第9章 TELL THE TRUTH 诚实的孩子

There was once a little boy whose name was George, and his father one day gave him a small axe to play with.

George was greatly pleased with it, and took it with him to the garden. He roamed about, trying it upon nearly every thing that came in his way.

At last he came to a young cherry-tree, and began to try the axe on it. He soon made some deep cuts in the tree. And then he walked away to another part of the garden.

This cherry-tree was greatly prized by his father; but George forgot all about that.

By-and-by his father came to that part of the garden where the tree stood. He was very sorry when he found his fine cherry-tree almost ruined.

“George!” said he sternly to his son, “who has done this?”

Did George answer, “I don't know, father?” O no. Did he lay the blame on any one else? O no.

With tears in his eyes he looked up to his father's face. “Father,”said he, “I can't tell a lie — I did it.”

Noble boy! He was not afraid to tell the truth; and his father at once forgave him.

Boys are often tempted to speak what is not the truth. When that happens let each one think of George, and try like him to say, “I can't tell a lie.” Come what may, boys, speak the truth.

“Speak the truth, and speak it ever.

Cost it what it will;

He who hides the wrong he did

Does the wrong thing still.”

The boy of this story became one of the greatest men that ever lived. He was George Washington.

Questions

What did George get from his father? What did he try it upon? What did he at last injure very much with it? Whom did this make very sorry? What did his father say to him? What did George answer? What did this boy become? Who was he?

Pronunciation

Fa'-ther try'-ing be-gan' ru'-ined sto'-ry

great'-ly near'-ly a-way' an-swer' be-came’

gar'-den ev'-er-y an-oth'-er no'-ble great'-est

a-bout' cher'-ry-tree for-got' for-gave' Wash'-ing-ton

Write

once prized found truth

George roamed wrong lived

PROVERBS

Better to slip with the foot than with the tongue.

He is wise who speaks little.

As the tree is, such is the fruit.

从前有个名叫乔治的小男孩，有一天他爸爸给了他一把小斧头玩。

乔治非常喜欢这把小斧头，带着它去了花园。他边走边挥舞着斧头。

最终他来到一棵小樱桃树下，开始用斧头砍樱桃树。不久他就在樱桃树上留下深深的切口。然后他就走到了花园另一头。

他父亲非常喜欢这颗樱桃树，但乔治完全忘记了这回事。

过了不久父亲来到樱桃树下。他发现长得很好的樱桃树几乎被毁了，非常生气。

“乔治！”他严厉地对儿子说：“谁干的？”

乔治回答道，“爸爸，我不知道？”哦，不。难道他会因此惩罚其他人吗？哦，不。

他抬头看着父亲，眼里满含泪水。“爸爸，”他说，“我不能撒谎……”多么勇敢的孩子！他敢说实话；他爸爸立刻就原谅了他。

男孩子经常经不住诱惑会说谎。如果发生了类似的情况，让他们想想乔治的故事，像乔治那样，“我不能说谎。”男孩子们，不论发生了什么，都要说实话。

说实话，说出来。

不论付出什么代价；

如果他隐藏了错误，

错误永远会存在。

这个故事的主人公成了历史上伟人之一。他就是乔治·华盛顿。

谚语

宁可失脚滑倒，不可随口失言。

聪明的人话不多。

长什么树，结什么果。