John had lived all alone ever since his wife died.He had worked hard as a tailor2） all his life，but misfortune had left him penniless，and now he was so old he could no longer work for himself.His hands trembled too much to thread a needle，and his vision had blurred too much for him to make a straight stitch3）。He had three sons，but they were all grown and married now，and they were so busy with their own lives，they only had time to stop by and eat dinner with their father once a week.

    Gradually the old man grew more and more feeble4），and his sons came by to see him less and less."They don't want to be around me at all now，" he told himself，"because they're afraid I'll become a burden." He stayed up all night worrying what would become of him，until at last he thought of a plan.

    The next morning he went to see his friend the carpenter，and asked him to make a large chest.Then he went to see his friend the locksmith5），and asked him to give him an old lock.Finally he went to see his friend the glassblower6），and asked him for all the old broken pieces of glass he had.

    The old man took the chest home，filled it to the top with broken glass，locked up tight，and put it beneath his kitchen table. The next time his sons came for dinner，they bumped their feet against it.

    "What's in this chest？"they asked，looking under the table.

    "Oh，nothing，"the old man replied，"just some things I've been saving."

    His sons nudged7） it and was surprized how heavy it was.They kicked it and heard a rattling8） inside.

    It must be full of all the gold he's saved over the years，" they whispered to one another.

    So they talked it over and realized they needed to guard the treasure.They decided to take turns living with the old man，and that way they could look after him，too.So the first week the youngest son moved in with his father，and cared and cooked for him.The next week the middle son took his place，and the week afterward the eldest son took a turn.This went on for some time.

    At last the old father grew sick and died.The sons gave him a very nice funeral，for they knew there was a fortune sitting beneath the kitchen table，and they could afford to splurge9） a little on the old man now.

    When the service was over，they hunted through the house until they found the key，and unlocked the chest.And of course they found it full of broken glass.

    But the eldest son tipped10） the chest over to make sure there was nothing valuable hidden among the glass after all.He poured the broken glass onto the floor until it was empty.Then the three brothers stared inside，where they now read an inscription11） on the bottom：Honor12） Your Father And Mother.

    約翰自從妻子去世之后就一直孤零零地生活著。他干了一輩子的裁縫，但時運不濟，到頭來他一貧如洗。現在他太老了，已經不能再自食其力。他的雙手抖得太厲害，針線都穿不上，眼睛老花得連線都軋不直。他有三個兒子，但他們都已經長大成人，結婚成家，各自忙于自己的生活，每星期只能抽空來一次陪老父親一起吃頓飯。

    慢慢地，老人越來越衰弱，兒子們來看他的次數也越來越少。"他們現在根本不想再理我了，"他自言自語，"因為他們怕我成為他們的負擔。"他一宿沒合眼，不知自己將來會怎樣，直到最后想出了一個方案。

    第二天一早，他去見他一個木匠朋友，請他做個大箱子。之后他又去見他的鎖匠朋友，要了一把舊鎖。最后他去見他吹玻璃的朋友，向他索取所有廢舊的碎玻璃。

    老人把大箱子運回家，里面裝滿碎玻璃，鎖得嚴嚴實實，然后將箱子放在餐桌下面。等他的兒子們再來吃飯時，他們的腳踢到了箱子上。

    "這個大箱子里裝的什么？"他們看著桌子底下問道。

    "噢，沒什么，"老人回答，"只是我一直在積攢的一些東西。"

    他的兒子們用手推了推，驚奇地發現它很沉。然后他們又用腳踢了踢，聽到里面有叮當聲。

    "里面一定是裝滿了他這些年來一直在積攢的金子，"他們互相耳語。

    因此，他們商量了一下，認為他們需要守護這財富。他們決定輪流來與老人一起住，這樣他們還可以照顧一下老人。于是，第一個星期是最小的兒子搬了進來，照顧老人，還為他做飯。第二個星期老二來接班，之后是大兒子。這樣持續了一段時間。

    最后老人得病死了。他的兒子們給他辦了非常隆重的喪事，因為他們知道，餐桌下有一筆財富，現在可以為老家伙先揮霍一把。

    喪事完了之后，他們在房子里四處尋找，最后終于找著了鑰匙打開箱子。當然他們發現里面裝滿了碎玻璃。老大把箱子翻倒過來，檢查玻璃里到底有沒有藏著貴重物品。他把所有的碎玻璃都倒在地板上，箱子空了，然后三兄弟一起注視箱子底部，發現上面有一行字：孝敬你們的父母。 

    1. chest n. 箱子

    2. tailor n. 裁縫#p#分頁標題#e#

    3. stitch n. （縫紉）一針， 針腳

    4. feeble adj. 虛弱的， 衰弱的

    5. locksmith n. 鎖匠

    6. glassblower n. 吹玻璃的人

    7. nudge vt. 輕推

    8. rattling adj. 格格作響的

    9. splurge vi. 揮霍，狂亂花錢

    10. tip vt. 使翻轉，使頃翻

    11. inscription n.刻印文字，題詞

    12. honor [美] vt.= honour 尊重，尊敬