The Gift of Growth (McGuffey Readers, Influencing American Students for Nearly a Century)

Author: (American) McGuffey, translated by Li Yanfang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features:
A Treasure of Filial Piety
Once, there was a jeweler who was renowned for many excellent qualities. One day, several elderly Jews came to him, wanting to buy some gems to on the robes of their highest-ranking priests. They described the gems they desired and offered a reasonable price, but the jeweler said he couldn’t show them the gems immediately and asked them to come back later. The elderly men didn’t want to waste any more time. They thought the jeweler might be deliberately delaying to drive up the price, so they offered double the original price, then triple it, but the jeweler still refused. The elderly men had no choice but to leave angrily. Several hours later, the jeweler found them and laid the gems before them. They offered the highest price they had just given, but the jeweler said, “I only want the price you offered this morning.” The elderly men were puzzled, “Why didn’t you make a deal with us then?” The jeweler replied, “At that time, my father took the key to the gem cabinet, and he was sleeping when you came. If I had shown you the gems, I would have had to wake him.” “Sleeping for an hour is very beneficial at his age. So even if I had all the money in the world, I would have to consider my father first. I couldn’t disturb his rest.” The elderly men were moved by his words. They gently patted the jeweler’s head and said, “Love your parents. One day, your children will love and respect you as you love and respect your father. The Lord will bless you.”
Heartfelt Message
Parents are the reliance and of our hearts. On rainy days, they are the umbrella over our heads; when we are sad, they are the handkerchief that wipes away our tears. We should always be grateful to our parents, remembering to care for them often. Love is priceless, and filial piety is also priceless. The world becomes complete with genuine feelings. But how many of us can truly do as the jeweler did?
Bathing in Nature
On a bright morning at the end of March, little Mazi put on her hat and wrapped her gingham shawl around herself as she walked toward the beach. This was her first time going out alone. She was still a little girl, small except for her round, gray eyes that had watched over several springs and summers. The distant sea and sky were shrouded in a thin mist, and the clouds around the sun were edged with golden borders of pink and purple. Mazi’s heart felt warm as the gentle breeze brushed her shawl. She gazed at the sparkling water under the sun. Everything amazed her, for the sun seemed to have never been so large today, like a huge golden flower without a stem, stretching straight to the bottom of the sea, with no one knowing where its roots were planted. Mazi didn’t dwell on this question any longer, because the tide was rising now, the waves growing larger and larger. They laughed as they surged onto the beach, splashing against the pebbles, blinking their eyes, whispering softly, twisting into knots, like thousands of little children rushing home to tell their families their little secrets. Where did the waves come from? Beneath the azure horizon, there was...