A reply from lost property

Mei takes a train to visit her sister. At her sister’s home, she notices that her small bag is missing. She left it on the train. She sends an email to the station’s lost property office, where workers keep things that passengers leave behind.

The next morning, she receives a reply.

“Hello Mei,

Thank you for your message. You said your bag is green. We have two green bags here, so we need more information. Please describe the outside of your bag and one thing inside it. Does it have a special mark or a different colour on one part? Please reply to this email. Wait for our next message before coming to the station. We need to check which bag is yours.”

Mei is happy that there may be a bag for her, but she reads the email again. The worker has not said that either bag is hers.

She writes, “My bag has a yellow strap and a small pocket on the front. Inside, there is a notebook with a picture of a bicycle on its cover.”

Mei sends her reply and waits. She does not go to the station yet. She knows that “green” is not enough: the other details will help the worker check her bag.