Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway The hills across the Ebro Valley were long and white. On this side there was no shade or trees and the station was between two lines of tracks in the sun. Close to the side of the station was the warm shade of the building, and a curtain, made of strands of bamboo beads, hung across the open door of the bar, to keep the flies away. The American and the girl who was with him sat at a table in the shade outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would arrive in forty minutes. He stopped at this intersection for two minutes and went to Madrid. "What shall we drink?" the girl asked. She had taken off her hat and placed it on the table. "It's nice and warm," the man said. "Let's drink beer." “Dos cervezas,” the man said through the curtain. “Big?” a woman asked from the doorway. "Yes. Two big ones.» The woman brought two glasses of beer and two felt pads. He put the felt pads and the glass of beer on the table and looked at the man and the girl. The girl was looking at the line of hills. They were white in the sun and the countryside was brown and dry. “They look like white elephants,” he said. “I've never seen one,” the man drank his beer. "No, you couldn't have." “I might have,” the man said. “Just because you say I wouldn't do it, doesn't prove anything.” The girl looked at the beaded curtain. "They painted something on it," he said. “What does it say?” «Anis del Toro. It's a drink." "Can we try it?" The man shouted "Listen" through the curtain. The woman walked out of the bar. "Four reales." "We want two Anis del Toro." "With water?" "You want it with water ?" "I don't know," said the girl. "Is it okay with water?" "Okay." "Do you want them with water?" asked the woman. "Yes, with water." "You know of liquorice," the girl said and put the glass down. "It's like that for everything." "Yes," said the girl. "Everything tastes like licorice. Especially all the things you've been waiting for for a long time, like absinthe.''Oh, stop it.' the girl. "I was having fun.''Well, let's have fun.''Okay. I was trying this new one drinks.