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It was Saturday – a summer Saturday; the sun shone down upon the 1)meads and pastures round Clover Farm so 2)radiantly that every face felt bound to smile brightly in return. Every face but one, and that belonged to Roddy Lester, the eldest of the farmer’s four.
Roddy did not answer. He was standing in the ivy-encircled doorway of the 3)dairy, his hands deep in his pockets, his feet 4)shuffling to and fro, and on his face a dark, angry cloud.
“Come, Roddy, tell mother the trouble. Is it anything to do with school? Is there a punishment preparation to be done this morning?”
“What 5)ails my boy this fine sunshiny morning?” called out mother from the cool, sweet dimness of the dairy, where she was at work.
“No; there isn’t!” Roddy 6)roused himself at such a suspicion. “Why, mother, I told you I was 7)moved up yesterday; don’t you remember? But I’ll come inside and tell you all about it.”
“No! Tell me from outside all about it.”
“Well, then, mother, I don’t want to take the children
to the meads. I want to amuse myself. And it’s not fair. Saturday’s a holiday, and it’s my right to have it!”
8)sullenly said Roddy.
“Your right! Perhaps so, dear! But sometimes it is our 9)privilege to 10)yield our rights!” quietly said mother, taking her eyes for a second off the yellowing cream to glance at the boy’s gloomy face. “Who told you to take the children to the meads – father?” she asked.
“Yes, it was. He said I was to take them to the 11)cowslip meads, and not to 12)stir from there until he came back from market.”
“And what is it you want to do instead?”
“I want to go with my net down to Butterfly Corner. There will be 13)heaps of butterflies out this sunny day. And the other boys at school are all collecting: they have more than I have, all of them. I have only a 14)tortoiseshell and a 15)brimstone. O, it’s a 16)regular shame of father!”
“Hush, dear, hush! Nothing that your kind, good
father says or does can be called a shame. But I
believe I can guess why he gave those orders. He knew that this is an over-busy day for me, and also that I have one of my bad headaches.” Certainly mother’s
face 17)gleamed out white from the dairy shadows. “And as this is market-day at Hamley Town, he and old Michael would be away until dinner-time. So, you see, sonny, he has left you in charge. You are in
father’s place this morning to guard the farm and us all,
particularly the tinies. Don’t you see what an honor it is to be trusted thus?”
Something stirred in Roddy’s heart at his mother’s words. The best part of him suddenly came uppermost. He walked quietly away, followed by Fuzzy 18)sniffing at his heels. And, somehow, the boy felt an inch taller as he looked round the farm. After all, what were the
butterflies compared with the tinies left in his charge? “19)Hip, hip, hooray!” Roddy straightened himself and cheered. He had won a victory – over himself.
“Hi, Nettie! Hi, Dumps! Come along! And where’s Baby? We’re going to the meads, and I’ll make you a fine cowslip ball to shoot the 20)rooks with!” he shouted, and Fuzzy barked madly round as the tinies 21)flocked out.
When they got there, 22)what with the sun and the wind, the making of the huge cowslip ball and the little ones’ joy over it, Roddy’s face cleared up and was as sunshiny as the weather itself. There’s nothing like
giving up your own will for making the heart sing.
By-and-by, when dinner-time came, so did father. As the dog-cart drove along the high-road, Roddy and
Nettie puzzled over its appearance.
“It’s got a new wheel at the back, Roddy!”
But Roddy’s eyes widened into a fixed stare, and his face grew very red.
“Well, boy, here you are 23)at your post. Now I’ll tell you why I wanted you to stay at home this morning. It was for this surprise. Look, my 24)lad! For weeks back I’ve been in treaty for this bicycle for you. Today I was able to 25)close with the bargain, and it’s yours!”
For a few seconds Roddy could not see: his eyes were dimmed. The good, kind father had been
planning out his boy’s pleasure! “O, father!” he gasped; then, “O, mother!”
“Such a beauty!” delightedly said mother.
“It’s a good one; I don’t know the name,” father said.
“I do!” put in mother. “It is the ‘Victory’ – Roddy’s Victory!”
