We live on a farm in Alaska. There are many wild animals in the quiet countryside there. One winter night, while walking outside with my son, Joe, I heard a cry.

A young fox was hurt. Every time she wanted to stand up, she fell back to the ground. We took her home, and on the way home we named her Vicky.

After a few days, Vicky began to eat and was more active. We opened the cage door and let her play in the house. Vicky stood, lost herbalanceand fell, and tried again. “Oh, Mom,” Joe said, “She’s so brave, and keeps trying.” After a few more tries, Vicky could stand, and later moved freely in the house.

One day I saw her walk to the door and take a breath(呼吸）of the outside air. I knew she wanted to go back to the wild. So we drove her to the forest.

“ Vicky ”, I said, stopping my car for a goodbye, ‘‘ look after yourself. ’’ She barked (叫）at me, the only time I heard her bark. Then she ran into the trees.

Monty Roberts was the son of a horse trainer who would go from farm to   farm training   horses. Once when he was a senior school student, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.

That night he wrote a seven-page paper talking about his goal of someday owning a horse ranch(养马场). He wrote about his dream and he even drew a plan for a large ranch.

The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, “See me after class.”

The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, “Why did I receive an F?” The teacher said, “I can’t give you a good grade. There’s no way you could ever realize your dream! You have no money! You come from a poor family! Owning a horse ranch needs a lot of money!”

The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, “Now, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.”

Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, “You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.”

Twenty years later, that same school teacher brought 30 kids to camp out on Monty’s ranch for   a week. When the teacher was leaving, he said, “Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. Luckily you had enough courage not to give up yours.”

“The Wicked Witch of the West is dead!” says Dorothy to her friends.

Everyone is very happy.

“We must go back to the Wizard (男巫) of Oz and tell him,” says Dorothy.

Soon, Dorothy and her friends arrive at the Emerald City. They are given glasses and led to the Wizard’s room. But no one is there.

A voice says, “I am the Wizard of Oz.”

“Where are you?” asks Dorothy.

“I am everywhere, but you can’t see me,” says the Wizard. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“Don’t you remember us? I’m Dorothy! I’m here with my friends—the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow (稻草人), and the Lion. The Wicked Witch of the West is dead and you must keep your promise. I want to go home to Kansas.”

“Yes,” says the Scarecrow. “You must give me a brain (大脑).”

“And you must give me a heart,” says the Tin Woodman.

“And I want some courage,” says the Lion.

“Is she really dead?” asks the Wizard.

“Yes, she is!” the friends all say.

“Come back tomorrow,” says the Wizard. “I must think about it.”

“No way! I’m going to eat you!” shouts the angry Lion.

Dorothy’s pet dog Toto, afraid of the Lion, jumps up and hits a big screen. It falls over and the friends see a little old man. They can’t believe their eyes.

“Who are you?” asks Dorothy.

“I am the Great Oz,” says the little man. “Please don’t hurt me!” “But the Wizard is a bighead with no body,” says Dorothy.

“No, it’s a beautiful woman,” says the Scarecrow.

“You’re wrong. It’s a monster (怪物) with five eyes, five arms and five legs,” says the Tin Woodman.

“No,” says the Lion. “The Wizard is a big ball of fire.”

“You are all wrong,” says the little man quietly. “______ I’m from Kansas too. I like travelling in hot-air balloons. That’s why I’m here. The people here think I’m a wizard because I come from the sky,” says the little man. “I live inside this room and never go out. I can’t let anyone see me. I must make everyone think I’m a real wizard.”

“The Emerald City isn’t green,” continued the little man sadly. “It just looks green, because everyone wears green glasses. I have no magic. It’s only a trick (把戏)! Everything here is a trick!”

—Adapted from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz