我在距我所住的镇上约十公里的一所乡间学校教书。那里有许多不方便的，如买不到文具簿册、家事材料等等。学生们大多在开学前买齐，或利用例假日乘车到镇上买。有些和我比较亲近的学生，便托我代买。我常常变成她们的义务采买。
学生托我代买东西，通常我总是在当天回家便买好，次日带去，从不负她们所托。但是，有一次我却忙忘了，受托那晚我没去买，直到次日清晨要上班时才想起来。
那是一个学生要我帮她买三卷浅黄色的北京纸。镇上有三、四家材料店，我原以为一上街很容易就可买到的，没想到却没有买到。
我最先到我平日常去的那家，结果是关着门；再到镇上最大的一家，也关着门；然后再跑到另一家，结果还是一样：关着门。我正想是否硬给敲开门时，突然想起还有一家，乃抱着姑且一试的心里前去，没想到竟然在这我最不常去的一家买到了。全镇就只有这一家材料店主人已起身，开了门做生意。
由于这缘故，我对这家材料店的印象丕变；我也决定，自此以后，都找这一家。
我在往学校的路上，一直在心中玩索着西洋这一句谚语：“早起的鸟儿有虫吃。”
是呀！这句话，果然蕴有无尽的深意。
1978年10月3日中央日报副刊
The early bird Hsu ChiCheng
I teach in a countryside school far from my town about ten kilometers. There are many inconveniences, for instance, can’t buy writing materials and books, materials of housekeeping etc. The students almost buy all of them before school beginning, or take the bus to town to buy them on holiday. Someone who is on intimate terms with me often ask me to buy. I frequently am their duty buyer.
I often buy the things the same day when they asked me to buy, and bring for them in order not to break the promise. However, there is one time I forgot it, not buy it I promised that night, think it of till next morning I want to go to work.
They are three rolls of the yellow Peking paper which the students asked me to buy. Three or four shops are on the town, I think originally it’s easy to buy them as I go to the street, but it’s unexpectedly I haven’t bought them.
I went to the shop I often used to buy first, but its door is closed; I go to the biggest one again, it’s closed also; then I go to another shop, the result is the same: door closed .I suddenly think of there is a shop still while I guess to knock the door hard and fast, I go there just to make a try, unexpectedly I bought them at that shop I scarcely buy. It’s the only material shop in the town which opens the door to sell.
Due to this reason, my impression about this shop has a great change; I also decided from now on, I will go to this shop to buy.
On the way to school, I ponder a proverb: “The early bird catches the worm.” Yes. It really contains profound meaning limitlessly.@
责任编辑：林芳宇
