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The growth fable about self and tolerance: Star Girl Author: [America] Jerry Spinelli
Porcupine tie (1)
When I was a child, Uncle Pete had a porcupine-patterned tie, which almost became the greatest thing in the world in my childhood. Whenever Uncle Pete wears it, I can't help but let my fingers touch the silk surface back and forth, greedy and careful, as if I were afraid of being pricked by porcupines. My uncle once asked me to try it on once. I dream of having a tie like that.
However, this is just a dream.
When I was twelve, my family moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona. Uncle Pete came to see me off and wore that tie on purpose. I knew he wanted me to say goodbye to it, but to my surprise, Uncle Pete took off his tie and put it around my neck.
"It's yours from now on." He said, "Consider it a farewell gift."
I like this gift very much, so I decided to start collecting similar ties. However, after living in Arizona for two years, the number of my ties is still only a poor one. I can't find a tie with a porcupine on it in Michael City, Arizona or anywhere else!
On my fourteenth birthday, I read an article about me in the local newspaper. There is a column in the family edition of that newspaper, which is specially designed for the children whose birthdays are on that day. Mom contributed the manuscript. The last sentence of the article reads: "Leo Brock's hobby is collecting ties with porcupine patterns."
A few days later, when I came home from school, I found a package tied with yellow ribbon on the doorstep, and the label said "Happy Birthday".
I opened the package. Oh, my God, it's a porcupine tie! On the tie, two porcupines are fighting and one is picking his teeth leisurely. ...