小小新年

One cold morning Maurice awoke from his dreams and sat up in bed and listened. He thought he heard a knock at his window. But though the moon was shining brightly, Jack Frost had been so busily at work that Maurice could not see through the thickly painted panes. So hecrept sleepily out of bed, and opened the window, and whispered: “Who is there?”

“I am,” replied a tinkling voice. “I am the little New Year, ho! Ho! And Ive promised to bring a blessing to everyone. But I am such a little fellow; I need somebody to help me distribute them. Wont you please come out and help?”

“Oh, its so cold!” said Maurice, “Id rather go back to my warm bed.” And he shivered as Jack Frost, who was passing, tickled him under the chin with one of the frosty paint brushes.

“Never mind the cold,” urged the New Year, “please help me.”

So Maurice hurried into his clothes, and was soon out in the yard. There he found a rosy-cheeked boy a little smaller than himself, pulling a large cart which seemed to be loaded with good things. On one side of this cart was painted the word“Love,” and on the other “Kindness.” As soon as the New Year saw Maurice he said, “Now please take hold and help me pull.” And down the driveway and up the hill they traveled until they came to an old shanty.

“Here is where I make my first call,” said the New Year. Maurice looked wonderingly at him. “Why, nobody lives here but an old man who works for us, and he hasnt any children!” “He needs my help,” said the New Year, “for grown people like to be thought of just as much as children do. You shovel out a path to his door, while I unload some of my blessings.” Then the little hands went busily at work, piling up warm clothing, wood, and a new years dinner, the New Year singing as he worked:

“Oh, I am the little New Year, ho! Ho! Here I come tripping it over the snow, shaking my bells with a merry din, so open your door and let me in.”

Old Joe, hearing some noise outside, came to the door, and when he saw all the nice gifts the tears ran down his cheeks for gladness, and as he carried them into the house, he whispered: “The dear Lord has been here tonight.”

“Where are we going now?” asked Maurice, as they ran down the hill. “To take some flowers to a poor sick girl,” answered the New Year.

Soon, they came to a small white house, where the New Year stopped. “Why, Bessie lives here,” said Maurice. “I didnt know she was sick.” “See,” said the New Year, “this window is open a little; let us throw this bunch of pinks into the room. They will please her when she wakes, and will make her happy for several days.”

Then they hurried to other places, leaving some blessing behind them.

“What a wonderful cart you have,” said Maurice, “though you have taken so much out, it never seems to get empty.” “You are right, Maurice, there is never any end to love and kindness. As long as I find people to love and be kind to, my cart is full of blessings for them; and it will never grow empty until I can no longer find people to help. If you will go with me every day and help me scatter my blessings, you will see how happy you will be all the long year.”

“A happy New Year!” called someone, and Maurice found himself in bed, and his sister standing in the doorway smiling at him. “Have you had a pleasant dream, dear?” she asked.

“Why, where is the little New Year?” said Maurice, “he was just here with me.”

“Come into Mammas room and see what he has brought you,” answered his sister. There, in a snowy white cradle, he found a tiny baby brother, the gift of the New Year. How happy Maurice was then！But he did not forget his dream. Old Joe and Bessie had their gifts, too, and Maurice tried so hard to be helpful that he made all his friends glad because the happy New Year had come.

一个寒冷的清晨,莫里斯从睡梦中醒来,起身坐在床上,仔细听着周围的声音。他觉得有人敲了一下窗户。尽管月色皎洁,但严寒辛勤地整夜忙碌,莫里斯设法透过结了一层厚霜的窗户看到外面。于是他睡意朦胧地爬起身,打开窗户,悄声问道:“谁在那里?”

“我啊,”一个铃铛般清脆的声音回答道。“我就是小小新年啊,呵!呵!我会给每个人送上祝福。但我个子太小了,需要找人帮我分发祝福。能请你出来帮个忙吗?”

“噢,天太冷了!”莫里斯说。“我宁愿回到温暖的床上去。”严寒掠过,用它那冰冷的漆刷挠了挠他的下巴,他哆嗦了一下。

“别在意寒冷,”新年催促他说。“请你帮帮我吧。”

于是莫里斯赶紧穿上衣服,很快来到院子里。他在那里见到一个脸色红润的小男孩,个子比他小点,拉着一辆巨大的推车,里面似乎装满了好东西。推车的一边写着“爱心”二字,另一边则写着“善心”。新年一见到莫里斯就说:“请抓牢了,帮我拉一把。”他们沿车道而下,爬上山坡,一直走到一间破旧的棚屋前。

“这里是我要拜访的第一家,”新年说。莫里斯惊奇地看着他。“什么?这里除了一位为我们干活的老人以外没有住别的人了,而且他也无儿无女!”“他需要我的帮助,”新年说,“因为成年人也和孩子们一样,希望得到别人的关心。你铲出一条通往他家门口的路吧,我要把我的祝福卸下来。”两双小手开始忙活起来,他们将保暖衣物、柴火和新年晚餐堆积起来,新年边干活边唱起歌来:

“噢,我是小小新年,呵!呵!我滑着雪来到这里,摇摇我的小铃铛,带着我快乐的喧闹——打开家门,让我进去吧。”

老乔听到屋外有些嘈杂,于是走到门口。当他见到所有这些漂亮的礼物时,欣喜的泪水从他的脸颊上滑落下来。他一边向屋里搬东西,一边轻声说道:“敬爱的主今夜来过这里啊!”

“我们现在去哪里呢?”他们跑下山坡时,莫里斯问道。“送些花儿给一个生病的贫穷女孩,”新年回答道。

很快他们就来到一间白色的小屋前,新年停住了脚步。“哎呀,这里是贝茜的家,”莫里斯说。“我都不知道她生病了。”“瞧,”新年说,“这扇窗户开着一道缝,我们就把这束粉红色的花塞进房间去吧。她醒来看到肯定会乐上好几天。”

他们又赶到其他地方,把祝福洒在身后。

“你的推车真棒啊,”莫里斯说,“你已经拿出了那么多东西,但它看起来一点都没变空。”“你说对了,莫里斯,爱心和善心永远不会耗尽。只要我能找到值得去爱、去善待的人,我的推车就会装满给他们的祝福;除非我再也找不到需要帮助的人,它永远不会变空。如果你每天都帮我分发祝福,你会发现自己一整年都快快乐乐。”

“新年快乐!”有人叫道,莫里斯发现自己躺在床上,他的姐姐站在门道里对着他微笑。“你是不是做了个好梦啊,亲爱的?”她问道。

“哎呀,小小新年去哪了?”莫里斯说。“他刚刚还和我一起呢。”

“快来妈妈房间,看看他给你带来了什么礼物,”他姐姐回答道。在妈妈房间一个雪白的摇篮里,他看到一个小男婴,这就是新年的礼物。莫里斯真是高兴极了!但他并没有忘记他的梦。老乔和贝茜也收到了他们的礼物,而莫里斯竭尽全力去帮助其他人,让他的朋友们都开开心心的,因为新年来了。