提要
兩則小故事都圍繞著冰淇淋，冰淇淋可比作天賦，也可比作幸福。擁有天賦必須謹慎使用，以免弄巧成拙；擁有幸福則必須珍惜，免得身在福中不知福，徒讓幸福溜走。
Sly' s Ice Cream
Sly the dwarf was walking behind Mr. Wisdom, the wise man. "Clink!" A shining one-pound coin fell out of Mr. Wisdom's pocket and rolled down the street. Sly picked it up and slipped it into his pocket. He knew that was stealing, but then he was a mean dwarf.
Walking on he found a group of children crowding around a man. "Why are you all so excited?" he asked. One of the children said, "Oh, don't you know? It's the ice cream man. Here, try some ice cream."
Sly took a bite. "Umm....." He loved the sweet delicious taste. "Can I get some for a pound?" he asked. "You can get a whole box for a pound," said the children.
Selfish Sly thought, "I will have it for my tea and won't share it with anyone." He paid for the box of ice cream with Mr. Wisdom's coin and happily whistled as he set off for home.
The day was hot. As Sly walked home, the ice cream began to melt. Slowly it started dripping from a corner of the box. He couldn’t understand what was happening. He peered into the box and saw there was no ice cream.In its place was some cold yellow liquid.
"Where is my ice cream?" he cried out loud. He thought the ice cream man had cheated him. "Can't eat this," Sly shouted angrily and flung the box away from him. "Splat!" The box land on Mr. Wisdom who was just turning around the corner! "Oho! I’ll teach you some manners, my boy!" said Mr. Wisdom, wiping the ice cream from his face. He grabbed Sly and gave him a good spanking. Crying, Sly ran home promising never to steal again
解說
史萊的冰淇淋
侏儒史萊跟在聰明的「智慧先生」身後。「叮噹」的一聲，一枚閃亮的一英磅硬幣從智慧先生口袋裡掉了出來，在街頭滾動。史萊撿起硬幣，把它放進自己的口袋。他知道，這是偷竊，但他終究是一個小氣的侏儒。
他繼續走著，發現一群孩子圍在一個人身邊。「你們為什麼這麼興奮？」他問。其中一個孩子說：「哦，你不知道嗎？那是賣冰淇淋的人。來，嘗一點冰淇淋。」史萊咬了一口，「嗯。」他愛上這甜美的味道。 「我用一英磅可以買到一些嗎？」他問。孩子們說：「你可以買到一整盒。」
自私的史萊心想，「我要享受自己的下午茶，不會分給任何人。」他用智慧先生的硬幣買了一整盒冰淇淋，高興地吹著口哨回家。
這一天很熱，史萊走回家的同時，冰淇淋開始融化。慢慢地從盒子的角落開始流出來，他不明白發生了什麼事。從冰淇淋盒中窺視，他沒看到冰淇淋，裡面只有一些冰冷的黃色液體。
「我的冰淇淋在哪裡？」他大聲喊叫。他以為賣冰淇淋的人欺騙他。「這個不能吃。」史萊憤怒的喊著，把盒子亂扔。 「啪！」盒子砸向剛從轉角過來的智慧先生， 「喔，小男孩！我要教你一些禮貌物。」智慧先生說著，從臉上擦掉融化的冰淇淋。他抓住史萊，好好的打了他一頓屁股。哭哭啼啼的史萊保證，永遠不會再偷竊了。
The Ice Cream Cart
Anne was a poor girl who lived with her mother. Every day, an ice cream man would pass by her house but she had no money with which to buy one. She would look at other children licking large cones of ice cream and wish she could also be one of them.
One day, the ice cream man took pity on her and gave her the whole ice cream cart. He said. "This is a magic cart. You can ask it to make any kind of ice cream. But when you want it to stop. you must say, 'Enough now'." Anne was very happy; she ate ice cream all day.
One day, while she was away at school, her mother asked the cart to make some ice cream. The cart started doing so. But Anne’s mother did not know how to stop it, so the cart went on making ice cream.
Soon, the whole house was filled with ice cream. When Anne returned and saw ice cream everywhere. So, she had to say, "Enough now" to the cart and stop a disaster!
解說
冰淇淋車
安妮是一個與媽媽同住的貧家女孩。 每天，賣冰淇淋的人都會從她們家門前經過，但她沒有錢買。
她會看著其他的孩子一口口舔著大杯冰淇淋，希望她也可以是其中之一。
有一天，賣冰淇淋的人同情她，把整個冰淇淋車給了她。 他說：「這是一個魔法冰淇淋車，你可以讓它製作任何一種冰淇淋。」「 但是當想要它停下來時，妳必須說『現在夠了。』」安妮非常高興，她整天都在吃冰淇淋。
有一天，當安妮離開家去上學的時候，媽媽要魔法車製作冰淇淋。 於是魔法車開始做，但媽媽不知道如何讓它停下，所以冰淇淋車就不停地做冰淇淋。
很快整個房子都裝滿了冰淇淋等當安妮放學回家，看到屋裡滿坑滿谷的冰淇淋。 還好，她即時說：「現在已經夠了！」讓車停下來，避免了一場災難！
The Sound Of Silence
〈The Sound Of Silence〉（寂靜之聲）是一九六○年代民歌二人組「Simon和Garfunkel」的成名作，充滿想像的歌詞，描述一個奇幻夢境：
Hello darkness my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains.....
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobble stone
Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
寂靜之聲
你好，黑暗，我的老夥伴
我又來了，再與你談談
因為有個幻影悄然而入
像種子一樣，栽在我夢裡
這個植入腦中的幻影啊
至今仍在……
這寂靜之聲裡
在這焦躁不安的夢裡，我一人獨行
在狹窄的鵝卵石街上
籠罩在街燈昏暗光暈裡
我豎起衣領以抗禦溼冷
一道突然的虛幻閃光刺得我睜不開眼
光亮劈開了夜空。
觸動了這寂靜之聲
WOW!原來如此
mean
「mean」是「吝嗇小氣」，例如：
I was irritated at their mean actions.（我對他們的卑劣行徑感到惱怒。）
After a long time, they get mean.（久而久之，他們的心眼兒都變小了。）
He was not mean and did not refuse anyone who asked of him.（他並不小氣，也不拒絕任何要求他幫忙的人。）
set off
「set off」原意是「放開帆的繩索，揚帆」，現在常用的意思為「啟程出發」，例如：
Before setting off, they will come to the temple to pray for luck.（他們揚帆出海前，會到廟裡祈福。）
I have to set off at 6:10 each morning in order to get to the office at nine oclock.（為了九點鐘前到達辦公室，我每天六點十分就得動身。）
take pity on
「take pity on」是「同情、憐憫」，例如：
No woman had ever felt the need to take pity on him before.（以前從沒有女性覺得他需要同情。）
I began to take pity on her.（我開始對她產生憐憫。）
My sister always takes pity on the homeless children.（我妹妹一向可憐那些無家可歸的孩子。）