There once was a little boy who had a bad temper①. His father gave him a bag of nails②and told him that every time he lost his temper， he must hammer③a nail into the back of the fence④.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks， as he learned to control his anger， the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down⑤. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said， “You have done well， my son， but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger， they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry， the wound is still there.”
The little boy then understood how powerful his words were. He looked up at his father and said “I hope you can forgive me father for the holes I put in you.”
“Of course I can.” said the father.
① tempern. 情绪，性情，脾气，暴躁，怒气
② nailn. 钉子，（手，脚的）指甲，（鸟，兽的）爪，（鸟禽）喙上的硬甲壳
③ hammerv. 锤击，锤打，使惨败，将（对手）彻底击败
④ fencen. 栅栏，篱笆，雄辩，善于辞令，击剑术
⑤ dwindle down日渐减少，变小
栅栏上的钉子
从前有个小男孩脾气很坏。父亲给了他一袋钉子，叫他每次发脾气时都务必在栅栏的背面钉上一颗。
第一天，男孩在栅栏上钉进了37颗钉子。在后面的几个星期里，由于他在学习克制自己发怒，要钉的钉子逐日减少。他发现让自己不发脾气要比将钉子钉进栅栏里来得容易。
终于有一天，男孩一点脾气也没发。他告诉了父亲，父亲建议男孩，哪天他没发脾气就拔一颗钉子出来。日子一天天过去，小男孩终于能够告诉父亲，所有的钉子都拔完了。
父亲牵着儿子的手，带他到栅栏前。他说：“你做得很好，儿子，但是看看栅栏上的窟窿吧。这个栅栏再也不是从前那样了。你发火时说的话就会留下跟这差不多的创伤。你在别人身上捅上一刀又拔出来。无论你道歉多少回都不管用，创伤仍旧在那里。”
小男孩此时才明白自己以前说过的话有多伤人。他抬起头来看着父亲说：“我希望父亲能够原谅我给您戳的那些窟窿。”
“我当然能够原谅你喽。” 父亲说道。
