English Original
Tess was a precocious eight-year-old when she overheard her parents discussing her little brother, Andrew. She understood he was gravely ill, and the family was destitute. Her father whispered desperately to her weeping mother, "Only a miracle can save him now."
Tess went to her room, retrieved a hidden glass jelly jar, and carefully counted all her change three times. Satisfied with the exact total, she slipped out and walked six blocks to the pharmacy with the red Indian Chief sign.
She tried patiently to get the busy pharmacist's attention, first by scuffing her feet, then by clearing her throat. Finally, she banged a quarter on the counter. Annoyed, the pharmacist asked what she wanted.
"I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess replied in a matching tone. "He's really sick, and I want to buy a miracle."
"We don't sell miracles here," the pharmacist said, softening slightly.
"I have money," Tess insisted. "Just tell me how much it costs."
The pharmacist's well-dressed brother, visiting from Chicago, stooped down. "What kind of miracle does your brother need?"
"I don't know," Tess said, eyes welling up. "He needs an operation, but Daddy can't pay. I want to use my money."
"How much do you have?" the man asked.
"One dollar and eleven cents," she whispered. "It's all I have, but I can get more."
"What a coincidence," the man smiled. "That's the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money, held her mitten, and said, "Take me to your home. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."
The man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a neurosurgeon. He performed the surgery free of charge, and Andrew soon recovered at home.
Her parents marveled at the miraculous turn of events. "I wonder how much that surgery cost," her mother whispered.
Tess smiled. She knew exactly the price of a miracle: one dollar and eleven cents, plus the faith of a little child.
中文翻译
八岁的苔丝早慧懂事。她无意中听到父母在谈论病重的小弟弟安德鲁，得知家里已一贫如洗。父亲对泪流满面的母亲绝望地低语：“现在只有奇迹能救他了。”
苔丝回到房间，拿出一个藏好的玻璃果酱罐，把里面的零钱仔细数了三遍。确认总额无误后，她溜出后门，走了六个街区，来到一家挂着红色印第安酋长招牌的药房。
药房老板正忙，苔丝耐心等待，先是蹭脚发出声音，后又用力清嗓子，都无济于事。最后，她拿出一枚25美分硬币敲响玻璃柜台，终于引起了注意。老板不耐烦地问她要什么。
“我想和你谈谈我弟弟，”苔丝用同样不耐烦的语气回答，“他病得非常非常重……我想买个奇迹。”
“我们这里不卖奇迹，”药房老板说，语气稍微缓和了一些。
“听着，我有钱付账。如果不够，我会去凑齐。你只要告诉我奇迹多少钱。”苔丝坚持道。
这时，药房老板那位从芝加哥来访、衣着体面的兄弟弯下腰来问道：“你弟弟需要什么样的奇迹？”
“我不知道，”苔丝回答，眼眶湿润，“我只知道他病得很重，妈妈说需要动手术。但爸爸付不起钱，所以我想用我的钱。”
“你有多少钱？”这位从芝加哥来的男士问。“一美元十一美分，”苔丝几乎听不见地回答，“这是我所有的钱，但如果需要，我可以再去弄一些。”
“真是巧了，”男士微笑着说，“一美元十一美分——这正是给弟弟买一个奇迹的准确价钱。”他一手接过她的钱，另一手握住她戴着连指手套的小手说：“带我去你住的地方。我想见见你弟弟和你的父母。看看我是否有你需要的那种奇迹。”
这位衣着体面的男士是卡尔顿·阿姆斯特朗医生，一位神经外科专家。手术免费完成，不久后安德鲁就康复回家了。
父母高兴地谈论着这一连串带来转机的事件。“那场手术，”母亲低声说，“真是个奇迹。不知道它值多少钱呢？”
苔丝笑了。她清楚地知道一个奇迹的代价……一美元十一美分……再加上一个小孩子的信念。