Pounch and Polly.They were puppets.

    Sarah wishedshe had a real friend to play with.But there were no other children nearby,and she had not made any friends at boarding school either.

    Now that she was home for Christmas vacation, she felt very lonely.

    "I want to go out!"said Punch,"I want to go to the beach."

    "It's too cold and windy."Polly said.

     "Nonsense!"Punch said,"The wind is fun.Let's go."

    Sarah always sided with Punch, so she took the puppets and went outside.

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    The seagull were screaming above her as she made her way down to the shore.Usually, Sarah liked to play on the rocks.But today she didn't feel like it.She sat down and pulled the coat closer around her.The empty beach made her feel even more lonely than before.

    Sarah picked up Punch and Polly,hoping they would cheer her up.But now they only looked at her with their lifeless wooden faces.

    "Silly toys,"she said,and throw them down.

    With a stich, Sarah began to draw pictures in the sand.

    First she drew a picture of herself.Then very carefully she drew another figure right next to it.

    Suddenly Sarah had a     feeling that somebody was watching her. 

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    "What a nice picture of you and your friend,"said a voice next to her.

    With a jerk,Sarah turned around and found herself looking right into the face of a boy she had never seen before.

    "Who are you?"she asked."Where did you come from?"

    The boy didn't answer.He just smiled.Then finally he said,"Don't worry.It will turn out all right. You will have a best friend very soon."

    Sarah felt the blood rush to her face.She turned away.

    "Oh, really?"she said angrily."What do you know about it?One thing is certain:It won't be you.I don't like boys who like to scare people."

    She waited for him to speak.

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    But when Sarah looked up, the boy was gone. He was nowhere to be seen. Where could he have gone to fast?Was he hiding behind the rocks?

    "Hey!Come here!"Sarah cried."Where are you?"

    Sarah got up and searched the rocks.But she didn't find the boy anywhere.What's more, the only footprints in the sand were her own.

    Did I imagine it all?Sarah wondered.

    Neither the wind nor the waves would give her an answer.

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    The visit

    It was just before Christmas when Sarah saw the boy for the second time.Her parents had gone out and she was alone in the house, putting on a puppet show in the large drawing room.

    Suddenly he was there,standing behind the chairs.

    Sarah was stunned.She had not seen nor heard him enter.

    “You must come with me,”the boy said again."Bring your puppets.I need your help.Please."

    Sarah started to object,but there was something in his voice that stopped her.She knew she had to go with him.She got her coat,picked up her puppets, and followed the boy out of the house.

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    Silently Sarah walked behind the straner.Where was he taking her? What was wrong with him? Why didn't he wear a coat in this icy weather?

    They walked for a long while until they came to a very poor neighborhood. Sarah had never been in this part of town.

    Finally they came to an old rundown house.

    They climbed an outside staircase to the second floor.

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    There was a single room.Sarah could see a woman sitting beside a small bed.In the bed a girl seemed to be asleep.

    Then Sarah noticed that the woman had been crying.

    The boy pointed to the little girl."Show her your puppets,"he said.He looked at Sarah with such pleading eyes that she stepped closer to the bed.

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