10 The First Real Christmas

CHAPTER 10 The First Real Christmas That winter, letters flew back and forth between Jasper and the Peppers. Jasper wrote to Mrs. Pepper as well. Remembering Jasper's wonderful stories about his many Christmases, Polly and Ben decided to make a real Christmas for the little Peppers. They told Mrs. Pepper their plan. To their great surprise, she agreed it was a fine idea.

第十章第一个真正的圣诞节那年冬天，贾斯珀和珀珀一家之间信件往来频繁。 贾斯帕也写信给佩珀太太。 波莉和本想起贾斯珀讲过的关于他许多次圣诞节的精彩故事，就决定为小辣椒们过一个真正的圣诞节。 他们把计划告诉了佩珀太太。 令他们大为惊讶的是，她同意这是个好主意。

"We must have a tree, just like Jasper's," Ben said. "We'll decorate it with candles and things so it looks just as elegant as can be!" Polly cried. "We'll have to make our plans after the little ones are asleep," Ben whispered. "Otherwise, they'll know, and it will spoil the surprise." Polly and Ben worked as hard as they could to come up with presents for the little ones and decorations for their first Christmas tree. Every night, after the younger children went to bed, Ben and Polly sat around the kitchen table with Mrs. Pepper. While she sewed by candlelight, they made ornaments out of colored paper. They sewed strings of popcorn and cranberries. Then they made presents for the children's stockings. Polly made a paper doll for Phronsie from the leftover bits of colored paper. Ben carved windmills and whistles for the boys and a little basket with a handle for Phronsie. Mrs.

“我们必须有一棵树，就像贾斯帕的一样，”本说。 “我们会用蜡烛和其他东西装饰它，让它看起来尽可能优雅！”波莉哭了。 “我们得等小家伙们睡着了再做计划。”本低声说。 “否则，他们会知道的，这会破坏惊喜。” 波莉和本尽他们最大的努力为孩子们准备礼物和装饰他们的第一棵圣诞树。 每天晚上，年纪较小的孩子们上床睡觉后，本和波莉就和佩珀太太一起围坐在厨房的桌子旁。 她在烛光下缝纫，他们用彩纸做装饰品。 他们把爆米花和蔓越莓缝成串。 然后他们为孩子们的长统袜做礼物。 波莉用剩下的彩纸碎片给弗朗西做了一个纸娃娃。 本给孩子们刻了风车和哨子，给弗朗西刻了一个带把手的小篮子。 夫人。

Pepper sewed a pink dress and a little bonnet for Phronsie's baby doll. She knitted some mittens for Joel and Davie. Then she and Polly made taffy to put into the stockings, too. "We will have the best Christmas of anyone," Polly said joyfully as she looked at the growing pile of presents laid out on the table. "It's almost as much fun getting ready for Christmas as it is to have Christmas Day," Ben said as he carved away. Mrs. Pepper smiled an odd little smile. She'd had a secret letter from Jasper about Christmas, but she had not said a word to Ben and Polly. Jasper's plans would be their Christmas surprise. The weeks flew by, until it was only three days to Christmas. "Where should we put the tree?" Polly wondered. "We can't put it in the kitchen—the little ones will see it." "The storage room next to the house is the best place for it," Mrs. Pepper suggested.

小辣椒为弗朗西的娃娃缝了一件粉红色的连衣裙和一顶小帽子。 她给乔尔和戴维织了几只连指手套。 然后她和波莉也做了太妃糖放进袜子里。 波莉看着桌上越来越多的礼物，高兴地说：“我们会过一个最棒的圣诞节。” “准备过圣诞节几乎和过圣诞节一样有趣，”本边说边开始雕刻。 佩珀太太奇怪地微微一笑。 她收到了贾斯帕寄来的一封关于圣诞节的密信，但她没有对本和波莉说一个字。 贾斯帕的计划将是他们的圣诞惊喜。 几个星期过去了，离圣诞节只有三天了。 “我们应该把树放在哪里？”波利想知道。 “我们不能把它放在厨房里——小孩子会看见的。” “房子旁边的储藏室是放它的最好地方，”佩珀太太建议道。

Ben and Polly agreed. The next day, Mrs. Pepper told Joel and Davie and Phronsie that it was time to hang their Christmas stockings. Joel let out a whoop of delight. He and Davie turned the house upside down, looking for the biggest stockings they could find to hang over the fireplace. Phronsie carefully chose her brightest, reddest stocking to hang. "So Santa will know which one is mine," she said quietly. "Will Santa know which one is mine?" Joel worried. "Santa is very smart," Mrs. Pepper assured him. On Christmas Eve, everyone was so excited and the little ones were so full of questions, Polly was sure no one would get a wink of sleep. "Will Santa really come down the chimney?" Joel asked. "Will he be all covered with soot?" asked Davie.

