On a late afternoon, Brandon finished feeding his cows on the farm and decided to go back with his two sons, Louie, 6, and Everett, 3. As they headed for the house, the two boys ran ahead of their father. Suddenly Brandon was aware he forgot to close the door of the barn (牲口棚). He told the boys to wait for him at the gate and returned to lock it. When he was at the gate minutes later, he saw only his youngest son.

“ Where’s Louie? ” he shouted.

“He fell in the hole!” Everett said.

Brandon quickly realized what had happened. Noooo, he thought. Louie can barely swim! He ran to the well and heard Louie splashing, trying not to . Instinctively, he jumped in.

Somehow Brandon managed to grab on to a pipe that ran down the side of the well, which slowed his fall and kept him from crushing (挤压) his son.

Finally, Brandon hit the freezing water at the bottom of the well. He popped his head out of the water and grabbed Louie, who was panicking and trying to stay afloat in water that was too deep for either of them to stand. Knowing they could tread (踩水) for only so long, Brandon lifted his son onto his chest as he packed his own back against the narrow walls for support.

“All right, Dad, you can pull us out now,” Louie said.

If only it were that easy. There was no way he could climb out. The pipe that he’d grabbed during his fall was too slippery to be of any use. There was only one way out.

Looking up to see Everett peering down at them from the top of the well, Brandon shouted, “Everett, you’re going to have to be a big boy and save us. Run to the road and stand by the mailbox until someone stops. Tell them we need help. ”

Everett did as he was told. He stood alone by the side of the road, waving to stop someone.

After a while, Chris and Mark, nearby farmers, were driving by the farm.

Twenty minutes later, Louie emerged (出现), then Brandon, both cold and wet.

As the late afternoon sun beat down on the farm last May, Brandon Leseberg finished feeding his cows and decided to call it a day. As they often did, his two sons, Louie, 6, and Everett, 3, followed him.

As they headed for the house, the two boys ran ahead of their father, who stopped to close the gate. Louie paused at a water tap atop an old well for some drink. Unknown to the Lesebergs, the board covering the well had worn and broken. When Louie stepped on it, it collapsed.

Brandon had just unlocked the gate when he turned around and saw only his youngest son.

“Where’s Louie?” he shouted.

“He fell in the hole!” Everett said.

Brandon quickly realized what had happened. Noooo! He thought. Louie can barely swim!

He ran to the well and heard Louie hitting the water below. Instinctively, he jumped in. As he fell down the well, Brandon heard Louie screaming. Somehow Brandon managed to grab onto a pipe that ran down the side of the well, which slowed him and kept him from crashing into his son.

Brandon hit the ice-cold water at the bottom of the well. He popped his head out of the water and grabbed Louie, who was panicked, trying to raise his son onto his chest, his body still partly submerged.

“All right, Dad, you can pull us out now,” Louie said.

If only it were that easy. There was only one way out. Looking up to see Everett peering down at them from the top of the well, Brandon shouted, “Everett, you’re going to have to be a big boy and save us. Run to the road and stand by the mailbox to get someone to stop. Tell them we need help. And Everett, stay off the road! OK, Everett?”

“OK, Daddy.”

Everett did as he was told.

Ten minutes later, their neighbour, Mark, drove by and noticed Everett waving.

“You are our life saver.” Brandon thanked Mark, who yet turned to Everett.

A couple，whom we shall call John and Mary, had a nice home and two lovely children. One day, John and Mary decided to go on a trip to another city, so they found a kind woman to look after the children and left.

Several days later, they returned home a little earlier than they had planned. As they drove back to their hometown, John and Mary noticed smoke and went to see what it was. They found a house was on fire.“Oh,well, it isn't our house. Let's go home,”Mary said.

But John drove closer and screamed in surprise，“That's Jordan's home. He works in a factory. He wouldn’t be off work yet. Maybe there is something we can do to help.”

“It has nothing to do with us,”cried Mary. “You have your good clothes on,so let's not get any closer.”

