也许我再也不用回避生活中的这种“愚人把戏”了。我常常想，我们各自讲述的那些有关自己生活的故事里蕴含着更多的东西，蕴含着一种不可思议的力量。不管怎么说，每一个人都是天生的作家，擅长讲述自己的生活故事。
下面的这篇故事是我的得意之作。
在纽约市北边的一个海滨娱乐公园，我为一位名叫艾丽丝的漂亮女士写下了这个故事。在故事中，我大胆地预言了她的未来。
海边漫步
艾丽丝同一位小伙子好了4年，小伙子却把握不住他们的未来，跟她分了手。她当时十分伤心，可现在想来觉得那是最圆满的结局。此后的一年半时间里，她经历过几场约会，但要么是她看上了对方而对方却不喜欢她，要么是对方钟情于她而她却又不愿以情相许。
唉，好事难成。
于是她开始定期去看望她的外祖母。外祖母是个非常聪慧的女性，乐观而又富于爱心。艾丽丝跟她谈过之后，感觉好多了，重又找到了温暖和笑声。但是她到底该怎样找到真爱呢？
一天，拜访过外祖母之后，艾丽丝一个人沿着海边散步。她将遇见一个男子。他会问她某个问题，而她的第一个念头就是：“哇，这小伙子一定来历不凡！”他们开始交谈，谈着谈着便跌入了爱河。
他可能是乘船来的，可能是游泳来的，也可能是步行而来。要不，他也许是从天而降，或是从波浪底下冒出来的。但这些都不重要，重要的是，在她看过外祖母之后，完全没有想到会碰上一个男人时，他就从海里出现了，而海里的男人跟鱼一样多。
事实是，我同艾丽丝在离海边不到20码远的地方不期而遇。在我为她写下这篇小说的那一天，这是我没有想到的。两个月之后，我走进一堂写作课，在没人坐的惟独一个空位上坐下时，身旁有人问道：“你还记得我吗？”那人正是艾丽丝。
如今，我们已经结婚9年了，还有了一个5岁的漂亮女儿安妮。我们成了一种活生生的见证，那就是，你能够重写自己的生活，以找到一个完美的结局。
正因为如此，当初那个当街头作家的疯狂念头不仅为我造就了一份职业，而且让我娶回爱妻，建立了家庭。我想你可以说我当小说家的梦想也变成了现实。只是我取得成功的方式并非完全如我所料——在街头上写小说，一篇一页纸，一次一个人。不过，美好的故事并不会按你所期待的方式发生。
A cat is tale：bandit and mum
一只猫咪的故事：强盗和它妈妈
Driving home from work one evening，my headlights illuminated two eyes on the side of the road.I stopped to investigate，finding a bedraggled-looking cat looking up at me，meowing pitifully.A car must have hit it and it now lay in the gutter，unable to move.I checked for a collar and ID but there was none.I flattened a cardboard box from the boot and slid the cat onto it，covering it in a rug.
At the nearest veterinary clinic，the vet gently examined it."He's about eight months old and has a broken front and hind leg，but I would need X-rays to know the extent of the damage，"he told me."As he's not your cat，I don't know if you want to go ahead with this.It could be rather expensive."
I knew it would cost me hundreds of dollars，but the alternative was the cat being put to sleep.The following morning the vet rang to say the X-rays confirmed a broken front leg and two badly splintered breaks in the hind leg."I'll put a metal pin in his back leg to keep it immobilized until it's healed，"he told me."He'll have slightly shorter hind legs but it won't affect his movements at all."
I contacted the RSPCA to no avail，so all day I looked forward to picking up my little friend.Carrying the cat，the vet smiled，"He's a happy little fellow-he hasn't stopped purring since he woke up.The staff are quite taken with him！"I hardly recognized him.His previously matted，dirty fur was now beautiful silver grey，with a dark charcoal mask around his eyes and nose，like a bandit.His front leg was in a cast and the hind leg was taped.He lay there looking at me，purring loudly.