本和波莉同意了。第二天，佩珀太太告诉乔尔、戴维和弗朗西，是时候挂他们的圣诞袜了。 乔尔高兴地叫了一声。 他和戴维把房子翻了个底朝天，寻找他们能找到的最大的长筒袜挂在壁炉上方。 弗朗西小心翼翼地挑了她最鲜艳、最红的袜子挂起来。 “这样圣诞老人就会知道哪一个是我的，”她平静地说。 “圣诞老人会知道哪一个是我的吗？”乔尔担心。 “圣诞老人很聪明，”佩珀太太向他保证。 圣诞节前夕，每个人都很兴奋，孩子们问了很多问题，波莉确信没有人会合眼睡觉。 “圣诞老人真的会从烟囱下来吗？”乔问。 “他会被烟灰覆盖吗？”大卫问。

"Will he bring something for my doll?" Phronsie asked with concern. "Yes, no, and yes!" Polly said, eager to get the little ones off to bed so she and Ben could fill their stockings before morning. "I'm going to stay up all night so I can see Santa," Joel vowed. "Me, too," Davie said. But soon enough, Joel and Davie nodded off, and Ben carried them into bed. After giving her red stocking a good night kiss, Phronsie crept into bed as well. As Polly tucked Phronsie in for the night, the little girl's eyes were happy and bright. "I wish I had something to give Santa," she whispered. Polly's heart filled with love. She covered Phronsie with kisses. "If you're a good girl, Phronsie, every day—that's the best present Santa could have." "Then I'll be good always, Polly!"

“他会给我的娃娃带点东西来吗？”弗朗西关切地问。 “是的，不，是的！”波莉说，急于让小家伙们上床睡觉，这样她和本就可以在天亮之前把袜子装满。 “我要整晚不睡觉，这样我就能看到圣诞老人了，”乔尔发誓说。 “我也是，”戴维说。但很快，乔尔和戴维就睡着了，本把他们抱到床上。 在给她的红袜子一个晚安吻之后，弗朗西也爬上了床。 当波莉给弗朗西掖好被子睡觉时，这个小女孩的眼睛充满了快乐和光明。 “我希望我能给圣诞老人一些东西，”她低声说。 波莉的心里充满了爱。 她吻遍了弗朗西。 “如果你是一个好女孩，弗朗西，每一天——这是圣诞老人能得到的最好的礼物。” “那我就永远乖了，波莉！”

On Christmas morning, Polly called upstairs, "Merry Christmas!" Quick as a flash Joel, Davie, and Phronsie jumped out of their beds and headed straight for their stockings. "Santa did come!" Phronsie yelled as she spun around, hugging her very full red stocking. "Taffy!" Davie said, stuffing a piece into his mouth. "Oh, Davie! Candy for breakfast?" Mrs. Pepper exclaimed with a smile. "Candy's the best breakfast!" Joel added, munching on his own piece. The three little Peppers emptied their stockings. They laughed and smiled over each and every gift. "I wish every day was Christmas," Joel said,

圣诞节的早晨，波莉在楼上喊道：“圣诞快乐！”乔尔、戴维和弗朗西一眨眼就从床上跳了起来，直奔他们的长袜。 “圣诞老人真的来了！”弗朗西一边喊一边转过身来，抱着她那只满满的红袜子。 “太妃糖!”戴维边说边往嘴里塞了一块。 “哦,戴维!早饭吃糖？”佩珀太太笑着叫道。 “糖果是最好的早餐！”乔尔一边嚼着自己的那块，一边补充道。 三个小辣椒掏空了他们的袜子。 他们对每一件礼物都笑了。 “我希望每天都是圣诞节，”乔尔说，