The clever whitewasher II

　　"Well, maybe it's work and maybe not, " said Tom. " All I know is, it suits me fine!"

　　"Come on, " said Ben. "You don't mean you like it?"

　　"Like it? Why shouldn't I? Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?"

　　Well, Ben hadn't thought of it that way.

　　Tom swept his brush back and forth. Now and then he 'd step back and admire his work. Then he'd add a littl e touch and study the result again.

　　Ben watched every move.

　　"Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little."

　　Tom thought for a moment. "No, no, it wouldn't do. Aunt Polly's very particular about this fence. It's got to be done just so. There're very few boys who can do i t right."

　　"I'll bet I can. Just let me try, I'll be careful."

　　"Well… No, Ben I'd like to… I really would… but wha t if something bad happened?"

　　"I'll give you my apple," Ben said.

　　With an unwilling face but a cheerful heart, Tom ga ve up the brush, and Ben began to whitewash.

　　Tom sat in the shade, munching (用力的咀嚼) Ben's apple and plotting how to trap other boys. When Ben was worn out, there was no lack of others to take his place. Eac h one would begin by jeering. But soon Tom had him begg ing for a chance to whitewash. And Tom soon had a growi ng pile of treasures, too. Boys traded all kinds of thi ngs for the privilege of whitewashing… chalk, a kite, a dog collar (狗的项圈)…

　　While Tom sat idle, the fence got three coats of wh itewash.

　　Aunt Polly was amazed at the finished job.

　　And Tom? He had discovered a great fact of human na ture: To make a person really want something, you need only to make it hard to get. And something else: Work i s anything you have to do; play is anything you don't h ave to do.

　　Excerpted from "The Adventure of Tom Sawyer", by Ma rk Twain