Edison, a five-year-old boy had a nice holiday on the Big Island, Hawaii with his parents. The sun shone on the golden beach, and the sparkling sea unfolded in front of them. There were a large number of people on vacation, and the houses in the distance were neatly lined up. After Edison played for a while, he sat on the beach, enjoying the beautiful trees in the distance and listening to the cries of the seagulls (海鸥).
However, having recently returned from Hawaii, they were shocked by a TV news — a deadly wildfire on Maui steals Hawaiians’ homes and history. Scores of birds lay dead on the ground. Houses were burned to ruins, and cars were destroyed.
“Mum, do the kids have no toys or even a bed?” Edison asked sadly. “What shall I do to help them?”
“Will you donate your pocket money?” Mom asked.
“Sure, but that’s not enough. What about setting up a lemonade stand (柠檬水小摊) on the street? I think people are willing to buy something and give a helping hand.”
“Sounds great! My boy.” Dad agreed. “Besides pink and yellow lemonade, we can sell sandwiches, ice creams, candies and sparking water (气泡水).”
“Let’s start to make these things. It won’t take long.” Edison urged his parents.
The next few hours saw this family making sandwiches and lemonade, putting all the stuff on a stand, with a board saying “Food and Lemonade for Hawaii. One dollar per cup.”
“Will people buy our stuff?” Edison wondered.
Soon, drivers and passers-by stopped and made generous purchases. Even though the lemonade sold for 1 dollar per cup, they regularly paid 5, 10 or even 20 dollars.
“It is really considerate of you to do this. Please donate the change!” Touched by the behavior of Edison, people generously donated. “Thank you!” Edison expressed his gratitude to everyone who lent a helping hand.
With the collected funds, the family purchased essential supplies, such as food, water, blankets and toys. Though they were physically exhausted, they felt happy inside.
The family decided to go to the disaster-stricken island and offer their time and efforts.
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