John didn't listen to Mary. He drove up and stopped. They were both shocked to see the whole house was on fire. A woman was crying in the yard, “The children! Get the children!”

John seized her by the shoulder and shouted to her, “Don't cry! Tell me where the children are!” “In the basement(地下室)，”cried the woman,“down the hall and to the left.”

John used water to get his clothes wet and put a wet towel on his head before rushing to the basement. The house was full of smoke and fire, and it was very difficult for him to find the children. But he made it. He held one under each arm. As he left，he could hear some more crying. He took the two kids out of the house and into the fresh air，and then asked the women how many more children were still down there.

Thewoman told him there were two more.

As he took them out,he felt something strangely familiar about the little bodies.

When Ruth was sixty-eight years old, she visited her daughter Judy and teenage granddaughter Marcy in California. They headed for their cabin, moving forty miles up and down the mountains in their car,along a narrow one-lane road that wound terrifyingly close to cliffs (悬崖).

After dinner, Marcy announced the water tank was low and that she would drive the car down to the pump and get water. Ruth was nervous about her young granddaughter driving down the narrow road by herself, but Judy reminded her that Marcy had been driving vehicles up there roads for many years

“Just be careful, Marcy”, her mother warned. “They’ve had a drought up here and the road along the cliff is pretty shaky. Be sure to hug the mountain side.”

Ruth and Judy watched Marcy from the big window where they could see the road winding down the mountainside. Fifteen minutes later, Judy was still watching when suddenly she screamed,”Oh no! She went over the cliff, Momma! The car and Marcy--they went over! We have to help her!Come on!”

Judy took off running desperately. Grabbing a three-foot-long walking stick against the cabin door, Ruth ran behind her, but Judy was quickly out of sight after the first turn in the road. Breathing hard, Ruth ran on and on, trying to catch up with her daughter. It was getting harder and harder to see anything at dusk.

Suddenly she stopped, not knowing where she was.”Marcy!Judy!”she shouted.

A faint voice .”Momma!”It was Judy.

Ruth screamed into the darkness “Judy,where are you?” Off to her right and down the cliff she heard, “Down here,Mother!Don’t come near the edge! I slipped on loose rocks and fell over. I’m down about ten feet.”

“Oh dear! Judy, what can I do?”

“Just stay back, Momma!”

Facing the situation, Ruth felt her heart was pounding, and chest pains almost took her breath away. She started to sob, totally at a loss what to do.

At that moment, Ruth glimpsed at the walking stick, an idea striking her.

Ruth held her close and said anxiously. “Judy. We have to get help for Marcy!”

It happened when Tom was only ten years old. That day he was at home with his elder sister Jane. Tom was doing his homework when he heard raised voices. At first he didn't think seriously about it, since it was always noisy downstairs, but he soon realized this time it was different.

“Quick! Quick! Remove the motorcycles from the shop,” someone yelled.

Then a thick burning smell filled the air. When Tom opened the front door of their flat to investigate, a thick cloud of smoke greeted him. The motorcycle shop had caught fire and people were running and crying.

Jane, who had been playing the violin in her room, hurried to the living room. They rushed out of the door and along the corridor（走廊）through the smoke.

They were heading towards the stairway at the far end of the corridor when Jane suddenly stopped. She turned around and headed back the way they came. Tom had no idea what she was doing, but he followed her.

Jane had suddenly remembered the lady in her 70s who lived next door to them, who they called Makcik. Jane began banging on Makcik's door, but got no answer. As the smoke thickened around them, Tom could see many of their neighbours—some still in their pyjamas—running for safety. The thought of fear crossed his mind.

"She would have run for safety like everyone else!" Tom cried. However, Jane refused to give up. "I know Makcik's still inside.” She said she was familiar with Makcik's daily routine and was certain she would still be sleeping. She pounded against the door. "Go downstairs. Go now! Go!”

Tom noticed the flame was reaching up.

Luckily, some neighbours passing by stopped and offered help.