Hidden Rewards 暗藏的獎賞

Once when there was a famine1）， a rich baker sent for twenty of the poorest children in the town， and said to them， "In this basket there is a loaf for each of you. Take it， and come back to me every day at this hour till better times come."

The hungry children gathered eagerly about the basket， and quarreled for the bread， because each wished to have the largest loaf. At last they went away without even thanking the good gentleman.

But Gretchen， a poorly-dressed little girl， did not quarrel or struggle with the rest， but remained standing modestly in the distance. When the ill-behaved children had left， she took the smallest loaf， which alone was left in the basket， kissed the gentleman's hand， and went home.

The next day the children were as ill-behaved as before， and poor， timid2） Gretchen received a loaf scarcely3） half the size of the one she got the first day. When she came home， and her mother cut the loaf open， many new， shining pieces of silver fell out of it.

Her mother was very much alarmed， and said， "Take the money back to the good gentleman at once， for it must have got into the dough by accident. Be quick， Gretchen！ Be quick！"

But when the little girl gave the rich man her mother's message， he said， "No， no， my child， it was no mistake. I had the silver pieces put into the smallest loaf to reward you. Always be as contented， peaceable， and grateful as you now are. Go home now， and tell your mother that the money is your own."

從前有一次鬧饑荒的時候，一位有錢的面包師派人把鎮上最貧窮的20個孩子叫來，對他們說：“這個籃子里的面包你們一人一個。把面包拿走，以后每天的這個時候過來找我，直到日子好過一點為止。”

饑餓的孩子們急切地聚集到籃子周圍，為面包爭吵起來，因為每個人都希望拿到最大的那個。最后，她們甚至都沒有謝謝那位好心的先生就離開了。

不過，格蕾琴——一個衣衫襤褸的小女孩——沒有跟其他人爭吵和搶奪，而是一直謙恭地站在遠處。等那群無禮的孩子離開以后，她拿起籃中僅剩的那個最小的面包，吻了那位先生的手，然后回家了。

第二天，孩子們還和之前一樣無禮，可憐而又羞怯的格蕾琴拿到的面包幾乎還沒有第一天的一半大。等格蕾琴回到家，她的媽媽切開面包時，許多枚閃閃發亮的嶄新銀幣從面包里掉了出來。

格蕾琴的媽媽大驚失色，她說：“這些錢肯定是不小心被放進面團里的，你立刻把錢給那位好心的先生送回去。快點，格蕾琴！快點！”

然而，當小女孩把媽媽的話轉達給那位有錢的先生時，他卻說：“不，不，孩子，我沒有弄錯。我在最小的那個面包里面放了這些銀幣，是為了獎賞你。你要一直像現在這樣知足、感恩，并且懷著平和的心態。現在回家吧，告訴你媽媽這些錢是屬于你們自己的了。”

1. famine [?f?m?n] n. 饑荒

2. timid [?t?m?d] adj. 膽怯的；羞怯的

3. scarcely [?ske?sli] adv. 幾乎不endprint