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BEN and May were twins; that means that they were of the same age. May was not so tall as Ben was, and she was not so strong; but May thought more, learned more, and did more than Ben.
Ben could jump down one step of the stair at a time. When he held by the top of the rail, he could jump two steps at a time. Ben was proud that he could jump more than May could.
When Ben and May were just four years old, Ben thought that he would soon be a big boy, fit for school. He loved to talk, and he loved to boast, and so Ben said things which no wise boy would have said.
“I can jump —I can jump a great way!” cried Ben. “Now that I am four years old I can jump down four steps at a time, and not hold at all by the top of the rail!”
“Oh no, dear Ben,” said May; “we must not try such a great jump as that. We must wait till we are tall and strong.” For May was too wise to boast.
“I can jump four steps at a time —I am sure that I can!” cried proud Ben. “I can do much more than you can; for you are but a girl, and I am a boy —a big, strong boy. Just look now how I can jump!”
Ben ran up the four steps, and looked down from the high place on May with a smile. “Just look how I jump!” he cried once more.
Ben jumped down the four steps, but, as you may think, he came down on his nose, and not on his feet! Oh, how his nose was hurt! how fast it bled!
Poor Ben roared with the pain. He roared loud; he roared like a bull. May ran to help him up; and so did Aunt Jane, who had heard his loud roar, though she was in her own room, with her door shut. She could have heard him through two or three doors.
Aunt Jane washed Ben's poor nose, and bound up his face, when she had put some oil on it to make it well. But it did not get well for a long time. The poor nose was nearly as big as a pear, and as red as the comb of a cock, for more than a week!
Do you not hope that the pain taught Ben to boast less, and to think more? You see that he was not yet a wise boy, though he was four years old. We may hope that poor Ben got more sense in his head by the time that he came to be five
— A. L. O. E
本和梅梅是双胞胎，就是说，他俩年纪一样大。
梅梅不像本那么高，也不如本那么壮。可是，梅梅比本想得更多，学得更多，做的事情也更多。
在楼梯上，本可以一次往下跳一个台阶。要是抓住扶手顶上，一次就能跳两个台阶。本非常自豪，自己跳的台阶比梅梅多。
本和梅梅才四岁的时候，本觉得，自己很快就能长成大孩子了，能上学了。他喜欢说话，喜欢吹牛，结果他说的一些话，聪明的男孩子肯定不会说。
本喊道：“我会跳——我跳得可远啦！我今年四岁，所以我能一次往下跳四个台阶，也不用扶着扶手上边！”
梅梅说：“啊，本，可不行！咱们不能试着跳那么远的。咱们得等到长高了，长结实了，才能跳！”因为梅梅很聪明，不会吹牛。
本骄傲地喊道：“我就是能一次跳四个台阶，我肯定行的！我能做的事儿，比你多得多，因为你就是个小丫头，我可是个男孩——又大又结实的男孩！你就看着我怎么跳吧！”
本跑上四个台阶，从高处往下瞧着玛丽，脸上带着微笑。他又喊了一次：“看我怎么跳！”
本跳下了那四个台阶。然而，跟你想的一样，他不是双脚着地，而是鼻子着地！唉，他的鼻子伤得多厉害啊！流血流得多么凶啊！
可怜的本，疼得叫了起来。他大喊大叫，声音像公牛一样响亮。梅梅跑过去把他扶了起来。珍妮姑姑在自己的房间里头，门还关着，可她也听见了本的叫唤，也过去跟梅梅一块儿，扶着本站了起来。其实哪怕隔着两三道门，本的号叫声，她还是听得见的。
珍妮姑姑洗干净了本那可怜的鼻子，又往本的脸上倒了点儿治伤的油，给他的脸裹好了绷带。不过，本的鼻子还是过了好久才恢复。足足一个多星期的时间，可怜的鼻子都肿得像个鸭梨，红得像公鸡的鸡冠！
你不希望，这一次疼痛，教会了本要少吹牛，多思考吗？你看，他四岁了，却还不是个聪明的孩子。但愿可怜的本，长到五岁的时候，脑里能更有理智！