How Much Do You Love Me？
Jeremy slurped down the last of his milk from the bottom of his cereal bowl. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and jumped down from the table. "Mommy， how much do you love me？" he asked.
"I love you more than the tallest tree and taller，" she answered.
"Oh，" said Jeremy， and he ran out to play. While outside， he searched for the tallest tree. He looked everywhere but couldn't find a single tree.
There were some scraggly bushes， but that was all. I think I'll swing instead， he thought. He started to swing， pumping his legs and arms as hard and fast as he could. Soon， Jeremy heard the screen door slam. His mommy was headed toward the clothesline with a basket of wet clothes. Jeremy slowed down his pumping and jumped off the swing. He ran toward his mother.
"Mommy，" Jeremy asked. "How much do you love me？"
"I love you more than the highest mountain and higher，" she answered.
Jeremy smiled and skipped upstairs to look out the window to find the highest mountain. But he didn't see any mountains at all， just houses that didn't seem very high at all.
During dinner， Jeremy asked once again， "How much do you love me？"
"I love you more than the brightest star and brighter，" answered his mother.
Jeremy grinned as he sipped his last sip of milk.
After his bath， Jeremy searched the night sky for the brightest star. But it was raining， and there weren't any stars to be seen. There was a sudden flash of lightning， and that startled him.
Jeremy was quiet as his mother tucked him in that evening. "What's wrong？" his mother asked. "You haven't asked a single question since dinner."
"Mother，" he began， "I looked outside for the tallest tree but all I saw were scraggly bushes. I looked for the highest mountain but all I could find were short houses； and I tried to find the brightest star， but all I could see was a scary bolt of lightning. If that's all that you love me， I don't think you love me at all."
Jeremy's mother stroked his blond hair as she gently kissed him on the cheek. "You sleep well tonight. Tomorrow I will show you how much I love you."
The next day， Jeremy and his mom packed a picnic lunch. They got into the car and drove and drove and drove. Soon they came upon a big sign.
"What does that sign say， Mommy？" Jeremy asked.
"It says REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK，" she answered.
"Wow！" hollered Jeremy as he raced among the tallest trees he had ever seen.
"These trees can almost touch the sky. You must really love me a lot." All day long， they played alongside the giant trees and ate their picnic lunch.
As night approached， Jeremy and his mom drove home a different way than Jeremy could ever remember going before. They drove a long， long time. When the sky was almost all dark， they came to a stop.
"Let's get out here a moment，" Jeremy's mom said. "I want to show you how much I love you."
Jeremy's eyes widened as he looked down at the city lights.
"Where are we？" he asked.
"We are on top of the highest mountain. This is how much I love you. Look up there，" his mommy said， pointing her hand towards the night sky. "Can you find the brightest star？"
The sky was full of stars dancing and twinkling. They were so bright and so close that Jeremy felt as if he could reach up and grab one.
"Mommy， they are all so bright. I could never find the brightest one."
Jeremy slept on the way back to the city. He woke again while his mother was tucking him into bed. Quickly， while she was above him， he tried to think of something taller than the tallest tree， bigger than the biggest mountain， and brighter than the brightest star. He thought and thought， but it was hard. He had slept through his usual bedtime snack， and his rumbling tummy sort of distracted him. Finally， Jeremy looked at his mother with half-opened eyes and quietly whispered， "I love you， Mommy. I love you more than the tallest tree， more than the biggest mountain， and more than the brightest star. In fact， I love you more than the tastiest peanut butter and jelly sandwich！"
His mother laughed， and Jeremy smiled and quickly fell to sleep.
