Once there lived in our town a poor family. They were so poor that there was almost _____ in the house but a pot(罐)   ____   a broken table. In it there was a little rice. They ____ the rice from their neighbour for the coming New Year. On New Year’s Eve(除夕夜), the wife already fell asleep, but the husband was ____ in bed, worrying about their life. Suddenly, he heard someone breaking into the room.

“It must be a thief(小偷),|” he thought,“ _____ it doesn’t matter. The thief can steal nothing.”He didn’t shout or move. But he kept ____ over the thief. The thief came into the house and was only ____ in the rice under the table.

“But ____   can I take it away?” the thief thought hard. Then he had an idea. He ____ his coat, put it on the ground between the bed and the table and turned around to take the ____ .

Now the husband knew   ____   the thief would do. He picked up the coat quickly and covered himself with it ____ the thief turned back.

The thief took the pot, and poured the rice onto the coat. Then he began to feel it. But he was ____ to find that his coat was gone.

“Hey,” he shouted out. The ____ woke up the wife. She asked her husband, “Did you hear any sound? Maybe there is a thief in the room.”

“Shut up!” replied her husband. “ ____   to sleep. There is no thief in the room.”

“That’s impossible,” the thief shouted loudly, “If there isn’t a thief, then, where is my coat?”