Three men came to New York for a holiday. They came to a very large hotel and took a room there. Their room was on the forty-fifth floor. In the evening the three men went to the theatre and came back to the hotel very late.

"I am very sorry”, said the clerk at the hotel, "but our lifts do not work tonight. If you don’t want to walk up to your room, we’ll make beds for you in the hall.”

"No,no”, said one of the three men, "no, thank you. We don’t want to sleep in the hall. We shall walk up to our room. ”

Then he turned to his two friends and said. "It is not easy to walk up to the forty-fifth floor, but I think I know how to make it easier. On our way to the room I’ll tell you some jokes; then you, Andy, will sing us some songs; then you, Peter, will tell us some interesting stories.”

So they began to walk up to their room. Tom told them many jokes; Andy sang some songs. At last they came to the thirty-four floor. They were tired and decided to have rest.

"Well”, said Tom, "now it is your turn, Peter. After all the jokes we heard on our way here tell us a long and interesting story with a sad ending.”

"I’ll tell you a sad story you ask me for”, said Peter.

"It is not long, but it is sad enough. We left the key to our room in the hall.”