There was a farmer who lost his watch in his barn (谷仓). The watch was very ________ to him because it was a gift from his father. He ________ the watch for a long time, but he didn’t find it, and then he asked for ________ from some children playing nearby. He ________ them that the person who found the watch would get an ice-cream. When the children heard that, they went into the barn ________. They searched (寻找) everywhere but still could not find the ________. Just when the farmer was going to give up, a little boy went up to him and asked to be given another ________. The farmer looked at him and thought, “Why not? After all, this kid looks honest (诚实).” ________ the farmer let the little boy go back into the barn. After a while the little boy came out with the watch in his hand! The surprised farmer asked the boy what he ________. The boy replied, “I did ________ but sit quietly and listen to the sound of the watch.”

A peaceful mind can think better than an excited one. Give yourself a few minutes of silence every day and see how it can make your life a bit easier and happier.

A young man from a village called Nawalapitiya married a young woman from Maiyuwa, a small village. They lived with the man’s big family—his parents, his brothers, their wives and children. The family kept an elephant, in which the woman soon took a great interest. Every day she fed it with fruit and sugar. She treated it with great kindness. And soon they became good friends.

Three months later, the woman argued with her husband, and the woman went back to her parents’ home. Soon the elephant refused to eat or work. It appeared to be ill and heartbroken. One morning after several weeks the animal disappeared from the house.

It went to the woman’s home. On seeing her, the elephant waved its trunk and touched her with it. The young woman was so moved by the act of the animal. So she went back to her husband’s home.

Once an old man was walking in a street with his horse. It was raining hard. The old man was cold because he was walking in the rain. He wanted to go to a restaurant. It was a quarter past three in the afternoon. The old man got to a small restaurant. There were lots of people in it around the fire. The old man couldn’t come near the fire. He thought and thought. At last he said to the waiter, “Take some fish to my horse.” The waiter and the people were very surprised. The waiter said, “A horse doesn’t eat fish.” The old man told the waiter, “This horse is very interesting. It can sing, dance and do all kinds of things. It can eat fish, too.” So the waiter brought the horse some fish.

All the people in the restaurant ran out to see the horse eat except the old man. Now the old man sat beside the fire. After a while the waiter came back and said, “Your horse didn’t eat any fish.” The old man said, “All right, take the fish back and put it on the table. I’ll eat it.”

Chinese students thank their teachers on September 10th, Teachers’ Day.     31    

First of all, US schools thank their teachers the whole first week in May. Their special Teachers’ Day falls on the Tuesday of that week.     32     There are “Thank you” signs everywhere to thank teachers.

US students give small gifts to their teachers to let them know how great they are. It could be a simple gift like a thank-you card with a personal message.     33     They like it even more when students say “thank you” directly (直接地) to them. US teachers like getting arts and crafts (手工艺品) from children best. Little things to decorate (装饰) their classroom are also common gifts in the US.     34    

It doesn’t take much to celebrate a Teachers’ Day.     35     They should thank their teachers all the time.