The cheerful girl, Jenny, with golden hair was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw a necklace of shining white pearls in a pink metal box. Quickly the mother checked the back of the little metal box and then looked back into the begging blue eyes of her little girl’s upturned face. “A dollar and ninety­five cents. That’s almost $2. If you really want it, I’ll think of some extra housework for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy it for yourself. Besides, you might get another dollar bill from Grandma on your birthday a week away.”

After dinner back home, she did more housework and even she asked the neighbor for housework for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at least she had enough money to buy the cheap necklace from the dime store (廉价商店).

Jenny loved her pearl necklace. She wore it everywhere. The only time she took it off was when swimming.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, “Do you love me?”

“Oh, daddy. You know that I love you.”

“Then give me your necklace.”

“Oh, daddy, not my pearl necklace. But you can have my Barbie doll — the one you gave me. She’s my favorite.”

“That’s okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night.” And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

Daddy repeated the same request about a week after the story time. However, Jenny refused and wouldn’t give up her necklace to her daddy.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed, waiting for her father.

With tears in his own eyes, Jenny’s kind daddy reached out one hand to take the cheap necklace.

A GIFT FOR GRANDPA

Summer vacation was coming. Jack and his brother Berlin were filled with excitement as they thought of visiting their grandparents again.

The big day came at last. After the happy family got ready, they set out for the grandparents’ eagerly. On the way, the brothers were excitedly talking about the fun they had with grandparents.

A little blue house with a tall white chimney finally appeared. Behind the property was the forest carrying their good memories with Grandpa. They arrived at the driveway, at the end of which Grandma was waiting for them joyfully.

Jack and Berlin each gave Grandma a big hug and then swept to the living room, shouting   excitedly “Grandpa, we are back!”

Seeing his grandsons, Grandpa was wild with joy and tried to get up with all his strength from the chair but in vain. A helpless expression flashed on his face. Grandma explained that his health was declining rapidly and maybe couldn’t stand up on his own forever. But Grandpa declared stubbornly (倔强地), “I can!” Certainly, he was stuck in his boyish way. Mum and grandparents were happy to meet again after a long time. They sat together and chatted about what happened recently.

The brothers were soon bored with adult conversation, went out and wandered into the forest. Tall trees stretched up to the heavens with large branches crossing each other, while young ones rose straight like soldiers. Grandpa was once a great explorer full of wisdom. He could tell where the birds came from only by their calls and songs. The trees, birds, lizards, lots of bugs... How many merry moments they spent with Grandpa in the kingdom!

But now Grandpa couldn’t get up. This made them worried. “We’d think out a way to cheer him up.” Jack said. “Grandpa is a bird lover, and we can catch him a bird.” Berlin suggested. “But he hates birds being caged!” Jack shook his head.

Then a bright idea came to Jack’s mind. “Why not make a cane (拐杖) out of a young tree!”.

Jack and Berlin handed the cane to Grandpa.

When Mama and I were alone one day, she asked me how I would like her silver brooch(胸针)for a graduation present. “Mama,” I said reasonably,“what in the world would I want an old brooch for?”“It would be like an heirloom(传家宝), Katrin. It was your grandmother’s.” “No, thank you,Mama.”“I could polish it up, Katrin.”I shook my head.“Look, Mama, a graduation present is something like that beautiful dresser set in Mr. Schiller’s window.” Mama looked worried, but she didn’t say anything.

Graduation night was full of excitement.I didn’t forget a single word of my part in the play. And when I went up to the platform for my certificate, the applause for me was long and loud. And when I got home — there was the pink dresser set!However, when I opened my wonderful present excitedly,Christine looked at me for a long time.

“Why do you look at me like that, Christine?”

“You got what you wanted, didn’t you?”She pointed to the dresser set.“Trash(垃圾),”she said,“cheap trash.”

“Don’t you dare talk about my lovely present like that! You’re jealous(嫉妒的). I’ll tell Mama.”“And while you’re telling her,” Christine said,“ask her what she did with her silver brooch. The one her very own mother gave her. Ask her that.”I looked at Christine with horror.“What? You mean—Did Mama—”Christine walked away.

I grabbed up the dresser set and ran to the kitchen.“Papa, Papa!”I cried. “Did Mama—Christine says——”I started to cry then, and Papa had me sit on his lap. After my weeping had stopped, Papa talked to me very seriously. It was like this, he said. Mama had wanted my happiness more than she had wanted the silver brooch. So she had traded it to Mr. Schiller for the dresser set.“But I never wanted her to do that, Papa.”“It was what Mama wanted to do, Katrin.”

I stood up slowly——I knew what I must do.

So I walked out of Mr. Schiller’s store with Mama’s brooch.