Once when there was a famine, a kind, rich baker sent for twenty of the poorest children in the town, and said to them, “In this basket there is a loaf for each of you. Take it, and come back to me every day at this hour till God sends us better times.”

從前在一次飢荒裡，有一位好心而富有的麵

包店老闆，他叫城裡最貧窮的二十名小孩來，

並對他們說：

「我在這個籃子

裡有一些麵包給

你們，每個人可

有一條。你們可

把它拿回家，然

後每天這個時候

再來拿，直到上

帝給我們較好的

日子過為止。」

The hungry children gathered eagerly about the basket, and most quarreled over the bread, because each wished to have the largest loaf. At last they went away without even thanking the good gentleman. But Gretchen, a poorly dressed little girl, did not quarrel or struggle with the rest, but remained standing quietly to to the side. When the ill- behaved children had left, she took the smallest loaf, which alone was left in the basket, kissed the gentleman’s hand, and went home.

那些飢餓的孩子們熱切地圍著籃子，他們大

部份人為了拿到最大條的麵包而爭吵。最後

他們拿著麵包走開了，甚至沒有謝謝這位好

心的人。

但是小晴這個衣

衫襤褸的小女孩

並不和他人爭

吵，她只是在

旁靜靜地等。

當那些沒規矩

的孩子離開後，

她拿起留在籃

子裡那條最小

的麵包，親吻

這位紳士的手，

然後才回家。

The next day the children were as ill-behaved as before, and poor, timid Gretchen received a loaf scarcely half the size of the one she got the first day. When she went home, and her mother cut the loaf open, many new shining pieces of silver fell out of it. Her mother was very much alarmed, and said, “Take the money back to the good gentleman at once, for it must have gotten into the dough by accident. Be quick, Gretchen! Be quick!”

次日這些小孩子還是一樣的沒規矩，而可憐

羞怯的小晴拿到的麵包只有昨天那條的一半

大。當她回到家裡，她的母親切開麵包時，

很多閃亮的嶄

新銀幣從裡面

掉出來。

她的媽媽因此

而十分關切這

件事，說：

「馬上把這些

錢還給那位先

生，因為一定

是有人不小心

的將它們掉到

麵團裡去的。

快一點，小晴，要趕快！」

But when the little girl gave the rich man her mother’s message, he said, “No, no, my child, it was no mistake. I had the silver pieces put into the smallest loaf to reward you. Always be as contented, kind, and thankful as you now are. Go home now, and tell your mother that the money is your own.”

If we give to others, yield to them to make them happy, or put their wishes above our own, we can sometimes feel like we’re losing out. But we’re not really. You never lose by giving.

但是當這個小女孩將母親的話轉告這位富人

時，他卻說：「不是的，孩子，沒有人不小

心，是我故意將這些銀幣放進最小的麵包裡

來獎賞你的。願你總是像現在那樣滿足、和

善又感恩。現在

回去告訴母親，

那些錢是要給你

的。」

如果我們給予他

人，順從他人的

意願來使他們快

樂，或將他們的

願望看得比我們

自己的願望更重

要的話，這樣做

有時會使我們覺得我們損失了；但是事實並

不是如此。你永遠不會因給予而有所損失。

Hidden – 暗藏的

Reward – 獎賞

Famine – 飢荒

Rich –富有

Baker – 麵包店老闆

Bread – 麵包

Hungry – 餓

Largest – 最大

Smallest – 最小

Quarreled – 爭吵

Money - 錢

雙語圖書 - www.freekidstories.org

Story adapted from McGuffey’s Third Reader. Photos © Treasure Attic.