那是1961年的聖誕節。我在俄亥俄州的一個小鎮上教國小三年級。班上27個孩子都在積極參加禮物贈送日的活動。
a tree covered with tinsel and gaudy paper chains graced one corner. in another rested a manger scene produced from cardboard and poster paints by chubby, and sometimes grubby, hands. someone had brought a doll and placed it on the straw in the cardboard box that served as the manger. it didnt matter that you could pull a string and hear the blue-eyed, golden-haired dolly say, my name is susie. but jesus was a boy baby! one of the boys proclaimed. nonetheless, susie stayed.
教室的一角被一棵樹裝點得熠熠生輝，樹上綴滿了金銀絲帛和華麗的彩紙。教室的另一角是一個塗著海報油彩由紙板製成的'馬槽，這出自孩子們那胖乎乎、髒兮兮的小手。有人帶來了一個娃娃，把它放在紙板槽裡的稻草上（假裝小耶穌）。只要拉拉它身上的一條細繩，這個藍眼睛、金髮的娃娃就會說道，我叫蘇西，不過這都沒有關係。一個男孩提出：耶穌可是個小男孩呀！不過蘇西還是留了下來。
each day the children produced some new wonder -- strings of popcorn, hand-made trinkets, and german bells made from wallpaper samples, which we hung from the ceiling. through it all she remained aloof, watching from afar, seemingly miles away. i wondered what would happen to this quiet child, once so happy, now so suddenly withdrawn. i hoped the festivities would appeal to her. but nothing did. we made cards and gifts for mothers and dads, for sisters and brothers, for grandparents, and for each other. at home the students made the popular fried marbles and vied with one another to bring in the prettiest ones. you put them in a hot frying pan, teacher. and you let them get real hot, and then you watch what happens inside. but you dont fry them too long or they , as my gift to them, i made each of my students a little pouch for carrying their fried marbles. and i knew they had each made something for me: bookmarks carefully cut, colored, and sometimes pasted together; cards and special drawings; liquid embroidery doilies, hand-fringed, of course.
