圣诞节 童话故事

A Brother Like That

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.

Is this your car, Mister? he said.

Paul nodded. My brother gave it to me for Christmas. The boy was astounded. You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you nothing? Boy, I wish . . . He hesitated.

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.

I wish, the boy went on, That I could be a brother

like that.

Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, Would you like to take a ride in my car?

Oh yes, Id love that.

After a short ride, the boy turned with his eyes aglow, said, Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?

Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. Will you stop where those two steps are? the boy asked.

He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day Im gonna give you one just like it . . . then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that Ive been trying to tell you about.

Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said: It is more blessed to give . . .

内容：

哥哥的心愿

圣诞节时，保罗的哥哥送他一辆新车。圣诞节当天，保罗离开办公室时，一个男孩绕着那辆闪闪发亮的新车，十分赞叹地问：

先生，这是你的车？

保罗点点头：这是我哥哥送给我的圣诞节礼物。男孩满脸惊讶，支支吾吾地说：你是说这是你哥送的礼物，没花你一分钱？天哪，我真希望也能……

保罗当然知道男孩他真想希望什么。他希望能有一个象那样的哥哥。但是小男孩接下来说的话却完全出乎了保罗的意料。

我希望自己能成为送车给弟弟的哥哥。男孩继续说。

保罗惊愕地看着那男孩，冲口而出地说：你要不要坐我的车去兜风？

哦，当然好了，我太想坐了！

车开了一小段路后，那孩子转过头来，眼睛闪闪发亮，对我说：先生，你能不能把车子开到我家门前？

保罗微笑，他知道孩子想干什么。那男孩必定是要向邻居炫耀，让大家知道他坐了一部大轿车回家。但是这次保罗又猜错了。你能不能把车子停在那两个台阶前？男孩要求道。

男孩跑上了阶梯，过了一会儿保罗听到他回来了，但动作似乎有些缓慢。原来把他跛脚的弟弟带出来了，将他安置在第一个台阶上，紧紧地抱着他，指着那辆新车。

只听那男孩告诉弟弟：你看，这就是我刚才在楼上对你说的那辆新车。这是保罗他哥哥送给他的哦！将来我也会送给你一辆像这样的车，到那时候你就能自己去看那些在圣诞节时，挂窗口上的漂亮饰品了，就象我告诉过你的那样。

保罗走下车子，把跛脚男孩抱到车子的前座。兴奋得满眼放光的哥哥也爬上车子，坐在弟弟的身旁。就这样他们三人开始一次令人难忘的假日兜风。

那个圣诞夜，保罗才真正体会主耶稣所说的施比受更有福的道理。

A man came home form work late, tired and found his 5 years old son waiting for him at the door. Daddy, may I ask you a question? Yeah, sure, what is it? replied the man. Daddy, how much do you make an hour? If you must know, I make $20 an hour. Oh, The little boy replied, with his head down, looking up, he said, Daddy, may I please borrow $10 the father was furious, If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy, then you go to bed. The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down. And started to think. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.” Are you asleep, son? he asked. no daddy, replied the boy. I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier. said the man, Here's the $10 you asked for. the little boy sat straight up, smiling. Oh, thank you daddy! he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father. Why do you want more money? Is you already have some? the father asked. Because I didn't have enough, but now I do.”The little boy repiied, Daddy , I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.

Little Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her, but most of all by her grandmother, and there was nothing that she would not have given to the child. Once she gave her a little riding hood of red velvet, which suited her so well that she would never wear anything else; so she was always called 'Little Red Riding Hood.'

One day her mother said to her: 'Come, Little Red Riding Hood, here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine; take them to your grandmother, she is ill and weak, and they will do her good. Set out before it gets hot, and when you are going, walk nicely and quietly and do not run off the path, or you may fall and break the bottle, and then your grandmother will get nothing; and when you go into her room, don't forget to say, Good morning, and don't peep into every corner before you do it.'

'I will take great care,' said Little Red Riding Hood to her mother, and gave her hand on it.

The grandmother lived out in the wood, half a league from the village, and just as Little Red Riding Hood entered the wood, a wolf met her. Red Riding Hood did not know what a wicked creature he was, and was not at all afraid of him.

'Good day, Little Red Riding Hood,' said he.

'Thank you kindly, wolf.'

'Whither away so early, Little Red Riding Hood?'

'To my grandmother's.'

'What have you got in your apron?'

'Cake and wine; yesterday was baking-day, so poor sick grandmother is to have something good, to make her stronger.'

'Where does your grandmother live, Little Red Riding Hood?'

'A good quarter of a league farther on in the wood; her house stands under the three large oak-trees, the nut-trees are just below; you surely must know it,' replied Little Red Riding Hood.

The wolf thought to himself: 'What a tender young creature! what a nice plump mouthful - she will be better to eat than the old woman. I must act craftily, so as to catch both.'

So he walked for a short time by the side of Little Red Riding Hood, and then he said: 'See, Little Red Riding Hood, how pretty the flowers are about here - why do you not look round? I believe, too, that you do not hear how sweetly the little birds are singing; you walk gravely along as if you were going to school, while everything else out here in the wood is merry.'