The Mother’s Love -- Story

 　　A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his mom dried her hands on an apron¹, she read it and this is what it said:

　　For cutting the grass: $5.00

　　For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00

　　For going to the store for you: 50 cents

　　Baby-sitting my little brother while you went shopping: 25 cents Taking out the garbage: $1.00

　　For getting a good report card: $5.00

　　For cleaning up and raking² the yard: $2.00

　　Total owed³: $14.75

　　Well, his mother looked at him standing⁴ there, and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote:

　　For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me: No charge

　　For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you: No charge

　　For all the trying times and all the tears that you've caused through the years: No charge

　　For all the nights that were filled with dread⁵, and for the worries I knew were ahead: No charge

　　For the toys, food, clothes and even wiping your nose: No charge Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is: No charge

　　When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes and he looked straight at his mother and said, "Mom, I sure do love you." And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote: "PAID IN FULL".

1 apron   

n.围裙；工作裙

参考例句：

• We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
• She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。

2 raking   

粗筛

参考例句：

• He is raking around in the library for some reference books. 他正在图书馆里找参考书。
• How would you like to spend your Sundays raking up dead leaves? 你难道会愿意在园里耙枯叶子来消磨你的星期天？

3 owed   

v.感激( owe的过去式和过去分词 )；应把…归功于；欠…债；（对位高权重者）忠诚

参考例句：

• I'd completely forgotten about the money he owed me. 我完全记不得他欠我的钱了。
• He gave me a lot of help.I owed much to him. 他给我许多帮助，我非常感激他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。