英语二 Lucky’s Greatest Treasure

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named “Lucky”. Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit, they would warn friends not to leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself of whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.

Mary or Jim would go to Lucky s toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky s other favorite toys. Lucky always stored his finds in his toy box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease. She scheduled a double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders.

The night before she was to go to the hospital, she hugged Lucky closely in her arms. A thougth struck her- what would happen to Lucky? Although the three- year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary s dog through and through. “If i die, Lucky will be abandoned,” Mary thought, “He won t understand that i didn t want to leave him.” The thought made her sadder than that of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim faithfully took Lucky for his evening walk, but the little dog just hung down, whining and miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted that she couldn t even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.

Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn t come to her when she called. It made Mary sad, but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.

When Mary woke, for a second she couldn t understand what was wrong. She couldn t move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned!

While she had slept, the sad dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love.

Mary forgot about dying. Instead, she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further togher every day.

It s been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stores them secretly in his toy box, but Mary remains his greatest treasure.