掃雪男孩-1 The Snow-Removing Boy-1

男孩問我：「我為您掃雪，您給我15元錢，可以嗎？」

我：「今天嗎？」

男孩：「是呀。」

我望一眼雪積的並不算厚的地面，頓了一秒鐘說，「當然可以！」

他很高興地轉身去鏟雪。不一會就鏟好了，他再來按門鈴。我打開門，遞給他15元錢，他開心地笑了，說「謝謝。」

「你多大了？」我問他。

男孩：「11歲。」

我：「上三年級嗎？」

男孩：「不，上六年級。」

我：「你真棒！祝你新學期進步！」

男孩：「謝謝您。」

他開心地離開我家。關上門進屋，先生問我，「妳同意他掃雪啦？」（之前我有一次拒絕給上門要學費的中學生錢）我說，「當然，他是通過勞動掙錢。」

這時，從隔壁傳來一樣的鏟雪聲。我從窗戶望出去，看見男孩正在鄰居家的車道上鏟雪。

我轉念又一想，下次只能給他10元，因為他不到15分鐘就鏟完了，這樣算起來，他的小時薪有60元，太高啦！

不能讓他以為掙錢很容易，不是嗎？

He asked me, “Can I plow your snow for $15 dollars?”

“Today?”, I asked.

“Yes.”

I took a look at the driveway, hesitated for a second, and said, “Sure!”

He happily turned around and went to shovel the snow. After about 10 minutes, the the doorbell rang again. It was the boy. He had finished his job. I handed him $15. He smiled happily and said, “Thank you.”

“How old are you?” I asked him.

Boy: “I’m 11.”

Me: “Are you in grade 3?”

Boy: “No, I’m in grade 6.”

Me: “You’re great! Good luck for the new school year!”

Boy: “Thank you.”

When I closed the door, my husband asked me, “Did you allow him to plow the snow?” (I had once refused to give money to a high school student who came to my door for tuition.) “Of course,” I said, “he earns his money.”

Then I heard the same sound of shovelling snow from next door. I saw the boy was shovelling snow on my neighbour’s driveway. Then I came to realize I had paid him too much, for he could have make $60 an hour. So next time I’d only pay him $10.

I can’t let the boy think that it’s easy to make money, right?