大学英语精读文本1册5-6单元.docVIP

大学英语精读文本1册5-6单元 UNIT 5 TEXT A miserable and merry Christmas? How could it be? A Miserable, Merry Christmas Christmas was coming. I wanted a pony. To make sure that my parents understood, I declared that I wanted noting else. Nothing but a pony? my father asked. Nothing, I said. Not even a pair of high boots? That was hard. I did want boots, but I stuck to the pony. No, not even boots. Nor candy? There ought to be something to fill your stocking with, and Santa Claus cant put a pony into a stocking, That was true, and he couldnt lead a pony down the chimney either . But no. All I want is a pony, I said. If I cant have a pony, give me nothing, nothing. On Christmas Eve I hung up my stocking along with my sisters. The next morning my sisters and I woke up at six. Then we raced downstairs to the fireplace. And there they were, the gifts, all sorts of wonderful things, mixed-up piles of presents. Only my stocking was empty; it hung limp; not a thing in it; and under and around it -- nothing. My sisters had knelt down, each by her pile of gifts; they were crying with delight, till they looked up and saw me standing there looking so miserable. They came over to me and felt my stocking: nothing. I dont remember whether I cried at that moment, but my sisters did. They ran with me back to my bed, and there we all cried till I became indignant. That helped some. I got up, dressed, and driving my sisters away, I went out alone into the stable, and there, all by myself, I wept. My mother came out to me and she tried to comfort me. But I wanted no comfort. She left me and went on into the house with sharp words for my father. My sisters came to me, and I was rude. I ran away from them. I went around to the front of the house, sat down on the steps, and, the crying over, I ached. I was wronged, I was hurt. And my father must have been hurt, too, a little. I saw him looking out of the window. He was watching me or some