Ranjan and Sumer were good friends. They went to the same school and were in the same class.

Ranjan was not strong. He could not play football or other games with boys of his age.All that he did was to watch Sumer and other boys play. He usually went with them to the playground. When they ran off to play, he would sit under a tree and read storybooks. Books became his best friends. The reading made him successful in all the exams. He always stood first in the class.

Sumer was tall and athletic. He spent most of his time running, swimming or riding bicycles. He was an extremely good player in every game. He was a member of the school's football team and cricket team. The PE teacher thought he would make it big in the game when he grew up.

One day, the two friends went for a walk. Ranjan got tired soon.

“I have no strength. What is the use of all this knowledge? If I am not healthy? I would give away all my knowledge if I could be half as healthy and strong as you," said Ranjan.

Sumer was surprised and replied, “So you are not happy with yourself too? I always wished I could have done as well as you did in the studies. I even thought I could have given away my sporting skills for better grades in those exams. ”

The two friends looked at each other and cried out at the same time? “The grass looks greener on the other side of the hill. ”

Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendships don’t last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest(诚实的);be generous(宽宏大量的);be understanding.

Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust(信任) one another. If you don’t tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest, you may lose your friend’s trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.

Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You don’t have to give your lunch money or your clothes, or enjoyments, like your hobbies and your interests. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them, you help your friend know you better.

Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.

No two friendships are ever exactly alike (相同). But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friendships, you must practice honesty, generosity and understanding.