那是一个周六——夏日里的一个周六。太阳照耀在卡罗弗农场的草地和牧场上，阳光如此灿烂以致每张脸庞都禁不住微笑。然而有一人例外，他就是罗迪·莱斯特，农场主四个孩子中的老大。
罗迪没有回答。他站在被常春藤围绕着的牛奶场门口，双手深深地插在口袋里，双脚前后拖动着，脸上笼罩着一片
阴沉的怒气。
“来吧，罗迪，告诉母亲出什么事了。是学校里的事儿吗？还是今天早上接到惩罚的警告了？”
“在这么明媚的早晨，什么事情让我的孩子烦恼啦？”母亲在牛奶场凉爽而带着丝丝甜意的暗处说道。她正在里头忙碌着。
“不，根本没有！”这小小的猜疑让罗迪打起了精神。“唉，母亲，我告诉过你昨天我升级了；你不记得了吗？不过我现在就进来告诉你事情始末吧。”
“不！就在外面说好了。”
“哦，好吧，母亲。我不想带孩子们去草地。我想自个儿玩。这太不公平了。周六是假日，我有权享受！”罗迪闷闷
不乐地说。
“你的权利！或许是这样，亲爱的！但有时放弃权利才是我们的特权！”母亲轻声说，她的视线短暂地离开了泛黄的奶油，移到男孩阴郁的脸上。“谁让你带孩子们去草地的呢——父亲吗？”她问道。
“是的，是他。他叫我带他们到野樱草地上，在他从集市回来前不要走开。”
“那你本来想干些什么呢？”
“我想带上我的网到蝴蝶角去。这样的晴天会有成群的蝴蝶飞来飞去。学校里其他男孩都在收集：他们收集的蝴蝶都比我多，全都比我多。我只有一只蛱蝶和一只粉蝶。噢，父亲这样做实在太糟糕了！”
“嘘，亲爱的，小声点！你仁慈、善良的父亲所说的、所做的每一件事情都不会是坏事。但我想我明白他为什么叫你这么做。他知道这对我来说已经是超负荷的一天，而且我那要命的头痛又犯了。”在牛奶场的影子下，母亲的脸看起来
确实很苍白。“而且今天是汉姆利镇的集市日，他和老迈克尔要外出到晚饭时间才回来。所以，你明白了吧，孩子，他让你作主了。这个早上，你要代替父亲看管着农场，照看我们，特别是那些小不点儿。你不觉得得到这样的信任是一种荣幸吗？”
罗迪的心因为母亲的话而骚动着。他身上最美好的品德突然浮出水面，占据了重要位置。他悄悄地走开，毛毛嗅着他的脚后跟也跟了出去。不知怎的，当他环顾农场时，男孩觉得自己突然长高了一英寸。毕竟，蝴蝶怎么能与需要他照看的小不点们相比呢？“呼，呼，呼啦！”罗迪站直身子，欢呼起来。他获得了胜利——他战胜了自己。
“嘿，内蒂！嘿，闷蛋！小宝在哪儿？我们去草地咯，我给你们做一个很棒的野樱草球射乌鸦！”他大声喊道，小不点们蜂拥而至，毛毛也兴奋得兜
圈圈吠叫着。
他们到了草地，看到和煦的太阳，柔和的风儿，一起制作巨大的野樱草球，弟妹们的欢声笑语，罗迪脸上的阴云消散了，心情就像天气一般灿烂。没有什么东西能像为了心灵欢歌而放弃自己的愿望这么令人甘之如饴。
没过多久，晚饭时间到了，父亲也回来了。狗拉车沿着大路开来，罗迪和内蒂看着它的样子，感到十分迷惑。
“车后面有个新轮子，罗迪！”
但罗迪瞪直了眼睛，脸蛋红了起来。
“噢，孩子，你今天守岗位了。现在告诉你我为什么让你今天早上留在家里吧。就是为了这个惊喜。瞧，儿子！过去几周来，我一直在为你这辆自行车与人讨价还价。今天，我终于能以好价钱买下来了，现在它是你的了!”
有好几秒钟，罗迪看不清任何东西：他的眼睛噙满泪水。这位善良、仁慈的父亲早有计划地给儿子带来欢乐。“噢，父亲！”他喘着气说；随后又道，“噢，母亲！”
“多漂亮的车子！”母亲兴高采烈地说。
“它质量上乘；虽然我不知道它叫什么名字，”父亲说。
“我知道！”母亲说，“它叫‘胜利’——罗迪的胜利！”
Roddy did not answer. He was standing in the ivy-encircled doorway of the 3)dairy, his hands deep in his pockets, his feet 4)shuffling to and fro, and on his face a dark, angry cloud.
