As a little boy, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday aftemoons at my grandfather's farm in western Pennsylvania. Surrounded by miles of winding stonewalls, the house and barn provided endless hours of fun for a city kid like me. I was used to parlors neat as a pin that seemed to whisper, "Not to be touched!"
I can still remember one afternoon when I was eight years old. Since my first visit to the farm, I'd wanted more than anything to be allowed to climb the stonewalls surrounding the property. My parents would never approve. The walls were old; some stones were missing, others loose and crumbling. Still, my yearning to scramble across those walls grew so strong. One spring afternoon, I summoned all my courage and entered the living room, where the adults had gathered after dinner.
"I, uh, I want to climb the stonewalls," I said hesitantly. Everyone looked up. "Can I climb the stonewalls?" Instantly a chorus went up from the women in the room. "Heavens, no!" they cried in dismay. "You'll hurt yourself!" I wasn't too disappointed; the response was just as I'd expected. But before I could leave the room, I was stopped by my grandfather' s booming voice. "Hold on just a minute," I heard him say, "Let the boy climb the stonewalls. He has to learn to do things for himself."
"Scoot," he said to me with a wink, "and come and see me when you get back." For the next two and a half hours I climbed those old walls and had the time of my life. Later I met with my grandfather to tell him
Many years have passed since then, and today I host the television program Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, seen by millions of children throughout America. There have been changes over the years, but one thing remains the same: my message to children at the end of almost every visit, "There's only one person in this whole world like you, and people can like you exactly as you are."
相关单词：winding
winding解释：n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈
winding例句：
A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。
相关单词：parlors
parlors解释：客厅( parlor的名词复数 )； 起居室； （旅馆中的）休息室； （通常用来构成合成词）店
parlors例句：
It had been a firm specializing in funeral parlors and parking lots. 它曾经是一个专门经营殡仪馆和停车场的公司。
I walked, my eyes focused into the endless succession of barbershops, beauty parlors, confectioneries. 我走着，眼睛注视着那看不到头的、鳞次栉比的理发店、美容院、糖果店。
相关单词：crumbling
crumbling解释：adj.摇摇欲坠的
crumbling例句：
an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。
相关单词：yearning
yearning解释：a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的
yearning例句：
a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。
相关单词：scramble
scramble解释：v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料
scramble例句：
He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。
相关单词：wink
wink解释：n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁
wink例句：
He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。
相关单词：remains
remains解释：n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
remains例句：
He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
