CHAPTER VIII

蘇利文老師來到塔斯坎比亞之後的第一個聖誕節，是極美妙的日子。家裡每個人都打算讓我驚喜一下，但是最讓我得意的是蘇利文老師和我也準備禮物要送家人。環繞著所有禮物的懸疑神秘，讓我欣喜萬分，樂趣十足。關於將送我什麼禮物，親友們，以暗示，甚至於假裝說了一半而及時打住洩題這樣的提示，儘可能的刺激我的好奇。蘇利文老師和我維持一個猜謎遊戲；比任何各種學習語言的課程，這種猜謎遊戲讓我受益最多。每個晚上，我們圍坐熱烈的材火玩我們的猜謎遊戲；隨著聖誕節逐漸接近，我們也越加興奮。 

塔斯坎比亞的學童在聖誕節前夕有自己的聖誕樹，他們邀請我去分享。美麗的聖誕樹耀眼立在教室中央，閃爍溫暖燈光；枝上到處懸掛精采奇妙的果包。那是無比歡樂的一刻；我出神狂喜，繞著聖誕樹到處亂跑或跳舞。我很高興聽到有人說，現場將要發放禮物給每個孩童；奉獻聖誕樹那個親切的人，還給我榮幸讓我分送大家禮物。在這樣做的欣喜中，我並沒忘記自己的禮物；但是打開它的時候，我感受聖誕節真正開始了的期盼和焦慮….難以忍受，幾乎讓我失控。我得到的，並非我朋友所暗示的，那些撩人好奇的禮物，所以蘇利文老師安慰說我還將得到的禮物會比這些好。無論如何，我被勸服了，帶著得自聖誕樹的禮物離開那裡，讓自己舒服一些，直到天亮才忘了這不愉快。 

聖誕夜，吊好了長襪我假裝睡著，警覺的躺著想看聖誕老人來時會做些什麼事；好一陣子後，我終於懷著一個新娃娃和一隻白熊睡著了。第二天早上，是我用我第一個「聖誕快樂」的祝福，將全部的家人喊醒。喔，不只在長襪裡，桌上、所有的椅子上、門口還有特別的窗台，處處都讓我吃驚；事實上，不在這些棉紙包裹的聖誕禮物中躊躇蹣跚，我簡直無法走路。但是，蘇利文老師送我金絲雀，讓我滿懷欣喜。 

小提摩太非常溫馴所以會在我手指上跳躍，或從我手中啄去櫻桃蜜餞。要怎樣照顧我這新寵物，蘇利文老師都教我了。每天早上，在早餐後，我會給牠梳洗，會把鳥籠整理得清新乾淨，會在食杯和水杯裡填滿新鮮種籽和水井房取來的水，然後在牠的搖擺懸掛上垂吊一枝繁縷鵝腸草花。

有一天早上，要給牠洗澡，我從這個放在窗下座椅的鳥籠走開，去取水。當我回來，打開門的時候，感覺有一隻大貓和我擦身而過，衝了出去。起先我沒想什麼，直到我把手探進鳥籠，沒摸到小提摩太的漂亮翅膀，或感受到牠用細小利爪握我指頭；這時，我才知道我將永遠再看不到那可愛的小歌手了。 

THE first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event. Every one in the family prepared surprises for me, but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else. The mystery that surrounded the gifts was my greatest delight and amusement. My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time. Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set of lessons could have done. Every evening, seated round a glowing wood fire, we played our guessing game, which grew more and more exciting as Christmas approached. 

On Christmas Eve the Tuscumbia schoolchildren had their tree, to which they invited me. In the centre of the schoolroom stood a beautiful tree ablaze and shimmering in the soft light, its branches loaded with strange, wonderful fruit. It was a moment of supreme happiness. I danced and capered around the tree in an ecstasy. When I learned that there was a gift for each child, I was delighted, and the kind people who had prepared the tree permitted me to hand the presents to the children. In the pleasure of doing this, I did not stop to look at my own gifts; but when I was ready for them, my impatience for the real Christmas to begin almost got beyond control. I knew the gifts I already had were not those of which friends had thrown out such tantalizing hints, and my teacher said the presents I was to have would be even nicer than these. I was persuaded, however, to content myself with the gifts from the tree and leave the others until morning. 

That night, after I had hung my stocking, I lay awake a long time, pretending to be asleep and keeping alert to see what Santa Claus would do when he came. At last I fell asleep with a new doll and a white bear in my arms. Next morning it was I who waked the whole family with my first "Merry Christmas!" I found surprises, not in the stocking only, but on the table, on all the chairs, at the door, on the very window-sill; indeed, I could hardly walk without stumbling on a bit of Christmas wrapped up in tissue paper. But when my teacher presented me with a canary, my cup of happiness overflowed.  

Little Tim was so tame that he would hop on my finger and eat candied cherries out of my hand. Miss Sullivan taught me to take all the care of my new pet. Every morning after breakfast I prepared his bath, made his cage clean and sweet, filled his cups with fresh seed and water from the well-house, and hung a spray of chickweed in his swing.  

One morning I left the cage on the window-seat while I went to fetch water for his bath. When I returned I felt a big cat brush past me as I opened the door. At first I did not realize what had happened; but when I put my hand in the cage and Tim's pretty wings did not meet my touch or his small pointed claws take hold of my finger, I knew that I should never see my sweet little singer again.