Tom always lived for grades. He was always interested in books and ideas. Why should he care about people? They only made fun of him. They were jealous (妒忌的) because he was so smart, or so he thought. It seemed that Tom knew everything — except one thing. He didn't know how to get along with other people.

He made his parents believe that school was a waste of time, so he began home schooling with special teachers. He dreamed of being the youngest person to enter university, and he sent letters to famous professors (教授) to see if it was possible.

One day, the doorbell rang. When Tom opened the door, there was his idol－Professor Rosen. Tom was so excited that he could hardly speak. The two talked for a long time, exchanging ideas. The professor was surprised at what this young boy knew. "Tom, tell me about your friends. What do you do for fun?" the professor wanted to know.

There was silence as Tom realised that he didn't really have any friends. "Well, I don't have time for all that. I'm too busy with my studies," he said.

"That's a problem, Tom. You have to learn that the world is not just filled with ideas. It's filled with people. And you have to remember to be what you are … a boy. Boys need to have fun."

The professor talked a bit more and then said, "I have to go, but I have a test for you. In this box, there are three things. I want you to learn how to use them. It is not very simple and you'll need another person to help you. Experiment and learn how to use them, and I'll be back in a week to see how you're doing. Then, I'll have another test for you."

The professor left and Tom opened the box. Inside were two baseball gloves and a ball. He tried on a glove and picked up the ball, looking at the other glove with a bright smile …