The price of Love
If only I can keep the kids from naming him. That would be the trick.
" No family needs two dogs，" I began dogmatically1. And so I invoked2 the Bauer Anonymity3 Rule （BAR）， which prohibits the naming of any animal not on the endangered species list， because at our place a pet named is a pet claimed." But we gotta call him something" ，our four children protested.
" All right， then， call him Dog X." I suggested. They frowned， but I thought it the perfect handle for something I hoped would float away like a generic4 soap powder.
My no-named strategy proved a dismal5 failure， however. Long before the pup was weaned6， the kids secretly began calling him Scampy， and before I knew it he had become as much a fixture as the fireplace. And just as immovable.
All of this could have been avoided， I fumed7， if Andy， a neighborhood mutt， had only stayed on his side of the street. But at age fourteen， this scruffy， arthritic8 mongrel hobbled9 into our yard for a tê te-à-tê te10 with our blue-blooded schnauzer11， Heidi， who was a ten-year Old Maid. We were unaware that Andy had left his calling card until the middle of one night during our spring vacation in Florida. I thought the moaning noise was the ocean. But investigation revealed it was coming from Heidi， whom Shirley， my wife， pronounced in labor12.When morning brought no relief or delivery， we found a vet who informed us that a big pup was blocking the birth canal， which could be fatal to Heidi. We wrung our hands13 for the rest of the day， phoning every couple of hours for an update. Not until evening was our dog pronounced out of danger.
" She was carrying three，" the doctor reported， " but only one survived." The kids took one look at the male pup， a ragamuffin14 ball of string， and exclaimed， " Andy！ He looks just like Andy."
" Have you ever seen anything so homely15？" I asked Shirley." He' s adorable，" she answered admiringly. " I only hope someone else thinks so. His days with us are numbered." But I might as well have saved my breath. By the time Dog X reached ten weeks， our kids were more attached to him than barnacles16 to a boat's bottom. I tried to ignore him. One thing I could not deny： he had the ears of a watchdog， detecting every sound that came from the driveway or yard. When the kids went off on their bikes or I put on my jogging shoes， he wanted to go along. If left behind， he chased squirrels. Occasionally， by now， I slipped and called him Scampy.
Then in the fall， after six months of family nurture and adoration， Scampy suffered a setback. Squealing brakes announced he had chased one too many squirrels into the street. The accident fractured his left hind leg， which the vet put in a splint. We were all relieved to hear his prognosis： complete recovery. But then a week later the second shoe dropped.
" Gangrene17，" Shirley told me one evening. " The vet says amputate18 or he' ll have to be put to sleep." I slumped down in a chair. " There's little choice，" I said. " It' s not fair to make an active dog like Scampy struggle around on three legs the rest of his life." Suddenly the kids， who had been eavesdropping19， flew into the room." They don't kill a person who has a bad leg." Steve and Laraine argued. Buying time， I told them， " We' ll decide tomorrow." After the kids were in bed， Shirley and I talked. " It will be hard for them to give up Scampy，" She sympathized.
" Especially Christopher，" I replied. " I was about his age when I lost Queenie." Then I told her about my favorite dog， a statuesque20 white spitz21 whose fluffy coat rolled like ocean waves when she ran. But Queenie developed a crippling22 problem with her back legs， and finally my dad said she would have to be put down23." But she can get well，" I pleaded. I prayed with all my might that God would help her walk again. But she got worse.
One night after dinner I went to the basement， where she slept beside the furnace. At the bottom of the stairs， I met Dad. His face was drained of color， and he carried a strange， strong-smelling rag in his hand. " I'm sorry， but Queenie's dead，" he told me gently. I broke into tears and threw myself into his arms. I don't know how long I sobbed， but after a while I became aware that he was crying too. I remember how pleased I was to learn he felt the same way. Between eye-wiping and nose-blowing， I told him， " I don't ever want another dog. It hurts too much when they die."
" You're right about the hurt， son，" he answered， " but that's the price of love."
The next day， after conferring with the vet and the family， I reluctantly agreed to have Scampy's leg amputated. " If a child's faith can make him well，" I remarked to Shirley，" then he'll recover four times over." And he did. Miraculously. If I needed any proof that he was his old self， it came a short time after his operation. The remarkable thing was the way he compensated24 for his missing appendage25. He invented a new stroke for his lone rear leg， moving it piston-like26 from side to side to achieve both power and stability. His enthusiasm and energy suffered no loss. " The best thing about Scampy，" a neighbor said， " is that he doesn' t know he's got a handicap. Either that or he ignores it， which is the best way for all of us to deal with such things."
