Once a man got lost in a desert. The water in his water bag had run out two days ago. He knew that if he didn’t get some water soon, he would surely die. The man saw a small house ahead of him and moved toward it. After what seemed ages, he dragged his tired body to the door with the last of his strength.

There was no one in the house and it seemed like it had been empty for quite some time. The man entered it, hoping that he might find water inside.

His heart missed a beat when he saw a hand pump (手摇泵). It had a pipe going down through the floor, perhaps tapping a source of water deep underground.

He began working the hand pump, but no water came out. He kept at it and still nothing happened.

Finally, he gave up. He threw up his hands in despair. It looked as if he was going to die after all.

Then the man noticed a bottle in one corner of the house. It was filled with water. He uncorked (拔去……塞子) the bottle and was about to drink the sweet life-giving water, when he noticed a piece of paper attached to it, reading “Use this water to start the pump. Don’t forget to fill the bottle when you’re done.”

What should he do? How would he feel as he watched the water disappear into the pump? What if the pump did not function? What if the pipe had a leak? What if the underground water had long dried up?

But then… maybe the instructions were correct. Should he risk it?

Hands shaking, he poured the water into the pump.

He heard a gurgling (汩汩声) sound, and then water came out.

Karie double-checked the words on her spelling test. If she got 100 scores today, she’d win her class’s First-Quarter Spelling Challenge and a brand new dictionary. Plus, Ms. McCormack had promised to do a handstand if anyone got a perfect score.

Three more words to go. N-i-c-e-l-y. Q-u-i-c-k-l-y. H-o-n-e-s-t-y. Wait! She’d spelled honesty, not honestly. She hurriedly erased the t-y and wrote l-y before handing in her paper. Ms. McCormack graded the test papers at the break. Meanwhile, Karie sat restlessly in her seat with her fingers crossed. Then, Ms. McCormack walked to the front of the room and cleared her throat. As if she were an Olympic gymnast, Ms. McCormack’s feet flipped (翻动) into the air.

“Congratulations, Karie! You did it!” she announced while upside down.

The whole class burst into applause! Ms. McCormack righted herself and presented Karie with her prize. Karie grinned as she read the label on the box:

To Karie Carter, for her perfect first-quarter score in spelling.

“Everything OK?” Mom asked as Karie burst through the front door after school. Karie didn’t answer. As if by magic, she took out her spelling test paper and prize and showed them to her mother. Mom hugged her, asking her to put the test paper on the fridge so that Dad could see it when he got home.

Karie took another look at the test paper before putting it on the fridge. Her hands stopped in mid-air. She just couldn’t believe her own eyes. Honesly?

YES! H-O-N-E-S-L-Y!

Mom sensed something unusual and asked why. Karie stuffed the test paper into her backpack and explained that she was just too excited. Mom brought her some tea. Yes, a “t” was exactly what she needed.

After drinking a little, Karie plodded (沉重缓慢地走) down the hall, lost in thought. How could she tell the class she hadn’t earned the prize after all? That Ms. McCormack did the handstand for nothing?

Later Dad came in with excitement.

The next morning, Karie went to school earlier than usual.

In 1989, fresh out of high school, I had the difficult task of choosing a career path before college started in three months. In those days in Pakistan, there were limited choices: becoming a doctor or an engineer, or entering the financial world after getting a business degree. I wasn’t interested in engineering, so that I was left with medicine or business. I couldn’t decide.

My uncle suggested that I do a work placement(实习) to experience it for a month in an international company followed by a month in a hospital. After that, I could make a decision. It seemed like a good idea.

I was accepted for a month’s placement at a foreign bank in Karachi. I got a feel of how the world of finance functioned, made new friends, and generally enjoyed the mostly easy­going work surroundings.

The month passed rapidly, and soon I began working at a leading hospital in Karachi. The experience couldn’t have been more different. The hospital had a stressful environment. The days started early (at 7 am, compared to 9 am at the bank), and were filled with endless duties. And the night calls! This was crazy, working all day, through the night, and again the next day.

I began thinking about my two experiences. The bank had offered a more relaxing atmosphere, better working hours and less stress. The hospital was full of excitement, but studying and training were difficult. It seemed that the business choice was going to win out.

Near the end of my month at the hospital, I was driving home after an especially busy night call. In front of me was a public bus, with college students sitting on the top. As the driver weaved through (穿梭) traffic, I could see the boys shaking from side to side.

Suddenly, a boy fell off the back of the bus.

