【推荐2】One fall morning a farmer waved good-bye to his family and walked to town to sell their old donkey.

“Be sure to bring back a young, frisky donkey,” his wife called after him.

“And pots of gold!” called his greedy daughter.

When he reached the market, the farmer cried out,“Hee-haw, donkey for sale! Hee-haw, donkey for sale!”

Now, the pumpkin seller wanted a donkey, but he didn’t want to pay much. “I’ll give you one silver coin!” he shouted. Oh, I will need more than that to buy a young, frisky donkey,” said the farmer.

“You're in luck!” said the pumpkin seller. “I have just what you need. This pumpkin is really a donkey egg. Take it home and keep it warm until it hatches, and you will have a new donkey.”

“A new donkey!” exclaimed the farmer. He slipped the coin into his pocket, put the pumpkin under his arm, and plodded home.

“Only one silver coin,” sobbed his greedy daughter.

“Where’s the new donkey?” wailed his wife.

“Here is our new donkey,” cried the farmer, holding up the pumpkin. “All we have to do is keep this donkey egg warm until it hatches.” At night they wrapped the pumpkin in a blanket. In the daytime they sat on the donkey egg to keep it warm.

The first week the farmer’s wife perched on the pumpkin. She sewed new dresses from cloth bought with the silver coin.

Every evening they put their ears against the pumpkin.

“Do you hear any long ears flapping?” they asked one another.

“Not yet,” they answered.

The second week his daughter sat on the pumpkin. She spread her skirt wide to keep the pumpkin warm and read tales about handsome princes.

Every evening they put their ears against the pumpkin.

“Do you hear any hooves tapping?” they asked one another.

“Not yet,” they answered.

The third week the farmer sat on the pumpkin. He drew pictures of a cart hitched to his new donkey.

Every evening they put their ears against the pumpkin.

“Do you hear a faraway hee-haw?” They asked one another.

But they heard no hooves tapping, no long ears flapping, and no faraway “hee-haw.”

Suddenly, the farmer grabbed the pumpkin. “This donkey egg is no good!” he cried.

The farmer ran from the house and threw the pumpkin down a hill. The pumpkin crashed into bushes at the bottom.

The crash woke a long-eared rabbit. The frightened rabbit jumped out of the bushes and hopped away.

The farmer watched the rabbit and wailed, “Oh no! If only we had sat on the donkey egg longer! That little animal would have grown into a beautiful big donkey with giant ears and a long tail!”

Then the farmer went down the hill and picked pumpkin seeds out of the broken pumpkin and carried them home.

“I’ll plant these seeds and grow more donkey eggs,” he told his wife and daughter.

Hee-haw!

【推荐2】Louise Mallard has heart trouble, so she must be informed carefully about her husband's death. Louise's husband's friend, Richards, learned about a railroad disaster when he was in the newspaper office and saw Louise's husband, Brently, on the list of those killed. Louise begins sobbing when Josephine, her sister, tells her of Brently's death and goes upstairs to be alone in her room.

Louise sits down and looks out of an open window. She sees trees, smells approaching rain, and hears a peddler yelling out what he's selling. She hears someone singing as well as the sounds of sparrows, and there are white clouds in the sky. She is young, with lines around her eyes. Still crying, she gazes into the distance. She feels sad and tries to hold down the building emotions within her, but can't. She begins repeating the word "Free" to herself over and over again. Her heart beats quickly, and she feels very warm.

Louise knows she'll cry again when she sees Brently's body. His hands were tender, and he always looked at her lovingly. But then she imagines the years ahead, which belong only to her now, and spreads her arms out joyfully with anticipation. She will be free, on her own without anyone to oppress her. She thinks that all women and men oppress one another even if they do it out of kindness. Louise knows that she often felt love for Brently but tells herself that none of that matters anymore. She feels thrilled with her newfound sense of independence.

Josephine comes to her door, begging Louise to come out, warning her that she'll get sick if she doesn't. Louise tells her to go away. She imagines all the days and years ahead and hopes that she lives a long life. Then she opens the door, and she and Josephine start walking down the stairs, where Richards is waiting.

The front door unexpectedly opens, and Brently comes in. He hadn't been in the train accident or even aware that one had happened. Josephine screams, and Richards tries unsuccessfully to block Louise from seeing him. Doctors arrive and announce that Louise died of a heart attack brought on by happiness.

【推荐3】They were sitting together when Hannah hurried in with a telegram. Mrs March read it, then dropped it, her hands shaking. Jo picked up the telegram and read it in a frightened voice: “Mrs March: Your husband is very ill. Come at once. S. Hale, Blank Hospital, Washington.”

The girls moved close to their mother. All their happiness had vanished in a moment. “I shall go at once,” said Mrs March. “Where’s Laurie?”

“Here,” said the boy. “Send a telegram back,” said Mrs March. “The next train goes early in the morning. Now, I must write a note to Aunt March.”

Jo knew that the money for the journey must be borrowed from Aunt March, and she too wanted to do something to help.

Laurie went off to take the note to Aunt March and to send the telegram. Jo went to fetch some things from the shops.

“Father will need good food and wine,” said Mrs March. “Beth, go and ask Mr Laurence for a couple of bottles of wine.”

Laurie came back with a letter and money from Aunt March, but Jo did not return. It was late afternoon when she came and gave her mother some money.

“That’s to help make Father comfortable,” she said.

“Twenty five dollars!” said Mrs March. “My dear, where did you get it?”

Jo took off her hat.

“Your beautiful hair!” cried Beth.

“Don’t cry, Beth,” said Jo. “I’ll soon have a curly head again.”

After their mother went away, they all helped Hannah with housework. News of their father came through, at first telling them he was dangerously ill, but then saying he was slowly getting better.