介绍:
The Potato Puppy/ 土豆小狗
My four-year-old son，Shane，had been asking for a puppy for over a month，but his daddy kept saying，“No dogs！ A dog will dig up the garden and chase the ducks and kill our rabbits. No dog， and that，s final！”
Each night Shane prayed for a puppy，and each morning he was disappointed when there was no puppy waiting outside.
I was peeling potatoes for dinner，and he was sitting on the floor at my feet asking for the thousandth time，“Why won，t Daddy let me have a puppy？”
“Because they are a lot of trouble. Don，t cry. Maybe Daddy will change his mind someday，”I encouraged him.
“No，he won，t，and I，ll never have a puppy in a million years，”Shane wailed.
I looked into his dirty，tear-streaked face. How could we deny him his one wish？ So I said the words that were first spoken by Eve，“I know a way to make Daddy change his mind.”
“Really？”Shane wiped away his tears and sniffed.
I handed him a potato.“Take this and carry it with you until it turns into a puppy，” whispered.“Never let it out of your sight for one minute. Keep it with you all the time，and on the third day，tie a string around it and drag it around the yard and see what happens！”
Shane grabbed the potato with both hands.“Mama，how do you make a potato into a puppy？”He turned it over and over in his little hands.
“Shh！ It，s a secret！”I whispered and sent him on his way.
Shane faithfully carried his potato around for two days； he slept with it bathed with it and talked to it.
On the third day I said to my husband，“We really should get a pet for Shane. He，s been carrying a potato around with him for days. He calls it Wally and says it is his pet. He sleeps with it on his pillow，and right now he has a string tied to it and he，s dragging it around the yard.”
“A potato？”my husband asked and looked out the window and watched Shane taking his potato for a walk.
“It will break his heart when the potato gets mushy.”said and started getting out food for lunch.“Besides，every time I try to peel potatoes for dinner，Shane cries because he says l，m killing Wally，s family.”
“A potato？”my husband asked.“My son has a pet potato？”
“Well，”I said shrugging，“you said he couldn，t have a puppy. He was so disappointed，in his mind，he decided he had to have a pet.”
“That，s crazy！”my husband said.
“Maybe you，re right，but explain to me why he is dragging that potato around the yard on a string，”I said.
My husband watched our son for a few more minutes.“I guess a puppy can，t be that much trouble，”he sighed.“It，s better than a potato.”
That night Shane，s daddy brought home a wiggling puppy and a pregnant white cat that he took pity on while he was at the shelter.
Everyone was happy. My husband thought he，d saved his son from a nervous breakdown. Shane had a puppy，a cat and five kittens and believed his mother had magic powers that could change a potato into a puppy. And I was happy because I got my potato back and cooked it for dinner.
Everything was perfect until one evening when I was cooking dinner，Shane tugged on my dress and asked，“Mama，do you think I could have a pony for my birthday？”
I looked into his sweet little face and said，“Well，first we have to take a watermelon....”
一个多月以来，我那4岁的儿子沙恩一直在向我们要一只小狗，但是他的爸爸坚持说：“不能养狗！狗会在花园里用爪子刨地，会撵鸭子，会咬死兔子。不能养狗，就这样！”
每天晚上，沙恩都祈求得到一只小狗，而每天早上，当他看到外面没有小狗的时候，他就会大失所望。
那天，我正在削土豆准备晚餐，而他就坐在我脚下的地板上，第1，000次问我：“爸爸为什么不让我养一只小 狗？”
“因为小狗会惹出许多麻烦。别哭，也许有一天爸爸会改变主意的。”我鼓励他。
“不，他不会改变主意的，我100万年也别想拥有一只小狗了。”沙恩嚎啕大哭。
我看着他那脏兮兮的、涕泗交流的小脸。我们怎么能够拒绝他这唯一的愿望呢？于是，我说出了夏娃第一次说 过的话：“我有一个办法可以使爸爸改变主意。”
“真的吗？”沙恩用手抹掉眼泪，吸着鼻子问。
我递给他一只土豆。“拿着这个。你要一直带着它，直到它变成一只小狗，”我悄声说。“一刻也别让它离开 你的视线。时刻把它带在身边。到第三天，你用一根绳子系住它，拉着它在院子里到处跑，然后看看会发生什 么事情！”
沙恩用双手抓住那只土豆：“妈妈，你怎样能使一只土豆变成小狗呢？”他把土豆放在小手上翻过来倒过去地看。
“嘘！这是个秘密！”我低声说道，然后就让他自己玩去了。
两天来，沙恩虔诚地把他的土豆带在身边；他睡觉的时候带着它，洗澡的时候带着它，还跟它说话。
到了第3天，我对丈夫说：“我们确实应该给沙恩一只宠物。他把一只土豆带在身边有好几天了。他把它叫做沃利，说那是他的宠物。他睡觉的时候把它放在枕边，刚才他用一根绳子系着它，现在，他正拖着它在院子里跑 呢。”
“一只土豆？”丈夫边问边透过窗户向外看去，看到沙恩正在遛他的土豆。
“如果土豆腐烂成了土豆泥，沙恩会伤心的，”我说着，便开始准备午餐。“而且，每一次我想削土豆做晚餐的时候，沙恩都会大哭，他说我正在杀死沃利的家族。”
“一只土豆？”丈夫问道。“我的儿子有一只宠物土豆？”
“噢，”我耸了耸肩说，“你说过不让他养小狗。他很失望了，而在心里，他坚决想养一只宠物。”
“简直疯了！”丈夫说。
“也许你是对的，但是你怎么解释他用一根绳子拉着那只土豆在院子里到处乱跑呢？”我说。
丈夫又盯着我们的儿子看了几分钟。“我想一只小狗也不至于惹太多的麻烦，”他叹着气说。“它总比一只土豆好。”
那天晚上，沙恩的爸爸带回家一只不停摆尾的小狗和一只怀孕的白猫。那只母猫是他在动物庇护所看到之后，觉得可怜带回家来的。
每个人都很高兴。我的丈夫认为他挽救了儿子，使他免于精神崩溃。沙恩有了一只小狗、一只大猫和5只小猫，他相信他的母亲有一种能把土豆变成小狗的神奇魔力。我高兴是因为我又得到了我的土豆，可以用它做晚餐了。
一切平安无事，直到有一天晚上我正在做晚餐的时候，沙恩拽着我的衣服问：“妈妈，你认为我能在我生日那天得到一匹小马驹吗？”
我看着他那可爱的小脸说：“噢，首先，我们得拿一个西瓜……”
sniffed
【短语】sniff at闻，轻视；sniff out 发现，寻找
string
【释义】n. 线；一串，一行 vt. 扎；使排成一列，串起；伸展，拉直
vi. 连成一串；排成一列
【短语】a string of 一系列，一串；string a long with随声附和
whisper
【释义】n. 私语；谣传；飒飒的声音 vi. 耳语；密谈 vt. 低声说出
【短语】winds whisper 风语
mushy
【释义】adj. 糊状的；感伤的，多愁善感的
【短语】mushy love story 伤感爱情故事
wiggle
【释义】vi. 使……摆动；使……扭动 vt. 摆动 n. 扭动
【短语】get a wiggle on 赶快，赶紧
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