哥哥的心愿

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.

　　"Is this your car, Mister?" he said.

　　Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you nothing? Boy, I wish . . ." He hesitated.

　　Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.

　　"I wish," the boy went on, "That I could be a brother like that."

　　Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my car?"

　　"Oh yes, I’d love that."

　　After a short ride, the boy turned with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?"

　　Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.

　　He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

　　"There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs.

　　His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m gonna give you one just like it . . . then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about."

　　Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said: "It is more blessed to give . . . "

　　圣誕節時，保羅的哥哥送他一輛新車。圣誕節當天，保羅離開辦公室時，一個男孩繞著那輛閃閃發亮的新車，十分贊嘆地問：

　　"先生，這是你的車？"

　　保羅點點頭："這是我哥哥送給我的圣誕節禮物。"男孩滿臉驚訝，支支吾吾地說："你是說這是你哥送的禮物，沒花你一分錢？天哪，我真希望也能……"

　　保羅當然知道男孩他真想希望什么。他希望能有一個象那樣的哥哥。但是小男孩接下來說的話卻完全出乎了保羅的意料。

　　"我希望自己能成為送車給弟弟的哥哥。"男孩繼續說。

　　保羅驚愕地看著那男孩，沖口而出地說："你要不要坐我的車去兜風？"

　　"哦，當然好了，我太想坐了！"

　　車開了一小段路后，那孩子轉過頭來，眼睛閃閃發亮，對我說："先生，你能不能把車子開到我家門前？"

　　保羅微笑，他知道孩子想干什么。那男孩必定是要向鄰居炫耀，讓大家知道他坐了一部大轎車回家。但是這次保羅又猜錯了。"你能不能把車子停在那兩個臺階前？"男孩要求道。

　　男孩跑上了階梯，過了一會兒保羅聽到他回來了，但動作似乎有些緩慢。原來把他跛腳的弟弟帶出來了，將他安置在第一個臺階上，緊緊地抱著他，指著那輛新車。

　　只聽那男孩告訴弟弟："你看，這就是我剛才在樓上對你說的那輛新車。這是保羅他哥哥送給他的哦！將來我也會送給你一輛像這樣的車，到那時候你就能自己去看那些在圣誕節時，掛窗口上的漂亮飾品了，就象我告訴過你的那樣。"

　　保羅走下車子，把跛腳男孩抱到車子的前座。興奮得滿眼放光的哥哥也爬上車子，坐在弟弟的身旁。就這樣他們三人開始一次令人難忘的假日兜風。

　　那個圣誕夜，保羅才真正體會主耶穌所說的"施比受更有福"的道理。