I thanked the doctor and went out to pay the bill."I think you've given me the wrong account，"I said."This is only $85.He's had X-rays and an operation on his legs.""No，that's right，"she replied."The vet has only charged you for the drugs and medication.There's a message on the bottom."Written underneath the total were the words "SPECIAL RATE FOR ADOPTIONS."I was speechless at his kind and generous gesture.It was obvious he would be embarrassed if I made a fuss，so I paid the account and underneath his message I wrote "WITH GRATEFUL THANKS，BANDIT AND MUM."
一天晚上，下班后我开车回家。这时车前灯照到了路边的两只眼睛。我停下来，发现一只满是污泥的小猫正看着我，可怜地喵喵叫着。它一定是被汽车撞了，现在它躺在排水沟里，动弹不得。我试着找它的项圈和身份牌，但我什么也没找到。我把后备箱里的一只纸箱踩扁，将小猫轻轻放上去，并给它盖上毯子。
在最近的一家兽医诊所里，医生轻柔地为小猫做了检查。“它大概8个月大，一条前腿和后腿折断了，但是我需要拍个X光片才能确认它的伤势，”医生对我说，“因为不是你的猫，我也不知道你是不是打算给它拍片。拍片挺贵的。”
我知道这要花几百元，但如果不这样就要看着小猫安息。第二天早上，医生来电话告诉我X光拍片结果，说是前腿骨折，后腿有两处粉碎性断裂。“我会在它后腿里放一个金属钉来固定，直到愈合，”他告诉我，“它的后腿会稍短些，但是对行动不会有任何影响。”
我试着联系皇家防止虐待动物协会，但是没有结果。于是整天我都期待着把我的小朋友接走。医生抱着小猫，笑着说，“它是个快乐的小家伙，醒来后一直在呜呜叫。医护人员都非常喜爱它！”我差点认不出它来了。先前肮脏不堪、乱成一团的毛现在变成一身漂亮的银灰色，眼睛和鼻子上带着一个黑色木炭面罩，看上去像个强盗。它前腿打着石膏，后腿缠着绷带。它躺在那里，看着我，大声呜呜地叫着。
我谢过医生后出去付款。“我想你给错单子了吧，”我说，“这张只有85元，它拍了X光片，腿上还做了手术。”“不，这单子是对的，”她回答道，“医生只收你医药费和治疗费。底下有附言。”在总数的下面有一行字“领养人特惠价格”。医生的善良和慷慨让我顿时无语。显然，如果我大惊小怪会让他很尴尬，于是我付了款，并在他的附言底下写道：“非常感激，‘强盗’和它妈妈”。
A Nickel in the Road
地上的五分硬币
Exercising is not one of my favorite pastimes but I know it's good for me，so every day I try to get outside and take a two-mile walk.Most days I carry a small notebook and pen with me so that I can jot down the random，brilliant thoughts that come to me.
A few weeks ago I was rounding a corner about half way through my walk and noticed a nickel in the road.I adjusted my gait so that I stepped on the coin and kept walking.
Within a few steps I started thinking of my daughter who always stops to pick up loose change.She wouldn't have passed this one by.I was half tempted to turn around and go back for it，but I thought it would be embarrassing if someone happened to see me stooping down to pick up a nickel.
It didn't take me long to transition my thoughts from that nickel to those small opportunities that have been in front of me that I've stepped on or passed by.How many have I overlooked because I thought they were not important？How many have I been too embarrassed to try？How many have I stepped on because I wanted to show the world they were unworthy of my attention？
Later that day I told my daughter about the nickel incident because it continued to weigh on my mind.She said，"I would have picked it up.Did you know that one day at school I found a dollar on the floor？"
She had taken advantage of seemingly small opportunities，but when added up，they became something worthwhile.In my daughter's case，she was able to buy a can of soda from the vending machine she wouldn't have been able to do otherwise.
The next morning I paid attention as I walked that same road.I was determined to pick up that nickel if I saw it again.But alas，it was gone.Not surprising I guess.Someone else is usually willing to take advantage of the opportunities that others choose to pass by.Unfortunately，by the time I decided to take advantage of it，the opportunity was no longer there.
