Lesson 16　A Kind Brother　第16課　善良的哥哥

full load heavy middle heavier

slip wrong handle brother deceived

A boy was once sent from home to take a basket of things to his grandmother.

The basket was so full that it was very heavy. So his little brother went with him, to help carry the load.

They put a pole under the handle of the basket, and each then took hold of an end of the pole. In this way they could carry the basket very nicely.

Now the older boy thought，"My brother Tom does not know aboutthis pole.

"If I slip the basket near him, his side will be heavy, and mine light；but if the basket is in the middle of the pole, it will be as heavy for me as it is for him.

"Tom does not know this as I do. But I will not do it.It would be wrong, and I will not do what is wrong."

Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole. His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.

Yet he was happy；for he felt that he had done right. Had he deceived his brother, he would not have felt at all happy.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

從前有個男孩，他要從家里送一籃子東西去給他的奶奶。

籃子裝得太滿了，特別重。所以他的小弟弟跟他一起去，幫他抬籃子。

他們在籃子的提手下面放了一根棍子，然后他們每人各抓住棍子的一端。這樣，他們就能很好地抬起籃子。

現在，哥哥想：“我弟弟湯姆并不了解這根棍子。”

“如果我把籃子向他那邊滑一點，他那端就會比較重，我這邊就會輕點；但是如果籃子在棍子的中間，兩端就會一樣重。”

“湯姆不會像我一樣了解這點。但是我不會那樣做的。那是錯的，錯的事情我是不會做的。”

于是，他把籃子盡可能地移到自己這端。現在，他承受的重量比弟弟重。

然而，他很開心。因為他知道自己做對了。倘若他欺騙了自己的弟弟，他就不會感到任何快樂了。