28　IN A MINUTE
请等一分钟

Little May had one bad habit. If you asked her to do anything, she would say, “In a minute.”

If her mother said, “May, dear, bring me my coat,” she would say, “Yes, Mother, in a minute.”

And even if her father called her for a ride, it was the same. She never did at once what she was told to do.

One day May’s bird was flying about the room. Some one went out and left the door open.

May’s mother said, “Shut the door, my dear.”

“Yes, Mother, in a minute,” said May. “I only want to finish this story.”

But the cat did not wait. In she came, and with one jump had the bird in her mouth.

Down went the book on the floor, and away ran May after the cat.

Soon poor May came back crying with the dead bird in her hand.

Her mother was sad, too, but she said, “My dear little girl, you see that a great many things may happen in a minute.”

It was a sad lesson for May, but it was one she did not forget.

梅梅有个坏毛病，不管你让她做什么，她总说：“请等一分钟。”

如果妈妈说：“亲爱的梅梅，帮我把大衣拿过来。”她会说：“好的，妈妈，请等一分钟。”

就算是爸爸叫她去骑马，也是一样的结果。让她做的事，她绝不会马上去做。

一天，梅梅养的小鸟正在房间里飞来飞去，有人离开房间时忘了顺手把门关上。

妈妈说：“关上门，亲爱的。”

“好的，妈妈，请等一分钟。”梅梅说，“我想把这个故事看完。”

但是小猫可等不及了。她悄悄走进来，一下子就把小鸟咬到了嘴里。

梅梅赶紧把书扔在地上去追小猫。

可怜的梅梅很快就回来了，手里捧着死去的小鸟哭个不停。

妈妈很难过，她说：“亲爱的梅梅，你看，一分钟里可以发生很多事情啊。”

梅梅得到了这个教训，再也没忘记过。