I was the typical“ I can't” child-whatever my mother told or asked me to do was immediately followed by my cry，“I can't．”As a result，very few tasks or goals that I set out to achieve were ever completed．

    One evening，my mother called me into the family room．“I want you to read this article，”Mother began．“It's about Marlo Thomas．She tells how a simple poem that she was forced to learn by her father changed her life • She went from saying 'I can't' to 'I can' •According to this article，she was able to reorganize her life and her career by learning the principles（原则）in the poem．”

    I took the small magazine from Mother and looked down at the pages．There was Marlo-my idol．Beside her photo was the poem my mother had spoken of，a simple poem entitled，“I Can”．

    “I want you to memorize that poem，”Mother said firmly．“Mama，”I belly-acheD． “I can't learn that poem．It's too long．”

“It's not too tong and you can learn it.1 want you to know it perfectly by this time tomorrow，”said my mother．Unwillingly，I went back to my bedroom with the magazine．With a heavy heart，Ithrew myself into the bed and began my task．

    “Can't is a word that is the enemy to ambition，”I began．I repeated the line．I repeated it again and again．“An enemy ambush to shatter your will…”I continued the process until I proudly recited the poem the following evening．It has now become my principle．Marlo 1 homas did not know me，but her story forever changed my life．

    Saying “I can”helped me to get through the worst moments of my life: Saying “I can” encouraged me to complete things I would have otherwise seen as out of my reach．A simple poem learned at seven is a poem that will support me to seventy-seven，maybe even longer．

    Tom was a farmer. He worked on the farm all day，but sometimes he went to the town market to sell fruit and vegetables. One day, a terrible sound attracted his attention in the town market. He saw a young bull for sale. The bull was white and yellow. It was looking at Tom in fear. Tom walked up and touched its head gently. Just at that time they both seemed to have known each other for a long time. How amazing！Tom bought it at once and called it Amba.

    From then on ， Tom and Amba got on well with each other. But some friends told him that it was dangerous to have such a close relationship with an animal.

    One afternoon， Tom was walking through the forest with Amba. Suddenly， Amba stopped walking and kept pushing Tom with its head. Tom was very surprised and looked around. There was a big snake in front of him. It was beautiful but poisonous. Quickly Amba stepped on the snake's tail with its foot and at the same time Tom picked up a stick and hit the snake's head heavily. Soon the snake died.

    Tom was very grateful for Amba's help. When people heard this, they were shocked at the bull's expression of love for Tom. But for Tom, Amba was not a bull but a member of his family.

    An old farmer lived on a farm with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early to read. One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! What good does reading do?"

    The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket to the river and bring me back a basket of water."

    The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out (漏出) before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You"ll have to move a little faster next time," This time the boy ran faster, but again the same took place. It was an impossible task.

    The old man said, "You're just not trying hard enough," So the boy tried a third time and failed. He said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"

    "So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."

    The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket into a clean one inside and outside.

    "You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. "

    This afternoon Alan and Frank do their homework in Mike's house. At five, Mike and Alan go and play baseball. Frank can't play it. He doesn't go with them. He sees some things on the desk. "Let me tidy it up(整理),"Frank says. "The black pencil and the yellow eraser are Mike's," he says and puts them in Mike's schoolbag. Then he puts the green pencil and the purple ruler in Alan's schoolbag.

    At six, Mike and Alan come back(回来).

    "Where is my green pencil?" Mike asks.

    "It's in my schoolbag. Is my black pencil in your bag?" Alan says.

    "Yes, it is. And your yellow eraser is in my schoolbag, too," says Mike.

    "I'm sorry, boys," Frank says.

    "That's all right, Frank. We should thank you. Next time we will tidy up the desk," Mike says.