那是旱季最熱的一天，差不多有一個月沒下雨了。莊稼正在枯死，奶牛已經不產奶了，大小溪水早已乾涸。等不到那旱季結束，好幾家農場就會倒閉。每天，我丈夫和他的兄弟們都要辛苦勞作，設法弄到水澆地。後來，他們得開著卡車去鄰近的一家供水廠灌水，可是，嚴格的供水定量配給使大家都覺得這日子沒法過了。如果老天爺再不下雨，我們將失去一切。

　　就是在這一天，我領悟到了分享的真諦，並目睹了我有生以來所親眼看到的唯一奇跡。這天，我正在廚房裡為我丈夫和他的兄弟們做午餐，這時，我看到我六歲的獨生子比利向小樹林走過去。他不像平常那樣大大咧咧的，而是一副鄭重其事的樣子。我只能看到他的背影。他顯然走得很小心，盡量保持著平穩。

　　他走進小樹林幾分鍾之後，又出來往家裡跑。我繼續做我的三明治，以為他做的事情已經結束。然而，一會兒過後，他再次小心翼翼地走向樹林，然後跑回家裡。最後，我終於控制不住好奇心，便悄悄走出房子，跟蹤他的行程。

　　他雙手在胸前窩成杯狀，非常小心地走著，不讓手中的水灑落——小手中大約有兩三湯勺的水。當他走進樹林時，我悄悄地緊跟在後面。林中的樹杈和棘刺劃在他的小臉上，可是他卻迎面而上，不去躲避，因為他有更重要的事要做。我躲起來窺探他，眼前的一幕令我驚奇不已。幾只巨大的鹿出現在他面前，他徑直走到它們跟前。我差一點大叫起來，想讓他走開。一只長著精美犄角的龐大雄鹿離比利尤其近，看上去很危險，可是那只雄鹿沒有半點惡意，它甚至在比利跪下時動都沒動。我還看見一只小小的幼鹿躺在地上，顯然脫水中暑了，它用力抬起頭，舔著我漂亮的獨生子手中的水。

　　當水被舔乾淨之後，比利一躍而起，跑回家裡。我又跟蹤他回到家，到了一個水龍頭那兒。比利把水龍頭完全擰開，只見涓涓水珠開始從龍頭裡滴出來。他跪在那兒，讓水滴慢慢滴滿他雙手窩成的『杯子』，太陽火辣辣地照射在他小小的後背上。

　　讓水滴滴滿他的小手需要將近20分鍾。當他起身開始走向樹林時，我站在了他的面前。他的眼睛裡充滿了淚水，『我沒有浪費水，』他只說了這麼一句。

　　我從廚房裡拿了一小罐水，跟他一起走回樹林，讓他喂那只小鹿。我站在一旁沒有插手，這是他的工作。我站在樹林邊，看著我有生以來所知道的心靈最美麗的孩子在盡全力搶救著另一條生命。當我面頰上滾落的淚珠掉在地上的時候，突然又有水珠從天而降，一滴滴，越來越多。我仰望天空，感到似乎上帝本人正在喜極而泣。

　　有人會說，這純屬巧合；根本不存在奇跡；某個時候，天肯定要下雨的。對此，我無法爭辯，也不試圖去爭辯。我所要講的就是：那天下雨了，我們的農場得救了，就像一個小男孩救了另一條生命一樣。

　　It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before it was through. Every day, my husband and his brothers would go the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we didn」t see some rain soon, we would lose everything.

　　It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes. I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He wasn」t walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a great effort…trying to be as still as possible.

　　Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches; thinking that whatever task he had been doing was completed. Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour: walk carefully to the woods, run back to the house. Finally I couldn」t take it any longer and I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.

　　He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them…maybe two or three tablespoons were held in his tiny hands. I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing sight. Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him; he didn」t even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn lying on the ground, obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy」s hand.

　　When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house. I followed him back to the house and to a spigot. Billy opened it all the way up and a small trickle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip slowly fill up his makeshift 『cup,』 as the sun beat down on his little back.

　　It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him. His eyes just filled with tears. 『I」m not wasting,』 was all he said.

　　As he began his walk, I joined him——with a small pot of water from the kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job. I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save another life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops…and more drops…and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride.

　　Some will probably say that this was all just a huge coincidence. That miracles don」t really exist, that it was bound to rain sometime. And I can」t argue with that; I」m not going to try. All I can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm, just like the actions of one little boy saved another.

　　(摘自2010年8月《英語沙龍》)