{{B}}A、wonDErFul prEsEnt{{/B}}
pEtE riChArDs wAs thE lonEliEst mAn in town on thE DAy thAt littlE jEAn grACE opEnED thE Door oF his shop.
pEtE’s grAnDFAthEr hAD ownED thE shop until his DEAth. thEn thE shop BECAmE pEtE’s. thE Front winDow wAs Full oF BEAutiFul olD things: jEwElry oF A hunDrED yEArs Ago, golD AnD silvEr BoxEs, CArvED FigurEs FromChinA AnD jApAn AnD othEr nAtions.
{{B}}thE wintEr girl{{/B}}
on this wintEr AFtErnoon, A ChilD stooD thErE, hEr FACE ClosE to thE winDow. with lArgE AnD sErious EyEs, shE stuDiED EACh piECE in thE winDow. thEn, looking plEAsED, shE stEppED BACk From thE winDow AnD wEnt into thE shop.
thErE wAs not muCh light insiDE thE shop, But thE littlE girlCoulD sEE thAt thE plACE wAs Full oF things; olD guns AnD CloCks, morE jEwElry AnD BoxEs AnD FigurEs, AnD A hunDrED othEr things For whiCh shE DiDn’t EvEn know thE nAmEs.
pEtE himsElF stooD BEhinD thE CountEr. hE wAs-only 30 yEArs olD, But AlrEADy his hAir wAs turning grAy. his EyEs wErE ColD As hE lookED At thE smAll girl.
"plEAsE," shE BEgAn, "woulD you lEt mE look At thE prEtty string oF BluE BEADs in thE winDow "
pEtE took thE string oF BluE BEADs From thE winDow. thE BEADs wErE BEAutiFul AgAinst his hAnD As hE hElD thE nECklACE up For hEr to sEE.
"thEy ArE just right," sAiD thE ChilD As though shE wErE AlonE with thE BEADs. "will you wrAp thEm up in prEtty pApEr For mE, plEAsE "
pEtE stuDiED hEr with his ColD EyEs. "ArE you Buying thEsE For somEonE " hE AskED、
"thEy ArE For my sistEr. shE tAkEs CArE oF mE. you sEE, this will BE thE FirstChristmAs sinCE our mothEr DiED、i’vE BEEn looking For A rEAlly wonDErFulChristmAs prEsEnt For hEr."
"how muCh monEy Do you hAvE " AskED pEtE.
From thE poCkEt oF hEr CoAt, shE took A FEw pEnniEs AnD put thEm on thE CountEr. "this is All i hAvE," shE ExplAinED simply. "i’vE BEEn roving thE monEy For thE prEsEnt."
pEtE lookED At hEr, his EyEs thoughtFul. thEn hE CArEFully ClosED his hAnD ovEr thE priCE mArk on thE nECklACE so thAt shE CoulD not sEE it. how CoulD hE tEll hEr thE priCE thE hAppy look in hEr Big BluE EyEs struCk him likE thE pAin oF An olD wounD、"just A minutE," hE sAiD AnD wEnt to thE BACk oF thE shop. "whAt’s your nAmE " hE CAllED out. hE wAs vEry Busy ABout somEthing.
"jEAn grACE," AnswErED thE ChilD、
whEn pEtE rEturnED to thE Front oF thE shop, hE hElD A pACkAgE in his hAnD、it wAs wrAppED in prEttyChristmAs pApEr AnD tiED with A grEEn riBBon.
"thErE you ArE," hE sAiD、"Don’t losE it on thE wAy homE."
shE smilED hAppily At him As shE rAn out thE Door. through thE winDow hE wAtChED hEr go. hE FElt morE AlonE thAn EvEr.
{{B}}thE lonEly pEtE{{/B}}
somEthing ABout jEAn grACE AnD hEr string oF BEADs hAD mADE him FEEl onCE morE thE pAin oF his olD griEF. thE ChilD’s hAir wAs As yEllow As thE sunlight; hEr EyEs wErE As BluE As thE sEA、onCE upon A timE, pEtE hAD lovED A girl with hAir oF thAt sAmE yEllow AnD with EyEs just As BluE.AnD thE nECklACE oF BluE stonEs hAD BEEn mEAnt For hEr.
But onE rAiny night, A CAr hAD gonE oFF thE roAD AnD struCk thE girl whom pEtE lovED、AFtEr shE DiED, pEtE FElt thAt hE hAD nothing lEFt in thE worlD ExCEpt his griEF.
sinCE thEn, pEtE riChArDs hAD livED too muCh AlonE. hE tAlkED with thE pEoplE who CAmE to his shop, But AFtEr BusinEss hours hE rEmAinED AlonE with his griEF.At lAst thE griEF For his lost lovE BECAmE griEF For himsElF. in sElF-pity hE Almost suCCEEDED in ForgEtting thE girl.
thE BluE EyEs oF jEAn grACE Brought him out oF thAt worlD oF sElF-pity AnD mADE him rEmEmBEr AgAin All thAt hE hAD lost. thE pAin oF rEmEmBEring wAs so grEAt thAt pEtE wAntED to run AwAy From thE hAppyChristmAs shoppErs who CAmE to look At his BEAutiFul olD things During thE nExt tEn DAys.
{{B}}A、guEst