Five grains of green peas were growing together side by side in a shell. The green pea grains grew little by little with warm sunshine. Because of the green shell, they thought the whole world also would be green.

　　"Make some room for me. Why do we feel this shell is much smaller than before?" As they grew up, they felt cramped in the shell. Autumn was just around the corner, and the green shell turned yellowish.

　　One boy came close and picked the green pea shell. "The shell will be opened!" "Which one of us will go the farthest?" The green pea grains murmured together nervously, and looked forward to the shell being opened.

　　The boy grasped the shell tightly and spread his hand out. Then, the shell was opened, and the grains jumped and popped out of the shell.

　　The first green pea fell down on a roof and became food for a pigeon. The second green pea did too. The third green pea fell into a sewer and lived in the mud. The fourth green pea remained in the boy's hand and was locked in the boy's treasure box.

　　The youngest green pea jumped out as hard as he could and went the farthest. It landed in the corner of a windowsill of a house in a street. It was full of dust and moss.

　　An ill girl and her mother lived in the house. They were so poor that her mother had to work all day. The ill girl had to stay in her bed all the time by herself.

　　Small leaves and dust from here and there covered the youngest pea. In spring, a small bud began to come out of his body. One day, the ill girl saw the new bud on the windowsill of her attic. "Mom, look at this. There's small buds on the windowsill." Her mother came close to the window and looked at it carefully.

　　"You're right. The small green pea pushed out new buds!" Her mother was also surprised at the new buds, and the girl's eyes were glittering with joy. "Mom, would you move my bed close to the window? I want to watch it growing and stretching out." "Sure, I will. Cheer up!"

　　Her mother put some soil on the windowsill and she made a stick stand for the green pea. She helped the green pea stretch its roots and vines. The girl stretched her body to look out at the green pea's vines. She kept stretching her back, and in the end, she can get out of her bed and stand. Her cheeks became full of fresh red color.

　　Then, one morning, the girl shouted out with joy. "Oh! The white flowers began to come out. Mom, come and look at this green pea flower." Her mother ran to her and embraced her daughter who was standing by herself. "That little grain of green pea helped my daughter to stand up and walk." Tears were standing in the mother's eyes. The two were standing with happy smiles next to the window of bright and warm sunshine.

　　單詞注釋：cramped adj. 狹窄的;難解的;受限制的

　　pigeon n. 鴿子

　　windowsill n. [建] 窗臺;[建] 窗沿

　　Narcissus, on the windowsill.

　　窗臺上的水仙花。

　　bud n. 芽，萌芽;蓓蕾

　　glitter vi. 閃爍;閃光

　　例句：The morning dews glitter in the sun.

　　晨露在陽光下閃爍。

　　stretch vt. 伸展，張開;vi. 伸展;adj. 可伸縮的;n. 伸展，延伸

　　例句：To his amazement the girl did kiss her hand and stretch it out.

　　使他驚奇的是，那姑娘果真吻了吻自己的手，把它伸了出來。