英文短篇故事（纽约）396 The Truth About Santa（在线收听）

 　　"Mommy, is it okay to lie?" Annika asked. Mom said, "Of course not, honey. Where'd you get that idea? A lie destroys the trust between people. It's hard to ever regain that trust. Honesty is always the best policy. If you lie, not only will you lose your friends, but your conscience will nag at you." Annika asked, "Does your conscience nag at you, Mommy?" Mom said, "No, dear. Why should it?" Annika said, "Because you lied to me, Mommy. You said there was a Santa Claus. But now I know better. There is no Santa Claus!" Mom said, "That wasn't a lie, honey. When you were younger, Santa used to be very real for you. You believed in him. Remember how often you left out cookies for him? Telling little kids about Santa isn't a lie, honey. It's a tradition. You'll see—when you have kids of your own."