"What's wrong, dear?" said Mrs. Smith to the little boy, Tom Blair, who had tears in his eyes.
"We have all got a 1 called Little Jim to learn, " said Tom, "and the one who says it best will get a 2 from the teacher. But I don't think I can learn it. "
"Why not?" said Mrs. Smith.
"It is so long and hard for me. And other boys always 3 me, and call me ‘Slow Tom', " said Tom in a 4 voice.
"Well, dear, don't mind 5 others say, " said Mrs. Smith kindly. "Look at that snail (蜗牛) on the wall, how 6 it is! But if you watch it, you will see it will get to the top at last. When you feel like losing heart, 7 the snail on the wall. "
At last, the day came. The teacher called up the boys to repeat (复述) the poem. When five or six boys had tried, it came to Tom's turn. 8 Tom got up, there was a laugh because most of the boys thought he would fail. But he did not 9 a word. And his heart was full of 10 when the teacher said, "Well done, Tom Blair!" After the 11 of the class had tried, the teacher said Tom had done 12 , and he gave him the prize. "And now tell me, " said the teacher, "how you learned the poem so well?"
"Please, sir, it was the snail on the wall that 13 me how to do it, " said Tom. "I saw it crawl up (爬行) the wall bit by bit. It did not stop, nor turn back, but went on and on. And I thought I would do the same with my task. So I 14 learned it bit by bit, and did not give up. "
"Now, boys, let us give a good 15 for Tom Blair and the snail on the wall, " said the teacher. And the old house rang with a loud, long cheer. For all were glad that "Slow Tom" had got a prize at last.