“Come, Roddy, tell mother the trouble. Is it anything to do with school? Is there a punishment preparation to be done this morning?”
“What 5)ails my boy this fine sunshiny morning?” called out mother from the cool, sweet dimness of the dairy, where she was at work.
“No; there isn’t!” Roddy 6)roused himself at such a suspicion. “Why, mother, I told you I was 7)moved up yesterday; don’t you remember? But I’ll come inside and tell you all about it.”
“No! Tell me from outside all about it.”
“Well, then, mother, I don’t want to take the children
to the meads. I want to amuse myself. And it’s not fair. Saturday’s a holiday, and it’s my right to have it!”
8)sullenly said Roddy.
“Your right! Perhaps so, dear! But sometimes it is our 9)privilege to 10)yield our rights!” quietly said mother, taking her eyes for a second off the yellowing cream to glance at the boy’s gloomy face. “Who told you to take the children to the meads – father?” she asked.
“Yes, it was. He said I was to take them to the 11)cowslip meads, and not to 12)stir from there until he came back from market.”
“And what is it you want to do instead?”
“I want to go with my net down to Butterfly Corner. There will be 13)heaps of butterflies out this sunny day. And the other boys at school are all collecting: they have more than I have, all of them. I have only a 14)tortoiseshell and a 15)brimstone. O, it’s a 16)regular shame of father!”
“Hush, dear, hush! Nothing that your kind, good
father says or does can be called a shame. But I
believe I can guess why he gave those orders. He knew that this is an over-busy day for me, and also that I have one of my bad headaches.” Certainly mother’s
face 17)gleamed out white from the dairy shadows. “And as this is market-day at Hamley Town, he and old Michael would be away until dinner-time. So, you see, sonny, he has left you in charge. You are in
father’s place this morning to guard the farm and us all,
particularly the tinies. Don’t you see what an honor it is to be trusted thus?”
Something stirred in Roddy’s heart at his mother’s words. The best part of him suddenly came uppermost. He walked quietly away, followed by Fuzzy 18)sniffing at his heels. And, somehow, the boy felt an inch taller as he looked round the farm. After all, what were the
butterflies compared with the tinies left in his charge? “19)Hip, hip, hooray!” Roddy straightened himself and cheered. He had won a victory – over himself.
“Hi, Nettie! Hi, Dumps! Come along! And where’s Baby? We’re going to the meads, and I’ll make you a fine cowslip ball to shoot the 20)rooks with!” he shouted, and Fuzzy barked madly round as the tinies 21)flocked out.
When they got there, 22)what with the sun and the wind, the making of the huge cowslip ball and the little ones’ joy over it, Roddy’s face cleared up and was as sunshiny as the weather itself. There’s nothing like
giving up your own will for making the heart sing.
By-and-by, when dinner-time came, so did father. As the dog-cart drove along the high-road, Roddy and
Nettie puzzled over its appearance.
“It’s got a new wheel at the back, Roddy!”
But Roddy’s eyes widened into a fixed stare, and his face grew very red.
“Well, boy, here you are 23)at your post. Now I’ll tell you why I wanted you to stay at home this morning. It was for this surprise. Look, my 24)lad! For weeks back I’ve been in treaty for this bicycle for you. Today I was able to 25)close with the bargain, and it’s yours!”
For a few seconds Roddy could not see: his eyes were dimmed. The good, kind father had been
planning out his boy’s pleasure! “O, father!” he gasped; then, “O, mother!”
“Such a beauty!” delightedly said mother.
“It’s a good one; I don’t know the name,” father said.
“I do!” put in mother. “It is the ‘Victory’ – Roddy’s Victory!”
