很久很久以前,在日本的一个小村庄里,住着一对夫妇。他们很穷,但是心地善良,他们有一大堆孩子,却不知怎么来喂饱他们。他们的老大身体很健壮,十四岁起就帮着爸爸干活了,几个女孩子几乎从会走路起,就开始帮着妈妈做家务了。唯一的例外是小儿子。他好像不适合体力劳动,但他很聪明——比他的哥哥姐姐都聪明,只是他又瘦又小,人们都说他永远也长不大。于是父母觉得他应该去当僧人而不是农民。于 A long time ago, a couple lived in a small village in Japan. They are poor, but they are kind-hearted. They have a lot of children but they do not know how to feed them. Their boss was physically strong. Daddy helped his dad from the age of fourteen. Several girls almost started walking and began helping their mother with housework. The only exception is the youngest son. He does not seem to be suitable for physical labor, but he is very clever - more intelligent than his brother and sister, but he is thin and small, people say he will never grow up. So parents think he should be a deaf person instead of a farmer. in