The gifts which fairies gave to people often did strange things. 仙女给人们的礼物往往都能做一些奇异的事。

　　In this story some fairy shoes played a good joke on Timothy. 这则故事中，一双神奇的鞋子跟蒂莫西开了个善意的玩笑。

　　The Fairy's Gift 仙女的礼物

　　Once upon a time a baby boy was born in a little home in a country far away. 很久很久以前，一个男孩出生在遥远村庄的一个小屋里。

　　His parents were so happy that they gave a fine party, and all the friends came. 他的父母很高兴，为此举行了一个派对，所有的朋友都来了。

　　The baby's mother had a fairy godmother, and of course she was invited, too. 孩子的母亲有个仙女教母，当然，仙女也被邀请了。

　　She is rich, said all the friends. "She will surely bring a splendid gift." 所有的朋友都说：“那个仙女很富有，她一定会带一份出众的大礼。”

　　But when the fairy came, she brought with her only a little paper package. 但仙女来的时候，她只带了一个小纸包。

　　How everyone wondered what was in it! 所有人都很好奇里面究竟装的是什么！

　　At last the fairy opened the package, and what do you think the gift was? 终于，仙女打开了纸包，你猜礼物是什么？

　　A small pair of shoes with copper tips! 是一双小鞋子，鞋尖是铜的。

　　This is my gift, the fairy said. "It is not quite so poor as it looks, for these little shoes will never wear out. “这就是我的礼物，”仙女说道，“它不像看起来的那么寒酸，这双鞋子永远不会被穿坏。

　　When they grow too small for this little boy, they will be ready for another, and another, and another. 当鞋子对这个孩子来说太小不能穿的时候，还可以给第二个、第三个孩子穿，一直传递下去。

　　But there is something even more wonderful about the shoes. The little feet that wear them cannot go wrong. 这双鞋子还有更神奇的功能。那就是穿着这双鞋子的小脚不会开小差儿。

　　When you send your little boy to school in these shoes, they will pinch his feet if he stops to play. 当你让孩子穿着这双鞋去上学时，要是他停下来玩耍，鞋子就会夹他的脚。

　　When you send him on an errand, they will remind him to go quickly, and they will see that he always gets home on time. 当你派他去做一件事情时，它们会提醒他快走，并设法让孩子准时回家。