It was around eleven o'clock at night, and Mrs. Jones was walking alone when a young boy suddenly appeared from behind and attempted to grab her purse. The strap (带子) broke with a single pull, combined with the weight of the purse, which caused him to lose his balance. Instead of making a quick escape, he fell on his back, legs flailing (用力地胡乱挥动) in the air. The woman swiftly turned around and delivered a swift kick to his behind. Then, she bent down, picked the boy up by his shirtfront, and shook him until his teeth rattled (咯咯作响) .

Mrs. Jones asked, “What possessed you to do that?” The boy replied, “I didn’t mean to.” She accused him of lying, to which the boy admitted, “I'm sorry, lady.”

The woman then pointed out, “Your face is dirty. Don’t you have anyone at home to remind you to wash your face?” The boy replied, “No, ma’am.” She stated that his face would get washed later in the evening and started to walk up the street, dragging the boy along with her back home.

Upon arriving at her home, Mrs. Jones sent the boy to the washroom for a face wash, finally setting him loose. The boy, who seemed to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, had a thin but strong build and was dressed in tennis shoes and blue jeans. Mrs. Jones thought if he had been her son, she would have taught him right from wrong.

“You gonna take me to jail?” asked the boy, bending over the sink.

“Not with that face,” said the woman. “I was trying to get home to cook me a bite to eat and you took my purse! What do you want the money for?”

The boy admitted he wanted a pair of blue suede (绒面革) shoes, but the woman pointed out that instead of grabbing her purse to obtain them, he could have asked her. The boy was surprised by her response.

Mrs. Jones offered the boy something to eat and asked if he needed to go to the store for any groceries.

Once they finished eating, she handed him thirty dollars and told him to buy himself a pair of blue suede shoes.

Robin, an outgoing but thin boy, is so keen on archery(射箭)that he will practice in woods every weekend.

Having strived for the higher standards, he is skilled in archery.

One morning, Robin arose early and stood near a window, looking at a forest in the distance. Misty clouds were rising from the forest, and sunlight through them was shining on the trees. The bushes and maple trees were becoming red, gold and orange, confirming that autumn had already arrived. It was a fine autumn day, clear and mild. He could see birds leaping from branch to branch, and it seemed that he could hear them lively singing. Robin was cheerful and decided to go out to practice his archery and have a picnic in the forest. He told his mother his plan and prepared for his little trip. A few minutes later, it was time for Robin to set off. He picked up his quiver(箭袋)of arrows, and his mother gave him a picnic wrapped in a cloth. “There’s a freshly roasted chicken,” she told him. “And a big pie for dessert. Enjoy your time practicing archery!”

Robin left his cottage and hiked down the path towards the forest. On the way to the forest, he passed a big apple tree. Apples in the tree were ripe and looked so big and bright red that he wanted to have a taste. Then, Robin took aim at an apple and shot it down with ease. “Yummy!” Eating the sweet apple, he continued to move forward and made up his mind to practise more.

When he entered the woods, two shabby kids jumped out suddenly and held him up. Robin stopped, slightly looking up at them: one is taller, the other one is stronger! “What’s in that bag, skinny monkey?” asked the taller boy, who wore a red tunic (短袍). The stronger boy had blond hair that hadn’t been cut or combed for a long time, glaring at Robin, “Is it food? Give us your lunch-or there will be trouble!” he threatened. Robin was nervous but quickly calmed down.

“I will give you all my food if either of you can defeat me in an archery competition! ” Robin replied.

As Robin looked at the boys’ disappointed eyes, a good idea occurred to him.

“Why do you want to be a teacher?” I never explain it without the usual obvious reasons, such as my love of children or wanting to make a difference. It was not until I met Kathy that I truly knew the reason I wanted to be a teacher.

I was running a summer program. A seventh grader, a young girl walked through the door and I thought to myself, “This is going to be a long summer.” She was a student at my school, and I was well aware of who she was even though I was an eighth teacher. Her reserved place in the principal office was well known by the eight teachers as we prepared our sales for those students who were going to need extra attention.

I racked my brain (绞尽脑汁) trying to figure out what I was going to do with her. I usually had my older students act as classroom helpers for the younger grades, so I decided that this would be a good spot for her. Little did I know how that one little decision would change my life.

Kathy transformed before my eyes. She showed love and patience with the children in that classroom. She was responsible and caring and she began referring to those students as “her kids”. I witnessed a natural teacher blooming. I had an unforgettable summer with Kathy.

Soon the school year began and Kathy and I were together again. This time I was her teacher. Kathy continued to volunteer with “her kids” at my after-school program. Her smile was infectious and her sense of humor amazing. Before graduation, Kathy thanked every person there for believing in her and giving her a chance. She was truly grateful. There was not a dry eye on the scene.

We continued to keep in touch when Kathy went to high school and then university. Once she sent a letter to me, thanking me again, for giving her a chance and believing in her. She also stated that she had made her final decision and she was going to be a teacher! I don’t know I could have felt more pride than I did at that moment.

Several years later, I came across Kathy while shopping one afternoon.

Now when I think about why I became a teacher I think of Kathy.