The Story of Little Sandy

One very cold day， in Edinburgh， I was standing at the door of a hotel.

A little boy with a thin blue face， his feet bare and red with the cold， and with nothing to cover him but a bundle of rags， came to me and said：“Please， sir， buy some matches.”

“No， I don’t want any.”I answered.

“But they are only a penny a box.”plead- ed the poor little fellow.

“Yes， but you see， I don’t want a box.”I said again.

“Then I will give you two boxes for a pen- ny.”the boy said.

At last， I decided to buy a box to get rid of him.

Then， finding I had no change， I said to him，“I will buy a box tomorrow.”

“Oh， please buy them tonight.”the boy pleaded again： “I will run and get you the change， for I am very hungry.”

So I gave him a shilling， and he started away. I waited for him， but no boy came.

I thought I had lost my shilling. Still， there was something in the boy’s face I trusted， and I did not like to think bad of him.

Late in the evening， I was told that a little boy wanted to see me. I found， when he was brought in， it was a smaller brother of the boy who took my shilling.

那是非常冷的一天，在爱丁堡，我站在一家旅馆门前。

一个小男孩向我走来，瘦削的小脸冻得发青，没穿鞋的双脚冻得发红，身上只穿着破烂的衣服。他对我说：“先生，请买些火柴吧。”

“不了，我不需要。”我回答道。

“但是一盒只要一便士啊。”可怜的小家伙恳求道。

“是的，但你看见了，我不需要。”我再次拒绝了他。

“那我一便士卖您两盒。”小男孩说。

最后，为了摆脱他，我决定买一盒。

后来，我发现自己没带零钱，就对他说：“我明天再买吧。”

“哦，请今晚就买吧。”男孩再次恳求道，“我可以跑去给您换零钱，我实在是太饿了。”

所以我给了他一先令，然后他拿着钱跑开了。我在那等着他，但那个男孩没有回来。

我想我上当了。但他脸上有种让人信任的神情，我不想把他想成那种人。

晚上很晚的时候，有人告诉我一个小男孩想见我。当他被带进来的时候，我发现他不是拿我先令的那个，但可以看出是那个男孩的弟弟。

He stood for a moment， diving into his rags as if he were seeking something， and then said： “Are you the gentleman who bought the matches from Sandy.”

“Yes.”

“Well， then， here are four pence out of your shilling. Sandy cannot come. He’s very sick. A cart ran over him and knocked him down.

He lost his cap and matches and seven pence of your money. Both his legs were bro­ken， and the doctor says he’ll die， and that’s all.”

I fed the little fellow， and then went with him to see Sandy. I found that the two children lived almost alone， for their father and mother were dead.

Poor Sandy was lying on a bundle of shav­ings. He knew me as soon as I went in， and said：

“I got the change， sir， and was coming back， but the horse knocked me down， and both of my legs are broken！

Oh， Reuby！ Little Reuby！ I’m sure I’m dying， and who will take care of you when I am gone？ What will you do， Reuby？”

Then I took him by the hand， and said：“I would always take care of Reuby.”

He understood me， and had just strength enough to look up to me as if to thank me. Then the light went out of his eyes. In a mo­ment， Sandy died.

This story ought to pierce many a heart， old and young.

Whenever you are tempted to say what is not true， or to be unkind to others， or to take what you ought not to take， remember little Sandy.

他站了一会儿，把手伸进口袋，似乎在找些什么，然后他说：“你是从珊迪那买了火柴的先生吗？”

“是的。”

“那真是太好了，这是给您那一先令找的四便士。珊迪来不了了。他病得很重。一辆马车把他撞倒了，从他身上轧了过去。

他弄丢了帽子、火柴和你的七便士。他的两条腿都断了，医生说他要死了……我说完了。”

我给这个小家伙弄了点吃的，然后和他一起去看珊迪。我发现这两个孩子孤苦无依，他们的父母都已经去世了。

可怜的珊迪正躺在一捆木刨片做的床上。我一进来他就察觉到了，他说：

“我拿到零钱了，先生，我正打算回去的，但是一匹马把我撞倒了，现在我的两条腿都断了！

哦，利比！小利比！我肯定要死了，但是我死了后谁来照顾你啊？你怎么办啊，利比？”

我握住他的手，说：“我会一直照顾利比的。”

他明白我的意思，用仅有的一丝力气看向我，好像要对我表示感激。然后他眼睛里的光消失了。不一会儿，他死了。

这个故事应该会打动不少人的心，无论老少。

当你想说谎，或者待人不友好，或者拿不该拿的东西，记住小珊迪吧。