After I had¹ left the laboratory， I escaped⁴ into the country outside the town． I soon felt hungry and thirsty，and my first food was⁶ fruit which I found⁸ on some trees near a river． I drank from the river and then lay¹⁰ down and went to sleep．

At first my eyes and ears did¹¹ not work very well，but after a while¹² I began to see and hear clearly．

One day， snow began to fall． Of course， I had never walked in snow before， and I found that it made¹⁵ my feet very cold． I realized¹⁶ that I needed food and a place to get warm．Soon I saw¹⁷ a small hut¹⁸ where an old man was cooking¹⁹ his breakfast over a fire． When the old man saw me， he shouted loudly and ran⁹ away as⁷ fast as he could． I did not understand what the man was doing， but I wanted to be near the fire． So I sat²¹ down in the warm， and ate²² the man's breakfast． Then I walked across²³ empty fields²⁴ for some hours until²⁵ I reached²⁶ a village． I went into one of the houses， but there were children inside． They began to scream²⁸ when they saw me， and their mother fainted． The whole³⁰ village came³¹ to see what was the trouble． Some of the people ran away when they saw me， but the others³³ shouted and threw stones at me．They wanted to kill³⁴ me． I was badly³⁵ hurt， but I escaped and ran into the open country．

Later， I found an empty hut， which was built³⁷ against³⁸ the wall of a small house． I was afraid to go into the house after what had happened in the village， so I hid³⁹ in the hut． There I was safe， and could²⁰ escape³ from the cold， and hide⁴⁰ from people who wished to hurt me．

And then I found that there was a small hole in the wall between the hut and the house．Through this hole I could see in－to the room next to the hut． Three people lived in the house—a beautiful girl， an old man， and a young man．

Day after day I watched the three people．I saw how kind they were to each other． I wanted so much to go into the house and be with them， but I knew I must stay in the hut． I could not forget how the village people had hurt me when I tried to go into the house there．

Each night， after the people in the house had gone to bed，I stole⁴¹ some of their food for myself． But soon I realized that the old man was blind． And I realized too that often the three of them did not have enough to eat．I saw the two young people put extra⁴⁴ food on the blind⁴³ man's plate， although⁴⁵ they were hungry themselves．

When I saw that，I stopped stealing⁴⁷ their food．Their life⁴⁸ was already⁴⁹ hard enough， so I went back to the wild⁵⁰ fruit in the woods． I tried to help them in other ways， too．During⁵¹ the night I cut firewood⁵² for them， and added⁵³ it secretly⁵⁴ to the wood which the young man had cut during the day． I was very happy to see how much this pleased⁵⁵ the young man．

After a while I began to understand some of the noises that the people made to each other． The first words that I under－stood were words like ‘fire’， and‘bread’． I also learnt that the three people called each other by names． The girl was Agatha， the young man was Felix， and the old man was called Father． I tried to make the noises that they made， and slowly⁵⁶ I began to speak．

The two young people were very beautiful． One day I saw my own⁵ face in the water of the river． It was a terrible⁵⁷ face．I understood⁵⁸ why people were frightened， why they shouted and threw stones． I knew then that I could not let these beautiful people see me． They would⁶⁰ be frightened⁵⁹ by my horrible⁶¹ face and body．

Summer was coming， and I continued⁶² to watch and learn． I also continued to help the two people and their father， and did many jobs for them in the night． They were always surprised⁶³ in the morning when they saw what I had done． I heard them talk about the ‘good creature’ who did these‘wonderful’things．

But the family were often sad， and I wished I could make them happy．I looked forward⁶⁵ to the time when I could speak well enough to talk to them． And I was happy because I was sure I would soon have three good friends．

我离开实验室后，便逃到了城外的乡间。不久我便感到又饥又渴；我的第一顿食物是我在河边的树上找到的果子。我喝了河里的水，然后躺倒睡着了。

开始时我的眼睛和耳朵不大灵便，但过了一会儿我就能看清楚、听明白了。

有一天，天下起了雪。当然，我以前从未在雪中走过，我发现它让我的双脚感觉非常冷。我意识到我需要食物和住处取暖。我很快便看到了一个小茅舍，里面有个老人正在火上做早饭。当那个老人看到我时，他大声喊叫了起来并以自己最快的速度跑开了。我不明白这个老人在干什么，但是我想靠近火堆。于是我暖暖和和地坐下并吃了这个人做的早餐。然后我在空旷的田野中走了好几个小时，直到到了一个村庄。我走进了其中的一家房子，可是里面有几个孩子。他们见到我后便尖叫起来，他们的母亲也晕倒了。全村的人都来看发生了什么事情。有些人见到我后便跑开了，但另外一些人则喊叫起来并朝我扔石头。他们想要杀死我。我伤得很重，可还是逃脱了并跑进了旷野之中。

后来，我找到了一个空茅屋。它是靠着一个小屋子的一堵墙而建起来的。在那个村子里发生了那桩事之后，我不敢进屋，因而便藏在茅屋中。我在那儿是安全的，并且可以避寒，还可以逃避那些想要伤害我的人。

接着我发现在茅屋和那房屋之间的墙之间有一个洞。通过这个洞我可以看见茅屋隔壁的房间。有三个人住在那个屋子里——一个漂亮的女孩，一个老人，还有一个年轻人。

我一天天地观察着这三个人。我看到他们之间是多么亲密。我非常想进屋去加入他们的行列，但我清楚我必须呆在茅屋里。我想走进那个屋子时总忘不了村民们是怎么伤害我的。

每天晚上，在屋子里的那三个人睡下之后，我便把他们的食物偷来给自己吃。然而不久我就意识到那个老人是个瞎子。并且我还意识到那三个人常常食不裹腹。我见到那两个年轻人常给那个老盲人的盘子里多放些食物，尽管他们自己在挨饿。

看到这些后，我就不再偷他们的食物了。他们的生活已经够艰苦的了，于是我便重新靠树林里的野果为生。我还尽力想一些其他办法帮助他们。晚上我为他们砍柴火，还暗中把它们添在那个年轻小伙子白天砍的柴火中。我很高兴看到这能如此取悦于那个年轻人。

不久我开始懂得了那些人彼此之间发出的一些声音了。我最初理解的单词是像“火”还有“面包”这样的词。我还了解到那三个人彼此之间称呼的名字。那个女孩叫“阿加莎”，那个小伙子叫“菲力克斯”，而那老人则叫“父亲”。我努力去发他们发出的声音，于是慢慢地开始说话了。

那两个年轻人很漂亮。有一天我从河中看见我自己的脸。那是张可怕的脸。我明白了人们为什么会害怕、为什么会喊叫并扔石头的原因。那时我才知道我不能让这些漂亮的人们看见我，他们会因为我那可怕的脸和身体而惊恐的。

夏天临近了，我在继续观察和学习。我也在继续帮助那两个人和他们的父亲，并且在晚上给他们干很多活儿。他们早上看到我所做的事情后总是感到很惊奇。我听到他们谈论那个做了这些“好”事的“好人”。

可是这家人经常闷闷不乐。我希望我能让他们高兴。我期盼着我能学会说话而同他们交谈的那一时刻。我也很高兴，因为我确信不久我便会有三个好朋友了。