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“I THINK I shall soon be quite a man,” said Tom to a girl whom he knew well, as she sat by the gate of her home.
“Well,” said she, “some boys think they are men, but they act as boys for all that. If you were a man, Tom, you would not throw plum stones at me. You would not tease my dog. You would not put your foot out to make me fall down. You would not laugh when you see rude boys do things which you know are wrong.
“You may be a big boy, and you may be an old boy, but I shall not think you a man till you act as a man. No true man would do a mean thing. A true man is brave and just. He will do what is right, and fear not. Think of that, Tom.”
“Yes,” said Tom, “I will. What you say is quite true. I must try to be a good boy, that I may grow up to be a good man.”
有个小女孩坐在家门口，她跟汤姆很熟。汤姆对她说：“我觉得，自己很快就会成为堂堂男子汉了！”
小女孩说：“诶，是有些小男孩觉得，自己已经是男子汉了，可做的事还是小男孩的。汤姆，要是你真是个男子汉了，你就不会朝我扔梅子核，不会逗我的小狗，不会把脚伸出来，把我绊一跤。要是看见那些野孩子做的事，你知道他们做得不对，也不会哈哈大笑。
“你可能是个大男孩了，还可能是个老男孩，可是，直到你做事像个男人，我才会把你当男人。真正的男人是不会做一件坏事的，真正的男人应该有勇气，有正义心，会做好事，会无所畏惧。汤姆，你好好想想吧。”
汤姆说：“是啊！我会好好想想的。你说得很对。我一定要努力做个好男孩，这样才能长成一个好男人。”