The Driving Test

Paula moved from Madrid to Galway, in the west of Ireland, last year. She loved the city, but there was one problem: in Ireland, people drive on the left. She lost her Spanish license years ago, so she had to take the driving test again.

Her teacher, Declan, was very clear. "You must stop at every stop sign. You mustn't drive fast, and you mustn't forget your mirrors. If you do that, you will pass." Paula practiced every evening for three months.

On the day of the test, the examiner was a tall, serious man with a gray beard. He didn't smile. "Drive to the village and back," he said. "I will take notes." Paula's hands were cold, but she started the car slowly.

She stopped at every sign. She checked her mirrors. She drove at fifty kilometers an hour and not one kilometer more. The examiner wrote something, but he didn't say a word.

Then, on a narrow road outside the village, something happened. A farmer opened a gate, and fifty sheep walked onto the road. They stopped in front of the car and looked at Paula. "What must I do now?" she thought. "There is no sign for sheep!"

Paula stopped the car, turned off the engine and waited. The sheep didn't move. After ten minutes, the farmer waved and said, "Sorry! You can go now." Paula drove on slowly. She had to stop twice more for the last two sheep.

Back at the test center, the examiner looked at his notes for a long time. Then, for the first time, he smiled. "You passed," he said. "And you learned the most important rule in Ireland: you must always wait for the sheep."