Once upon a time, there lived a rich man. He had a servant (仆人). He and the servant(仆人) loved wine and good food very much. Each time the rich man left his home, the servant would drink the wine and eat up all the nice food in the house. The rich man knew what his servant did, but he had never caught his servant doing that.

    One morning, when he left home, he said to the servant, “Here are two bottles of poison (毒药) and some nice food in the house. You must take care of them.” With these words, he went out.

    But the servant knew that the rich man had said was untrue. After the rich man was away from his home, he enjoyed a nice meal. Because he drank too much, he was drunk and fell to the ground. When the rich man came back, he couldn't find his food and his wine. He became very angry. He woke the servant up. But the servant told his story very well. He said a cat had eaten up everything. He was afraid to be punished, so he drank the poison to kill himself.

    One day, Lord Bao and his servant saw a little boy in the town. The boy usually sold oil in the street, but then he was crying.

    "Little boy, why are you crying?" asked Lord Bao. "Every afternoon I put my head on this stone and have a sleep," the boy said. "I always put my money next to me. But now it isn't here!"

    "I see," said Lord Bao. "So this stone is the thief!" He shouted at the stone, "Do you have this boy's money?" People in this street listened and laughed. They thought he was mad.

    Lord Bao turned to them, "Are you calling me mad? I must fine(罚款) each of you a one-cent coin(硬币) for that!" Everyone stopped laughing. Lord Bao's servant opened his bag. "Put your coins in this bag," said Lord Bao.

    Without speaking, people put their coins into the bag. Lord Bao watched very carefully. When a man in black put his coin into the bag, Lord Bao looked up at him. "You are the thief!" he said.

    "But how do you know?" people asked in surprise.

    Lord Bao carefully took the man's coin from the bag and said, "Look at the coin! The boy is an oil seller and always has oil on his hands. So this is the boy's coin, and this man is the thief."

    After a while attention to Tom ended, and the usual school murmur(嗡嗡读书声) rose upon the boring air once more. Now the boy began to steal secret glances(偷看) at the girl. She noticed it, made a face at him and gave him the back of her head for the space of a minute. When she slowly faced around again, an apple lay before her. She pushed it away. Tom gently put it back. She pushed it away again, but with less animosity(敌意). Tom patiently returned it to its place. Then she let it remain. Tom wrote on his paper, "Please take it. I got more." The girl glanced at the words, but made no sign.

    Now the boy began to draw something on the paper, hiding his work with his left hand. For a time the girl refused to notice, but her human curiosity soon began to show itself by hardly noticeable(明显的) signs. The boy worked on, seemingly not aware. The girl made some non-committal(含糊的) efforts to see, but the boy did not display that he was aware of it. At last she couldn't bear it and whispered: "Let me see it."

    Tom partly uncovered the picture of a house with some smoke rising from the chimney(烟囱). Then the girl's interest began to fasten itself upon the work and she forgot everything else. When it was finished, she gazed a moment, then whispered:

    "It's nice! Draw a man."

    The artist created a man in the front yard. She was satisfied, and whispered:

"It's a beautiful man—now draw me in it."

    Tom drew an hour-glass(沙漏) as the body, a full moon as her head and some arms added to it. The girl said:

    "It's ever so nice. I wish I could draw. No one has ever taught me that."

    "It's easy," whispered Tom, "I'll teach you."

    "Oh, will you? When?"

    "At noon. Do you go home for dinner?"

    "I'll stay if you will."

   "Good, that's a deal. What's your name?"

    "Has anyone seen my notebook?" Jo asked. "You're never going to see it again because I burned it!" Amy said. Jo's face turned pale. She grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "You're a wicked, wicked little girl!" Jo cried. " I'll never forgive (原谅) you !"

    When Mrs March came home and heard the story, she said to Amy, "How could you do that?" Those were stories Jo hoped to get printed in the newspaper."

    Amy realized what a terrible thing she had done and started to cry. Later, she begged Jo to forgive her, but Jo answered, "I'll never forgive you."

    The next day, Jo went to skate with Laurie. Amy went there, too. Jo turned away when she saw her.

    "The ice in the middle isn't safe!" called Laurie, "Stay near the edge." Jo heard the warning, but Amy didn't. She skated to the middle of the river. Suddenly, the ice cracked. Amy fell through the ice with a loud cry. Jo and Laurie pulled Amy out and quickly took frightened girl home.

    Mother wrapped Amy in blanket. She soon fell asleep. Jo asked her mother, "Are you sure she will be OK?" "Yes, it's a good thing you got her home so quickly."

    "Thanks to Laurie, it's my fault! I lose my temper (脾气) so easily. Why can't I be more like you?" "I get angry every day," said Mrs March. "But I've learned to hide it. I don't allow all of those angry words to leave my lips. You'll learn to do the same one day."

    Jo began to cry. This made Amy open her eyes and smile. Her smile hit Jo straight in the heart. They hugged on another. Everything was forgiven and forgotten.

    (Adapted from Little Women)