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????Sandy and Jane came to see the jobo tree on the hilltop again. Jobos were their favorite fruit, but the tree belonged to a lady who lived in the house by the hill. They heard she was difficult, but that sometimes she would give fruit in return for an errand（差使）.

? ? The girls finally gathered their courage to knock on her door. An elderly woman with a fierce look answered, staring down at the girls. "We heard…," said Sandy, her voice shaky, "that you give jobos in payment for running an errand."

? ? The lady raised one eyebrow, then went into the kitchen and took two baskets. She pushed them into the girls' hands. "Go fill these with jobos, and come right back."

? ? The girls raced up the hill to the tree and filled the baskets with the ripest jobos. Back at the house, the lady filled a bag with rice and handed it to Sandy. "Take this bag and one basket of jobos to the Brown family. And ask them for the payment," the lady added with a tight smile. "If you return without the payment, you won't get the fruit."

? ? The girls struggled all the way with the bag and the basket. When they were there, Mrs. Brown answered the door. Inside on the floor were three little children, each painting something on papers. Mr. Brown was lying sick in bed. Times were hard.

The girls handed her the food. "This is from the lady with the jobo tree," said Sandy.

"She asked for the payment, too." Jane said awkwardly.

"The payment! The payment!" The children repeated, waving the paper in their hands happily.

? ? Sandy and Jane looked at each other strangely. With a smile, Mrs. Brown handed Sandy a large sealed（密封的）envelope so full that it was almost starting to break open. The girls said goodbye and left quickly. "I wonder," Sandy murmured, "whether Mrs. Brown can afford to pay for that food."

Worried, the two girls discussed what was in the envelope as they walked back.

The lady opened the envelope, took out a pile of papers, and smiled.?

Franklin 下水文

Worried, the two girls discussed what was in the envelope as they walked back. Curling a strand of her hair around her finger, Sandy felt sympathetic for the Browns, yet she couldn’t help but wonder how the Browns managed to make the payment as the lady required. “Why not take a look inside?” asked Jane, unsure whether the Browns’ payment was enough, given their hard times. Holding the envelope against her chest, Sandy shook her head and gasped, “We should respect their privacy. I believe in them.” The wind from the hill brushed their cheeks, surrounding them with the fragrance of jobos. Before long, they saw the lady strolling at the front porch, crossing her arms. “Here’s your payment,” said Sandy in a determined voice, handing the large envelope to the lady.?

The lady opened the envelope, took out a pile of papers, and smiled. It was a stack of colorful drawings made by the Brown children, thanking her for the rice and jobos. “Thank you!” said the lady in a softer tone, nodding with appreciation. Though the Browns was struggling, they were talented artists seeking to make a living. Learning the context, the two girls raised their eyebrows, relieved and happy for the Browns. The lady headed back to the kitchen, fetched some jobos and beamed at the two girls, “Come again if you want some more.” Taking the baskets, they bowed, grateful for her generosity. Walking home, they realized that a small act of compassion can indeed make a big difference, not only warming the hearts of the receiver, but also the giver.?

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