For better than five years， Scampy gave us an object lesson in courage， demonstrating what it means to do your best with what you've got. On our daily runs， I often carried on conversations with him as if he understood every word. " I almost shipped you out27 as a pup." I'd recount to him， " but the kids wouldn't let me. They knew how wonderful you were." It was obvious from the way he studied my face and wagged his tail that he liked to hear how special he was.
He probably would have continued to strut28 his stuff29 for a lot longer had he been less combative30.One warm August night he didn't return at his normal time， and the next morning he showed up， gasping for air and bloody around the neck. He obviously had been in a fight， and I suspected a badly damaged windpipe or lung." Scampy， when will you learn？" I asked as I petted his head. He looked up at me with those trusting eyes and licked my hand， but he was too weak to wag his tail. Christopher and Daniel helped me sponge him down and get him to the vet， but my diagnosis proved too accurate. By midday Scampy was gone.
That evening Christopher and I drove to the vet's office， gathered up Scampy and headed home. Scampy' s mother， Heidi， had died at fifteen， just a few months before； now we would bury him next to her in the woods by the garden.
As we drove， I tried to engage Christopher in conversation， but he was silent， apparently sorting through his feelings." I' ve seen lots of dogs， Christopher，" I said，" but Scampy was something special." " Yep，" he answered， staring into the darkness.
只要別讓孩子們給它起名，準能奏效。
我先是固執己見地說道，"沒有人家需要兩只狗的。"我又援引我們家定的動物不命名規定。禁止給沒列入瀕危物種名單上的動物命名，因為在我們家，被命名的動物就成為要喂養的寵物。"可我們總得管它叫個什么呀，"我們那四個孩子抗議道。
"那好吧，就叫它X狗，"我建議說。孩子們個個都皺起眉頭，可我希望這事會像肥皂泡般很快飄逸消失，這是理想的處理辦法。
但是，我的不取名策略結果是徹底的失敗。早在小狗斷奶之前，孩子們已經偷偷地管它叫"小淘氣"；我還沒有明白過來，小狗已經像我們家壁爐似地永遠固定在那兒，成為家庭不可分割的一員。
我一肚子悶氣，要是我們家附近的那只雜種狗安迪待在大街那邊，本來什么事都沒有。但是這條14歲、模樣邋遢、有關節炎的混種狗，瘸著腿進了我們家院子，跟我們的純正剛毛犬，10歲老處女海迪親密了一番。直到我們在佛羅里達度春假的一天半夜里，我們才知道海迪已經身懷六甲。我原以為那呻吟的聲音來自大海。經過一番調查，發現那是海迪在發出陣痛的呻吟。我妻子雪莉說海迪在分娩。天亮時海迪陣痛不減，可仍未分娩。我們找到一位獸醫，他告訴我們說，肚子里的小狗太大，擋住了產道，海迪有生命危險。我們整天一籌莫展，每隔一兩個小時就給獸醫打電話，了解最新情況。到了傍晚，我們的狗才脫離危險。
"它懷了三只，"獸醫說，"可只活了一只。"孩子們朝那只小公狗瞧了一眼，它像是一只五顏六色又臟又亂的線團。孩子們叫出聲來，"安迪！長得跟安迪一模一樣！"
"你以前見到過這么難看的狗嗎？"我問雪莉。"它挺可愛的，"她贊賞地回答。"我只希望有別人也這么想。它跟我們的日子不會太長。"但是這話還不如不說。X狗長到了10周，孩子們喜歡得不得了，狗對他們的吸引力比固定在船底上的甲殼動物的附著力還大。我盡可能不搭理它。有一樁事我不能否認：那小狗有一副看門狗的耳朵，能發現從車道或院子里傳？的每一個聲響。孩子們騎車出去或我換上跑鞋的時候，它就跟著我們。要是落在后面，它就追逐松鼠。有時候我說漏嘴，也叫它"小淘氣".
