学会如何放弃

Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl.

One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that necklace, and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, “Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the necklace.

And don’t forget that for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too. Okay?” Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her.

Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough, her grandma gave her a brand-new dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls. How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere to kindergarten, bed and when she went out with her mother to run errands.

The only time she didn’t wear them was in the shower. Her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green!

Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite story.

One night when he finished the story, he said, “Jenny, do you love me? ”

“Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you, ” the little girl said.

“Well, then, give me your pearls. ”

“Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!” Jenny said. “But you can have Rosy, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit , too. Okay? ”

“Oh no, darling, that's okay.”Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. “Good night, little one. ”

A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, “Do you love me? ”

“Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you. ”

“Well, then, give me your pearls. ”

“Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She’s my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy,” the little girl said to her father.

“No, that's okay,” her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. “God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams. ”

Several days later, when Jenny’s father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling .“ Here, Daddy, ” she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father’s hand.

With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the box were real, genuine , beautiful pearls. He had had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing.

五岁的珍妮长着一双明亮的眼睛，是个非常漂亮的女孩。

一天，珍妮和妈妈正在杂货店结账，这时她看见了一串标价为2.5美元的塑料珍珠项链。她实在太想要这串项链了！她问妈妈是否可以为她买下项链，妈妈说：“嗯，这项链很漂亮，不过它要花很多很多钱哪。我倒是有个主意。我帮你买下项链，回家后，我们列张清单，看看你能做哪些家务活儿来偿还这串项链的钱。

还有别忘了，祖母在你生日的时候可能会给你整整一美元哦。好吗？”珍妮点头答应，她妈妈就为她买下了这串珍珠项链。

珍妮每天都非常努力地做家务，当然了，她过生日时祖母给了她一张簇新的一美元。没过多久，珍妮就还清了买珍珠项链的钱。珍妮对这串项链爱不释手。不管是去幼儿园、上床睡觉，还是和妈妈一起出门办事，她随时随地都带着它。

只有洗澡的时候，她才会把项链取下来。妈妈告诉她，那样项链会把她的脖子染成绿色！

珍妮的爸爸非常爱她。每晚珍妮上床睡觉的时候，他都会离开他最爱的座椅，给珍妮读她喜欢的故事。

一天，爸爸读完了故事，问道：“珍妮，你爱我吗？”

“哦当然了，爸爸，你知道我爱你，”小女孩回答说。

“嗯，那把你的珍珠项链给我吧。”

“啊！爸爸，珍珠项链不能给！”珍妮说。“但是你可以拿走萝茜，那是我最心爱的玩具娃娃。你还记得她吗？是你去年送我的生日礼物。你还可以把她的茶会服装也拿走。好吗？”

“哦不用了，亲爱的，没关系。”爸爸亲了亲她的脸颊。“晚安，小宝贝。”

一周之后，爸爸给珍妮读完故事又问她。“你爱我吗？”

“啊，是的，爸爸，你知道我爱你。”

“好啊，那你把珍珠项链给我吧。”

“哦，爸爸，我的珍珠项链可不行！但是你可以要我的玩具马罗宾斯。你记得她吗？她是我的最爱。她的头发特别柔顺，你可以和她玩、给她编辫子，做任何事情都可以。爸爸，如果你想要罗宾斯，你可以把她拿走。”小女孩对她爸爸说道。

“不，没关系。”爸爸回答说，又吻吻她的脸颊。“愿上帝保佑你，小宝贝。做个好梦。”

又过了几天，珍妮的爸爸走进房间给她读故事时，珍妮坐在床上，嘴唇不住地颤抖。“给你，爸爸，”她一边说，一边伸出手。她张开手掌，里面放着她挚爱的珍珠项链。她悄悄把项链塞到爸爸手上。

珍妮爸爸一手拿着塑料项链，另一只手从口袋里掏出一个蓝色的天鹅绒盒子。盒子里面是货真价实、无比漂亮的珍珠。他一直把它们带在身边。他一直在等着珍妮放弃她那串廉价项链，好送给她真正的珍珠项链。