第6章 TIT FOR TAT 针锋相对

A boy was one day sitting on the steps of a door. He had a broom in one hand, and in the other a large piece of bread and butter, which somebody had kindly given him. While he was eating it, and merrily humming a tune, he saw a poor little dog quietly sleeping not far from him. He called out to him, “Come here, poor fellow!”

The dog, hearing himself kindly spoken to, rose, pricked up his ears, and wagged his tail. Seeing the boy eating, he came near him. The boy held out to him a piece of his bread and butter. As the dog stretched out his head to take it, the boy hastily drew back his hand and hit him a hard rap on the nose. The poor dog ran away, howling most dreadfully, while the cruel boy sat laughing at the mischief he had done.

A gentleman, who was looking from a window on the other side of the street, saw what the wicked boy had done. Opening the street door, he called him to cross over; at the same time holding up a sixpence between his finger and thumb.

“Would you like this?” said the gentleman.

“Yes, if you please, sir,” said the boy, smiling; and he hastily ran over to seize the money.

Just at the moment that he stretched out his hand, he got so severe a rap on the knuckles, from a cane which the gentleman had behind him, that he roared out like a bull!

“What did you do that for?” said he, making a very long face, and rubbing his hand. “I didn't hurt you, nor ask you for the sixpence.”

“What did you hurt that poor dog for just now?” said the gentleman. “He didn't hurt you, nor ask you for your bread and butter. As you served him I have served you. Now, remember dogs can feel as well as boys, and learn to behave kindly towards dumb animals in future.”

Questions

What did the dog think he was going to get? What did the boy do to him? How was the boy punished? What did he say? What did the gentleman tell him to remember?

Pronunciation

eat'-ing fe'-low smil'-ing be-tween' to'-wards

qui'-et-ly has'-ti-ly o'-pen-ing be-have' an'-i-mals

laugh'-ing six'-pence knuck'-les kind'-ly gen'-tle-man

Write

seize fellow merrily

eating knuckles between

laughing mischief stretched

PROVERBS

The following are all the words required in this Exercise.

glit'-ters need'-y may per-form'

com-mand' quar'-rel num'-ber tongue

It takes two to make a ______.

All is not gold that______ .

Be slow to promise, but quick to ______.

A young man idle, an old man______ .

Do what you ought, come what______ .

Keep good company, and be one of the ______.

Better to slip with the foot than with the ______.

Command your temper, lest it ______you.

一天，一个男孩坐在门前的台阶上，一手握着一把扫帚，一手拿着一大片好心人给他的黄油面包。他吃着面包，愉快地哼着小曲。这时，他看到一条小狗静静地睡在离他不远的地方。他冲小狗喊道：“到这儿来，可怜的小家伙！”

小狗听到男孩这么友善地叫它，就竖起耳朵，摆着尾巴，站了起来。看到男孩在吃东西，小狗就向他走近了。男孩把黄油面包分了一块儿给小狗。当小狗伸出头去咬的时候，男孩迅速地抽回手去，并且朝小狗的鼻子重重地敲了一下。可怜的小狗恐惧地号叫着跑掉了。这个以他人的痛苦为乐的男孩坐在那里，为自己刚才的恶作剧哈哈大笑。

住在街对面的一位绅士从窗户里看到了这个顽皮男孩的所作所为。于是，他打开临街的大门，让这个男孩进来，同时手里还握着六个便士。“你想要这个吗？”这位绅士问道。

“是的，如果您愿意的话，我想要，先生。”男孩笑着回答，然后迅速跑过去抓这些钱。

就在他伸出手来的那一刻，绅士用放在身后的手杖朝男孩的关节重重地敲了一下。这个男孩立马疼得像头牛似地大吼大叫。

“你为什么这么做？”男孩揉着手臂，脸色阴沉地对绅士说，“我既没有伤害你，也没有向你要六个便士啊！”

“那你刚才为什么要伤害那条可怜的小狗呢？”绅士回答说，“它也没有伤害你，也没有向你要黄油面包啊。你既然这样对它，我也就这样对你了。现在，记住，狗像孩子一样，也是有感情的。以后你要学着友善地对待不能说话的动物。”