Tom Longboat had always been fast. He learned to run as a young boy on the Six Nations Grand River Reserve in Ontario, Canada. He ran a long distance each day to get to school or to visit his family and friends.

    Sometimes running was the easiest part of Tom Longboat's life. As an aboriginal(土著的) athlete, life was hard for him. Other people tried to control how he trained and where he raced. But he chose to depend on his own spirit, mind and body, and would never back down.

    Tom Longboat won the Boston-Marathon in 1907 with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 24 seconds, 4 minutes and 59 seconds faster than the world record(纪录) at that time. The Boston newspaper said he was the most excellent runner who had sped over their roads.

    He took part in the Olympics and won many international marathons.

    His spirit lives on. Every year, the best aboriginal athlete in Canada is given the Tom Longboat Award.

    It was Sunday and Tom was staying at home. After breakfast he went out into the garden and played quietly by himself. There were no kids around and he was used to playing alone quietly. He played with Bobby, the dog. He climbed up and down the tree. Sometimes a bird would come down to perch on top of the doghouse. Then Tom would have the greatest fun by throwing a stone or something at it. Though he never made it, he did like doing this kind of thing.

    Now Tom had been in the garden for half an hour. Suddenly a crack was heard and the little boy began crying.

   "What's the matter, Tom?" his mother looked through the kitchen window. Tom ran into the kitchen.

   "Mum," he sobbed." I broke Bobby's plate. I didn't know it was so fragile."

    His mother put her arms round him and said," Don't feel so sad, Tom. We have other plates for Bobby. But how did you break that one?"

   "I threw it at a bird but missed, and it went straight to the plate."

    In Tom's hand was his father's gold pocket watch!

    One day, I walked into a stranger as he walked by me. "Oh, excuse me." I said. He replied with a smile and said, "Please excuse me, too. I wasn't watching out for you." We apologized(道歉) and went our own ways.

    Later that day, when I was cooking, my daughter was standing too close to me. When I turned to reach for some milk, I nearly knocked her over. "Move out of the way." I shouted. She walked away sadly. But I didn't feel like I had to apologize to her.

    While I was in bed that evening, my husband said to me, "Dealing with a stranger, you were polite, but with a daughter you love, you were unkind. Your daughter brought you some flowers that she picked herself this afternoon. You'll find them in the kitchen by the door. Have you seen the tears in her eyes?"

    I quietly went and knelt down by my daughter's bed. "Honey, I am so sorry." I said, "Are these the flowers you picked for me?" She said, "I found them by the tree. I picked them because they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like them especially the blue ones." I tearfully replied, "Sweetie, I'm really sorry for the way I acted today. I shouldn't have shouted at you." "It's okay. I love you anyway." she said as she kissed me on my cheek.

    If we can be polite to strangers, why can't we be kind to the ones we love?