然而，經過半年我們家人的喂養和寵愛，小狗在秋天遭遇了挫折。它多趕了一只松鼠到街上，刺耳的剎車聲告訴我們這回出事了。汽車軋斷了它的左后腿，獸醫給它上了夾板。日后我們聽到完全恢復的診斷結果時無不感到寬慰。但是一周后，又出事了。
"壞疽，"有一天晚上雪莉告訴我說。"獸醫說要么截肢，要么只有安樂死。"我聽了，一下子重重地坐在了椅子上。"別無選擇，"我說道。"讓一條像'小淘氣'這樣好動的狗一輩子靠三條腿艱難地活著，太不公平了。"突然間，一直在偷聽的孩子們飛進屋來。"有一條腿殘疾的人不會被人殺死，"史蒂夫和拉雷恩爭辯說。為了爭取時間，我對孩子們說，"我們明天再作決定。"孩子們上床之后，我和雪莉又談起這事。她同情地說道，"讓'小淘氣'去死，孩子們是難以接受的。"
"尤其是克里斯托弗，"我回答說。"我失去奎尼的時候，跟克里斯托弗差不多大。"接著我告訴雪莉我那心愛的狗的事。那是條體態優美的尖嘴豎耳白絲毛狗，跑的時候輕軟的一身毛飄動起來像是滾滾浪濤?？墒强岬膬蓷l后腿喪失了活動的功能。最后我爸爸說只能安樂死以解脫它的痛苦。"可是它會好的，"我哀求道。我一遍又一遍祈求上帝助它能重新行走，但它的情況越來越壞。
有一天晚飯之后，我去地下室，奎尼平時就躺在爐子旁邊。在樓梯最底下我碰上了爸爸。他面無血色，手里拿著一塊怪味濃重的布頭。"我很難過，奎尼死了， "他輕聲地告訴我。我淚如泉涌，撲入爸爸的懷抱，我不知道哭了多久，但過了片刻，我發現他也哭了。如今我還記得當我知道爸爸的感受和我一樣的時候，我是多么地高興。我擦著眼淚，擤著鼻涕，告訴他說，"我再也不要狗了，狗死的時候，太讓人傷心了。"
"兒子，你說得對，是太傷心，"我爸爸回答說，"可這正是愛的代價。"
第二天，我跟獸醫和全家商量之后，勉強同意給"小淘氣"做截肢手術。"如果孩子的信念能使它康復，"我對雪莉說，"那它就會很快恢復成原來的'小淘氣 '."奇跡果然發生了，它完全康復了。截肢手術后沒多久，"小淘氣"就證明了這一點。真正了不起的是它克服四肢不全的方法。它創造了一種單條后腿跑跳的新方法，腿像活塞似地左右擺動，既有勁又穩定。"小淘氣"的熱情和精力絲毫未減。"'小淘氣'最棒的是，"一個鄰居說"它沒有意識到自己身體上有障礙，要不然就是它不介意有障礙。我們就應該像它這樣對待生理上的缺陷。"
在5年多的時間里，"小淘氣"教我們懂得什么是勇氣，盡其所能全力投入生命的意義所在。每天跑步時，我常常和"小淘氣"說點什么，好像它能聽懂我說的一切。"你剛生下時我就差點兒把你趕走，"我對它說。"可孩子們不讓，他們知道你有多棒。"從它盯著我臉、搖晃著尾巴的樣子看，很明顯它喜歡聽人說他有多么地不一般。
"小淘氣"如果不是那么好斗，或許能有更多的時間繼續炫耀它的技巧。8月里一個暖和的夜晚，"小淘氣"沒有按時回來，第二天早上才露面。他大口喘氣，脖子上都是血。顯然，它又去打架了。我懷疑它氣管或肺部受到嚴重損傷。"'小淘氣'，你什么時候才懂事?。?我一邊輕拍它的頭，一邊問道。它以信任的目光仰頭看著我，舔舔我的手，但他過于衰弱已無力晃動尾巴?？死锼雇懈ズ偷つ釥枎臀矣煤＞d擦它全身，把它送往獸醫診所。這次我的判斷準確無誤。中午時分，"小淘氣"死了。
那天傍晚，我和克里斯托弗開車去了診所，抱起"小淘氣"，往回家路上駛去。"小淘氣"的媽媽海迪剛在幾個月之前去世，它活了15年。我們要在花園邊的樹林里把"小淘氣"和它葬在一起。
開車的路上，我試著跟克里斯托弗聊天，可他卻緘默不語，很顯然他腦子里千頭萬緒，感情上一時還難以接受。"克里斯托弗，我見到過不少狗，"我說道，"可是'小淘氣'與眾不同。"他茫然凝視著黑暗的夜色，回答了個"對".
注釋：
1.dogmatically adv.固執己見地，武斷地
2.invoke vt.援引，（作為根據）提出
3.anonymity n.無名，匿名
4.generic adj.一般的，普通的
5.dismal adj.不高明的，軟弱無力的
6.wean vt.使斷奶
7.fume vi.發怒，怒氣沖沖地說話
8.arthritic adj.患關節炎的
9.hobble vi.一瘸一拐地行走，跛行
10.tê te-à-tê te n.親密，親熱
11.schnauzer （r）]n.髯狗
12.in labor 分娩
13.wring one's hands （over sth.）苦惱地絞扭雙手
14.ragamuffin n.衣衫襤褸的兒童
15.homely adj.不好看的
16.barnacle n.附著甲殼動物
17.gangrene n.壞疽
18.amputate vt.截（肢 ）
19.eavesdrop vt.偷聽
20.statuesque adj.體態優美的
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