"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked.
 
When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped¹. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
 
Time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred². When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother's arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.
 
He blurted³ out the tragedy. "A boy, a big boy...called me a freak."
 
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music.
 
"But you might mingle⁴ with other young people," his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
 
The boy's father had a session with the family physician... "Could nothing be done?"
 
"I believe I could graft⁵ on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured," the doctor decided⁶. Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man.
 
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, "You're going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it's a secret."
 
The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs.
 
Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. One day, he asked his father, "Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her."
 
"I do not believe you could," said the father, "but the agreement was that you are not to know...not yet."
 
The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come. One of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother's casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth⁷ a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.
 
"Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," his father whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?"



  

1 gasped
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要
参考例句：
She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。 People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 marred
adj. 被损毁, 污损的
参考例句：
The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。 Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

3 blurted
v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。 He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 mingle
vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往
参考例句：
If we mingle with the crowd,we should not be noticed.如果我们混在人群中，就不会被注意到。 Oil will not mingle with water.油和水不相融。

5 graft
n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接
参考例句：
I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。 The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。

6 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。