WHAT did the whole family say？Well，listen first to what little Mary said．

It was little Mary's birthday，the loveliest of all days，she thought．All her little friends came to play with her，and she wore the most beautiful dress；she had got itfrom her Grandmother，who was now with the good God，but Grandmother herself had cut and sewed it before she went up into the bright，beautiful heaven．

The table in Mary's room shone with presents；there was the neatest little kitchen，with all that belongs to akitchen， and a doll which could roll its eyes and say"Au"，when one pressed its stomach；there was also a picture book with the loveliest stories to read，if one could read！But it was nicer even than all the stories to live through many birthdays．

"Yes，it is lovely to live，"said little Mary．

Godfather added¹ that it was the loveliest fairy tale．

In the room close by were Mary's two brothers；they were big boys，the one nine years old，the other eleven．They also thought it was lovely to be alive，to live in their way，not to be a child like Mary，but to be smart school-boys，to have "excellent" in the character book，and to be able to enjoy a fight with their companions，to skate in winter，and to ride velocipedes in summer，to read about castles，drawbridges，and prisons，and to hear about discoveries in the heart of Africa．One of the boys had，how-ever，one anxiety，that everything would be discovered before he grew up；he wanted to go in quest² of adventures then．Life is the most lovely story of adventure，Godfathersaid，and one takes part in it oneself．

It was on the ground floor that these children livedand played；up above lived another branch of the family，also with children，but these were grown up：the one sonwas seventeen years old，the second twenty，but the thirdwas very old，little Mary said—he was twenty－five andengaged．

They were all happily situated，had good parents，good clothes，good abilities，and they knew what they wanted．"Forward！away with all the old barricades！a freeview into all the world；that is the most lovely thing weknow．Godfather is right：life is the loveliest fairy tale！"

Father and Mother，both elderly³ people—naturallythey must be older than the children—said with a smile ontheir lips，with a smile in their eyes and hearts："Howyoung they are，the young people！things do not go quite asthey think in the world，but they do go．Life is a strange，lovely fairy tale．"

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1 added
adj.更多的，附加的，额外的
参考例句：
They have added a new scene at the beginning.在开头他们又增加了一场戏。 The pop music added to our enjoyment of the film.片中的流行音乐使我们对这部电影更加喜爱。

2 quest
n.寻求，搜索，追求
参考例句：
Man will suffer many disappointments in his quest for truth.人类在探索真理过程中必然会遭受挫折。 His quest for perfection is relentless.他不断追求完美。

3 elderly
adj.年老的；年龄相当大的
参考例句：
He is getting elderly.他逐渐变老了。 The elderly man is quite energetic.这位上了年纪的老人仍精力充沛。

4 infinitely
adv.无限地，无穷地
参考例句：
There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。 The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。

5 pearl
n.珍珠，珍珠母
参考例句：
He bought his girlfriend a pearl necklace.他给他女朋友买了一条珍珠项链。 The crane and the mother-of-pearl fight to death.鹬蚌相争。

6 cradle
n.摇篮，策源地，支船架；vt.把...放在摇篮里
参考例句：
The baby was rocked to sleep in a cradle.婴儿在摇篮里被摇得睡着了。 Tokyo was the cradle of Japanese culture.东京是日本文化的发源地。

7 beamed
有梁的，定向的
参考例句：
a high beamed ceiling 木梁高高支撑着的天花板 The news was beamed to East Africa by satellite. 新闻通过卫星向东非广播。

8 trial
n.审判，试验，艰苦，麻烦事，考验；adj.尝试的，试验性的
参考例句：
We shall put the machine to further trial.我们将进一步试验这部机器。 He appeared as a witness in the trial.在审判中他出庭作证。