The next day, when I went to the hospital to see the boy, all his family got up, with grateful smiles on their faces.

Eric was working in a selling business. He had been on the road visiting people for more than a month without going home. He couldn’t wait to get back to see his wife and children. It was coming up on Mother’s Day, and he usually tried to make it “back home”, but this year he was just too busy and too tired. The day when he was driving in a small town, he saw a flower shop. He said to himself, “I know what I will do. I’ll send my mother some roses.”

He stopped and went into the flower shop and saw a young man talking to the girl in it. “How many roses can I get for fifty dollars?” the boy asked. The girl was trying to explain that roses were expensive. Maybe the young man would be happy with something else.

“No. I have to have roses,” he said. “My mom was badly sick last year and I didn’t spend much time with her. I want to get something special. It has to be red roses, because that is her favorite,” He was stubborn.

The girl in the shop looked up at Eric and was just shaking her head. Something inside of Eric was touched by the boy’s voice. He wanted to get those roses so badly. Eric had been blessed (幸运的) in his business, and he looked at the girl and silently said that he would pay for the boy’s roses.

The girl looked at the young man and said, “OK, I will give you a dozen red roses for your dollars.” The young man almost jumped into the air. He took the flowers and ran out of the store. It was worth more than fifty dollars just to see that kind of excitement.

Eric ordered his own flowers and asked the girl to have it delivered to his mother. After that, with a relief he drove down the road. Not long after his driving, he saw the boy walking to a graveyard (墓地).

Eric stopped his car and followed the young man.

Eric went into the car in tears.

Christmas was hanging around. Six-year-old David was thinking what presents he could get from Santa. He wanted slippers; he wanted a silk tie; he wanted some toys. And school starting soon, he also hoped to get something about schooling. In order to get Santa to know what he needed, he thought he would write a letter to Santa, which he believed would bring him those presents. He found a sheet and made a list of the items on it, and then bent down to post the letter up the chimney, waiting for the winds to take it up.

David got up very early on the Christmas morning. He searched his room carefully, but to his disappointment, he didn’t find the presents he hoped for. Hadn’t Santa received the letter? Was he too busy to send him the gifts? Although feeling a little upset, David was convinced that Santa would not forget him and he was bound to receive the items.

Many years had passed and 2019 came. In an old house, a young builder, Lewis Shaw was removing the fireplace with his colleagues when he suddenly found a small piece of paper, which was still in perfect condition even if it had turned yellow. He picked it up and unfolded it. It was a letter written to Santa. The touching hand-written note read:

Please can you send me a drum, box of chalks, slippers, silk tie, pencil box, any little toys you have to spare?

Love David

It was then signed off with lots of kisses.

This was the very letter written by David and the house was where he had lived during his childhood! The letter struck Shaw so much. How simple Christmas once was! David didn’t ask for much, just the things he just needed. Nowadays kids always want expensive gifts and take it for granted.

Shaw decided to find out the author of the letter. He shared a photo of the note on Facebook.

David is a 22-year-old man. Not having received a college education, he found it difficult to find a job. He worked at a small company and wasn’t paid well. He thought life was unfair and often complained.

One day, his boss asked him to go to his office. To his sadness, he was told he didn’t need to come to work again.

That day, David didn’t go straight back to the small apartment he shared with another man. He wanted to find a quiet place and sit there quietly for some time. Having lost his job, he had no idea what to do.

He walked and walked. Finally he stopped in front of a beautiful house. The house had a very big garden behind it. He saw an old man sitting in the garden.

“The old man must be a millionaire (百万富翁)”, thought David. “How I wish I were him! If I were him, I wouldn’t have to work and I’d have a large amount of money. I would be the happiest man in the whole world.”

Thinking how poor he was, David was even sadder. He hurriedly walked forward and found a place and sat there quietly.

Finally, he became hungry and decided to go back home. On his way back home, he passed the old man’s house again. This time the man was sitting in his front yard. When David passed by him, he noticed that the old man was looking at him. The old man looked as if he admired him very much. David was confused. Why would such a rich man admire him? He was so poor while he was so rich.

Finally, David decided to have a talk with the old man. So he stopped and walked to the old man.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hello,” said the old man.

Then they started talking. David told the old man he really admired him.

“You have such a beautiful house. You’re so rich! How I wish I were you!” said David.

Hearing that, the old man smiled and said, “And I admire you, too! I wish I were you! If I were you, I’d still enjoy my youth. Now I’m so old. Wealth doesn’t mean much to me!”

What the old man said struck (击中) David.