那是一个周六——夏日里的一个周六。太阳照耀在卡罗弗农场的草地和牧场上，阳光如此灿烂以致每张脸庞都禁不住微笑。然而有一人例外，他就是罗迪·莱斯特，农场主四个孩子中的老大。
罗迪没有回答。他站在被常春藤围绕着的牛奶场门口，双手深深地插在口袋里，双脚前后拖动着，脸上笼罩着一片
阴沉的怒气。
“来吧，罗迪，告诉母亲出什么事了。是学校里的事儿吗？还是今天早上接到惩罚的警告了？”
“在这么明媚的早晨，什么事情让我的孩子烦恼啦？”母亲在牛奶场凉爽而带着丝丝甜意的暗处说道。她正在里头忙碌着。
“不，根本没有！”这小小的猜疑让罗迪打起了精神。“唉，母亲，我告诉过你昨天我升级了；你不记得了吗？不过我现在就进来告诉你事情始末吧。”
“不！就在外面说好了。”
“哦，好吧，母亲。我不想带孩子们去草地。我想自个儿玩。这太不公平了。周六是假日，我有权享受！”罗迪闷闷
不乐地说。
“你的权利！或许是这样，亲爱的！但有时放弃权利才是我们的特权！”母亲轻声说，她的视线短暂地离开了泛黄的奶油，移到男孩阴郁的脸上。“谁让你带孩子们去草地的呢——父亲吗？”她问道。
“是的，是他。他叫我带他们到野樱草地上，在他从集市回来前不要走开。”
“那你本来想干些什么呢？”
“我想带上我的网到蝴蝶角去。这样的晴天会有成群的蝴蝶飞来飞去。学校里其他男孩都在收集：他们收集的蝴蝶都比我多，全都比我多。我只有一只蛱蝶和一只粉蝶。噢，父亲这样做实在太糟糕了！”
“嘘，亲爱的，小声点！你仁慈、善良的父亲所说的、所做的每一件事情都不会是坏事。但我想我明白他为什么叫你这么做。他知道这对我来说已经是超负荷的一天，而且我那要命的头痛又犯了。”在牛奶场的影子下，母亲的脸看起来
确实很苍白。“而且今天是汉姆利镇的集市日，他和老迈克尔要外出到晚饭时间才回来。所以，你明白了吧，孩子，他让你作主了。这个早上，你要代替父亲看管着农场，照看我们，特别是那些小不点儿。你不觉得得到这样的信任是一种荣幸吗？”
罗迪的心因为母亲的话而骚动着。他身上最美好的品德突然浮出水面，占据了重要位置。他悄悄地走开，毛毛嗅着他的脚后跟也跟了出去。不知怎的，当他环顾农场时，男孩觉得自己突然长高了一英寸。毕竟，蝴蝶怎么能与需要他照看的小不点们相比呢？“呼，呼，呼啦！”罗迪站直身子，欢呼起来。他获得了胜利——他战胜了自己。
“嘿，内蒂！嘿，闷蛋！小宝在哪儿？我们去草地咯，我给你们做一个很棒的野樱草球射乌鸦！”他大声喊道，小不点们蜂拥而至，毛毛也兴奋得兜
圈圈吠叫着。
他们到了草地，看到和煦的太阳，柔和的风儿，一起制作巨大的野樱草球，弟妹们的欢声笑语，罗迪脸上的阴云消散了，心情就像天气一般灿烂。没有什么东西能像为了心灵欢歌而放弃自己的愿望这么令人甘之如饴。
没过多久，晚饭时间到了，父亲也回来了。狗拉车沿着大路开来，罗迪和内蒂看着它的样子，感到十分迷惑。
“车后面有个新轮子，罗迪！”
但罗迪瞪直了眼睛，脸蛋红了起来。
“噢，孩子，你今天守岗位了。现在告诉你我为什么让你今天早上留在家里吧。就是为了这个惊喜。瞧，儿子！过去几周来，我一直在为你这辆自行车与人讨价还价。今天，我终于能以好价钱买下来了，现在它是你的了!”
有好几秒钟，罗迪看不清任何东西：他的眼睛噙满泪水。这位善良、仁慈的父亲早有计划地给儿子带来欢乐。“噢，父亲！”他喘着气说；随后又道，“噢，母亲！”
“多漂亮的车子！”母亲兴高采烈地说。
“它质量上乘；虽然我不知道它叫什么名字，”父亲说。
“我知道！”母亲说，“它叫‘胜利’——罗迪的胜利！”