B

    Most of us have ever imagined the life on a desert island. We sometimes imagine a desert island to be a sort of paradise(天堂) where the sun always shines. “Ripe fruit falls from the trees and you are free to sit around without any work. This is really a beautiful picture, isn't it? However, the other side of the picture is quite the opposite. Life on a desert island is awful. You either starve to death or live like Robinson Crusoe, waiting for a boat which never comes.

    Perhaps there is some truth in both these pictures, but few of us have had the chance to find out. We can only experience it in the story like the following.

    Many years ago, two men spent five days on a coral island and they wished that they could stay there longer. They were driving a badly damaged boat from the Virgin Islands to Miami to have it repaired. During the journey, their boat began to sink(下沉). They quickly put food, matches, and cans of beer into a rubber dinghy(救生筏) and rowed for a few miles across the Caribbean until they arrived at a tiny coral island.

    There were hardly any trees on the island and there was no water, but this did not seem to be a problem. The men collected rainwater in the rubber dinghy. As they had brought a gun with them, they had plenty to eat. They caught lobster and fish every day, and they thought they lived just like a king. Five days later, a tank passed by and saved them. However, they felt sorry that they had to leave

    A river was running happily in the hill, the valley(山谷) and the field. Soon it was stopped by a huge rock and the river was a little afraid and worried what it could do.

    The rock said, "Hi, baby！Where are you going？"

    The river answered, "I'm going to the sea. My mother is waiting for me."

    The rock made fun of the river and said, "You're too young. Go back to the hill at once. You can't get there. Don't come back here again!"

    The river was surprised to hear that and said, "I can only go forwards(向前).There's no river that goes backwards(向后)!"

    The rock became angry and warned the river. "Don't speak! If you don't go back, you will have to change your direction. Don't want to run over my body!"

    The river asked helplessly, "Where should I go？"

    "You can go anywhere you like. Just don't come close to me!"

    While they are talking, more and more water came here. Then it began to get out of control. The river ran quickly over the rock and the rock was washed pitifully.

    The river said proudly, "A weak person will change his goal and direction. A person who is strong will only go ahead and nothing can stop him!"

    Once upon a time, an old woman had two large water pots. Each hung on the end of a pole (杆子) which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect, From the river to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. And the other pot was always full. The perfect pot took pride in its talent. But the poor cracked pot felt sad for its own disadvantages.

    One day by the river the cracked pot said to the woman, "I feel bad about myself, because the crack in me causes water to come out all the way back to your house."

    The old woman smiled and said, "Why are there flowers on your side of the road, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your crack. So I planted flowers on your side of the road, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my house. There would not be this beauty without you. Each of us has our own cracks. But the cracks make our lives so interesting and beautiful."

    So, to all the cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the road!