猴爪（节选） 简 介
你可以许三个愿，你可以要世界上存在的三样东西，你的愿望将变为现实。你会说，“这在现实世界是不可能发生的。”那么，好好想想吧。你能要什么？你想要什么？
当你许愿的时候，这仅仅是个开始。当你改变了一样东西，接着你会改变世界上的每一样东西。一个变化引起另一个变化。谁又能知道这些变化又将在哪里结束？
在这个故事中，怀特一家可以许三个愿，但他们犯了一个小小的错误。他们的第一个愿望变成了现实。接着，顷刻间，他们的生活陷入了一场可怕的恶梦……
雅各布斯（1863—1943）是一位短篇小说作家。《猴爪》是他的最有名的小说之一。
Chapter 1
It was cold and dark out in the road and the rain did notstop for a minute．But in the littleliving－room of number 12 Castle Road itwas nice and warm．Old Mr White and hisson， Herbert， playedchess and Mrs White sat and watched them． Theold woman was happy because her husband and her son were good friends and theyliked to be together．'Herbert's a goodson，' she thought．'Wewaited a long time for him and I was nearly forty when he was born， butwe are a happy family．' And old MrsWhite smiled．
It was true．Herbertwas young and he laughed a lot， but hismother and his father laughed with him． Theyhad not got much money， but they were avery happy little family．
The two men did not talk because they played carefully．The room was quiet， butthe noise of the rain was worse now and they could hear it on the windows．Suddenly Old Mr White looked up．'Listento the rain！' he said．
'Yes， it's a badnight，' Herbert answered．'It'snot a good night to be out． But is yourfriend， Tom Morris，comingtonight？'
'Yes， that's right．He's coming at about seven o'clock，'theold man said．'But perhaps this rain…'
Mr White did not finish because just then the young manheard a noise．
'Listen！'Herbert said．'There'ssomeone at the doornow．'
'I didn't hear a noise，'his father answered， but he got up fromhis chair and went to open the front door． MrsWhite got up too and began to put things away．
Mr White said，'Comein， come in， Tom．It's wonderful to see you again． Whata bad night！ Give me your coat and thencome into the living－room． It'snice and warm in there．'
The front door was open， andin the living-room Mrs White and Herbert felt the cold． Then Mr White came back into the living－room with a big，red-faced man．
'This is Tom Morris，'Mr White told his wife and son． 'We werefriends when we were young． We workedtogether
before Tom went to India． Tom，this is my wife and this is our son， Herbert．'
'Pleased to meet you，'Tom Morris said．
'Pleased to meet you， MrMorris，' Mrs White answered．'Pleasecome and sit down．'
'Yes， come on，Tom，' MrWhite said．'Over here．It'snice and warm．'
'Thank you，'the bigman answered and he sat down．
'Let's have some whisky，'OldMr White said．'You need something towarm you on a cold night．' He got out abottle of whisky and the two old friends began to drink and talk． Thelittle family listened with interest to this visitor from far away and he toldthem many strange stories．
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