杰瑞米嘖嘖地把他碗底里最后一滴牛奶喝凈，嘴巴往袖子上一抹，然后從桌子上跳下來，就問道：“媽媽，你愛我有多深？”
“我對你的愛比那最高的樹還要多，還要高，”媽媽回答道。
“哦，” 杰瑞米說，就跑出去玩了。在外面他就尋找最高的樹，他把所有的地方都看過了就是不能找到一棵最高的樹。
那里只有有蓬亂的灌木。還不如去蕩秋千呢，他想道。他看著秋千，使勁地來回蕩他的胳膊和腿。一會，杰瑞米聽到屏風砰地一聲被關上。媽媽提著一籃子濕衣服，朝晾衣繩這邊走來。杰瑞米放慢他蕩秋千的速度，從秋千上跳下來，跑到媽媽面前。
“媽媽，” 杰瑞米問道。“你愛我有多深？”
“我愛你比最高的山還多還高，” 媽媽回答道。
杰瑞米笑了笑，蹦蹦跳跳地跑到樓上，朝窗戶外面望去，尋找最高的山脈?？墒?，他連一個山也沒有看見，只不過是些看上去不很高的房屋而已。
吃晚飯的時候，杰瑞米又問：“你愛我有多深？”
“我對你的愛比最亮的星星還要多，還要亮，”媽媽說。
杰瑞米喝完最后一滴牛奶，咧嘴一笑。
杰瑞米洗過澡后，向夜空望去，尋找那一顆最亮的星星。可是，天正下雨，根本看不見一顆星星。突然，有一道閃電一亮，把他嚇了一跳。
晚上，杰瑞米很安靜，媽媽把他放下睡覺?！霸趺戳耍俊眿寢屨f?！巴盹埡竽阋粋€問題都沒有問。”
“媽媽，”杰瑞米開始說道，“我去面尋找最高的樹，但只看見蓬亂的灌木；尋找最高的山，可只看到矮小的房屋；尋找最亮的星星，可我看見的只有一道嚇人的閃電。如果那就是你對我的愛，我想你根本都不愛我?！?/p>
媽媽撫摸著杰瑞米金色的頭發，輕輕地吻著他的臉頰?！敖裢砗煤盟?，明天我會告訴你我有多愛你的。”
第二天，杰瑞米和媽媽準備了一頓野餐午飯。他們上到車里，驅車前行……沒過一會，他們就遇見了一個大大的標識。
“標識上寫的什么，媽媽？” 杰瑞米問道。
“寫的是紅木國家公園，”媽媽說。
“哇！”杰瑞米沖到他所見到的最高的樹林里面大聲的喊道。
“這些樹木幾乎快高到天邊了。你一定是真的非常愛我。” 一整天，他們都在那些大樹底下玩耍，享用著他們的野餐午飯。
黃昏時分，杰瑞米和媽媽開車回家走了另一條路，這條路杰瑞米從前來過可卻不記得了。他們開了好長時間，天都要快黑的時候，他們來到一個停車站。
“我們出來在這里待會吧，”媽媽說?！拔蚁敫嬖V你我有多愛你?！?/p>
杰瑞米的眼睛睜得很大，眺望這個城市的燈光。
“我們現在哪？”杰瑞米問。
“我們現在最高的山頂上，這就是我有多愛你。向那里望，”媽媽說，她的手指向夜空?！澳隳苷业阶盍恋男切菃?？”
夜空繁星點點，璀璨閃爍。星星很亮很近，杰瑞米感覺伸手都能夠到抓住一顆。
“媽媽，它們都很亮，我都不能找到哪個最亮了?！?/p>
在回去的路上，杰瑞米睡著了，媽媽把他放進被窩里時他醒了。瞬間，當媽媽在他上面的時候，他使勁想什么比最高的樹還高，比最大的山還大，比最亮的星星還亮，但還是沒有想出來。他還沒有吃睡前小點心就睡著了，隆隆響的肚子有點分散他的心思。最后，杰瑞米半睜著眼睛看者媽媽，輕輕地在耳邊說：“我愛你，媽媽。我愛你比那最高的樹還要多，比最大的山還要多，比最亮的星星還要多。其實，我愛你比那最好吃的花生醬和水果三明治還要多！”
媽媽笑了，杰瑞米笑了，很快一會就睡著了。
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