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【英文原文3】
trouble．”Tossing off the covers，I grabbed a flashlight and ran outside in my skivvies．As I came around the south side of the house，I heard something rattle the eaves an d jump into the maple tree．Next，I got jumped．First by Bonnie，landing on my shoulder，then by her brother，shinnying up my leg．Circling my neck，they jabbered their excitement：“Rrrrit，rrrit，rrrit．”“It's okay，I've got ya，you' re safe，”I said，cuddling them in my arms．Apparently a wild raccoon，defending its territory，had attacked Clyde．He had a bloody shoulder that didn't appear serious；Bonnie was fine．
July gave way to August，and August to September．Soon the days were getting shorter，and the raccoons were six－pound butterballs．I was fascinated by their creativity and intelligence．One evening after I banged their food bowls together，there was no reply．W hen I reported anxiously at the breakfast table that they hadn't come in the night before，Daniel laughed at my concern．“Now we'll see if you're as good a teacher as a mother raccoon．”“I already know the answer，”I said．“By the way，what time did you get in last night？”“About midnight，”he answered．“Your eyes say later．”“I'm not a baby anymore，”he shot back．Outside，I beckoned the raccoons again，and this time they reported：effervescent Bonnie in a flat－out sprint，Clyde in a tagalong amble．
Near the end of September they were missing a week，and I suggested to Shirley that they were probably gone for good．“You know it's a mistake trying to hold on to anything that no longer needs you，”she counseled．“Who's holding on？”I protested．But when I continued scanning the woods，hoping to catch sight of them，I knew she was right．Reluctantly，I dismantled their pen，stored their bowls and put them out of my mind．Or tried to．But they had got more of a hold on my heart than I ever thought possible．What I had considered a nuisance had，in fact，been a gift；what I had labeled a burden，a blessing．Why is it，I asked myself，that with so many people and things，we only appreciate them fully after they' re gone？
One Saturday near the end of October，Shirley，Daniel and I were in the backyard raking leaves when I spotted a ringed tail beyond the gate that opens to the woods．“Look，Shirley，”I whispered．And though I had no idea if it was one of ours，I called，“Bonnie．．．Clyde．”The magnificently marked animal rose on its hind legs and looked us over inquisitively．For a frozen moment，we faced off，statue like．Then I called again，and the animal moved in our direction．It was Bonnie，and we went to meet her．Kneeling，I held out my hand，which she licked while I rubbed her neck．She purred her most satisfied rrrit，rrrit，rrrit．“Go get a banana for her，”I suggested to Daniel．“No，it's time she made it on her own，”he replied firmly．“She's a big girl now．Don't do anything for her that she can do for herself．”I looked at Shirley and winked．Tall，broad－shouldered Daniel wasn't talking raccoons．He was talking parents．The object is to take care of them until they can take care of themselves，a haunting voice echoed．It was time to let go．After rubbing Bonnie' s neck one last time，I stepped back．She sensed my release and bounded off joyfully in the direction from which she had come．“Have a good life，”I called after her．Then she dipped behind a tree and was gone．
