The Bone in Throat

    Once upon a time, there was a lazy wolf living in a forest. Near his house was a pond. Many animals came to 1 to drink water. The wolf was always there in search of food.

    One day, he was sitting near the pond, hoping to get something 2. When suddenly he saw a dead bull, “Aha! What a luck! Now I can eat all I want.” he thought and his 3started watering.

    He began to eat the bull. A thought came into his mind, “if 4 beast comes this way, he will ask for a share. I had better eat 5.” ‘Grub! Grub! Grub!' he chewed, faster and faster. Suddenly, a piece of bone stuck in his throat. “Ohh! Errk!” cried the wolf. He tried to pull it out of his mouth. He tried to cough it out but it didn't 6 . Next, he tried to swallow (吞) it down but he failed.

    “Ooh, the bone in my throat hurts me. What 7 I do now?” thought the wolf. Soon he remembered that a crane (鹤) lived on the nearby river bank.

    The wolf went to the crane and pleased, “My dear Crane! I have got a bone stuck in my throat. I will give you a present 8 you pull it out of my throat.” The crane took pity on the wolf. He asked the wolf to look up 9 his mouth open. The crane then put its head into the wolf's mouth and pulled out the bone. “Oh! What a relief!” the wolf said. “Now where is my present?” asked the crane. “What present?” the wolf replied, pretending not remembering its promise. “You said that you would give me a present if I removed the bone from your throat,” said the crane angrily. “Hah! Isn't it a present that you put your head into my mouth and got out 10? I could have easily broken your head while your head was inside my mouth.”

    We live in a forest in Zambia(赞比亚). There aren't any neighbor 1nearby. And this community school is about an hour's drive from our home. It 2169 students from Grade 1 to Grade 7. There are four teachers in the school. They are volunteers and they teach students 3 getting any money. But sometimes students will give 4 teachers some chicken and corn. There are over 70 languages in Zambia. English is the most popular and 5 of the students can speak English.

    There is no running water in the school and the water pump(水泵) is broken. Teachers and students can't 6 it for two months. So they have to 7 their water from a nearby river. During school holidays, it always rains 8 and the grass grows taller and taller. When school opens again, students will 9 the grass and the school ground.

    Most children in Zambia go to the community schools 10 other schools are too far for them to go. They like their schools and they love their teachers.

    Since I came to my new neighbourhood，I have had the pleasure of meeting a few neighbours.They seem to be quite 1 people.For Christmas，I thought I would do something nice for each of the neighbours that I know.I sat down and 2 .There were nine neighbours，and I also knew which houses they lived in.

    However，I decided to3  one more person to my list，the lady I met every morning walking to work as I drove down the street.She always managed a sweet smile and a hearty wave（挥手），4 I had no idea which house she lived in.

    My gift idea was to make small 5 baskets and leave them on each of my neighbour's  front porches（门廊）the night of Chrismas Eve.I kept the last one for the friendly lady，since I was still not exactly sure where she lived 6 the house down about where I met her each morning.Finally I decided to put it there.My neighbours really enjoyed the baskets and a couple even came by to  7me.

    This morning on my way to work，I placed my mail in the mailbox and noticed a Thank You card.I opened it and read the 8 which really caught me by surprise.

    The card said，“Thank you for those lovely apples and strawberries you left on the porch of Tod.He 9 on January 19，but he never stopped talking about how nice it was that someone10  him in his time of illness.He really enjoyed it.”

    I was very11.I had no idea who Tod was or that he had been seriously12.I had left that nice lady's basket on Tod's porch by accident.I believe that Tod never expected to have that basket. I feel 13 that the nice lady did not get a basket from me this Christmas，but I believe that if she knew what had happened，she would 14me.

    I feel lucky to have helped Tod be more cheerful in his last days.This just makes me further believe that sometimes 15in life are beautiful.