The children were all ready for a ride in the new pony cart. 孩子们都准备好搭新马车去兜风了。

　　"Get up, Billy," called Jim. 吉姆说：“起来，比利。”

　　But Billy, the little black and white pony, would not go. 但比利这匹黑白相间的小马不愿走。

　　Down jumped the four children from the cart. 四个孩子从车上下来。

　　Jim and Tom ran in front and began to pull. 吉姆和汤姆跑到前面开始拉马。

　　Betty and Nancy ran to the back of the cart and began to push. 贝蒂和南希跑到车后面推。

　　But Billy would not go. 但比利不愿走。

　　Just then grandfather came along. 就在这时祖父来了。

　　He watched the children trying to make Billy go. Then he laughed. 他看着孩子们努力让比利走动，笑了。

　　"Get into the cart again," he said. "I think I can make Billy go." 他说：“回到车上去。我能让比利走。”

　　Grandfather went to the pony. 祖父走向小马。

　　He put his mouth right up to Blly's ear and whispered something. 他将嘴正对着比利的耳朵，低声说着什么。

　　Billy jumped, and went galloping down the road. 比利跳了起来，沿着路飞奔。

　　"Thank you, grandfather!" shouted the children. 孩子们喊道：“谢谢祖父！”

　　When the children came home, Jim ran to find grandfather. 孩子们回到家后，吉姆跑去找祖父。

　　"Grandfather," he said, "what secret did you whisper in Billy's ear?" 他说：“祖父，您对比利的耳朵说了什么秘密？”

　　Grandfather laughed. "I whispered a magic word to Billy," he said. "The word was PLEASE. 祖父笑道：“我对着比利说了一个魔法口诀，这个口诀就是‘请’。”

　　"The next time Billy won't go, try this magic word. 比利下次不愿走时，试试这个魔法口诀。

　　But be very sure to whisper it right in his ear, just as I did." 但一定要对着它的耳朵说，就像我做得那样。”

　　For a long time after that, Billy was a good little pony. 此后很久，比利都很乖。

　　One day when the children were going along a new road, they came to a bridge. 有一天，孩子们沿着一条新路走，走到了一座桥那里。

　　Billy had never seen a bridge like this, and he did not want to go across it. 比利从没见过这样的桥，它不想跨过去。

　　"Get up, Billy," they all shouted. 孩子们喊道：“比利，上去。”

　　Billy began to run. Trip-trap, trip-trap went his feet on the bridge. 比利开始跑。它哒哒的马蹄声在桥上响起。

　　Suddenly he stopped. 突然它停了下来。

　　Poor Billy! He was frightened by the noise of his feet on the bridge. 可怜的比利，它被自己在桥上制造的噪音吓到了。

　　The children did not know that he was frightened. Out they jumped. They shouted at Billy. 孩子们不知道它吓到了，跳下来，喊着比利。

　　Though they pulled him and pushed him, he would not go. 尽管他们拽它、推它，它仍不走。

　　Soon there were many cars waiting behind them. What a noise they made! 不久很多汽车都等在他们后面。他们制造的噪音多么大啊！

　　"Oh, dear," said Betty, "look at all the cars behind us. What shall we do?" 贝蒂说：“哦，亲爱的，看看我们身后的车，我们该怎么办？”

　　"I'll try the magic word," thought Jim. 吉姆想：“我试试魔法口诀。”

　　So he told the other children to get into the cart. 所以他告诉其他孩子上车。

　　Then he put his mouth right up to Billy's ear and whispered, "PLEASE!" as loud as he could. 然后他将嘴正对比利的耳朵，尽可能大得低语说道：“请！”

　　What do you think happened then? 接下来发生了什么？

　　Billy started. Jim hopped into the cart, and they went galloping over the bridge. 比利动了。吉姆跳进车内，他们开始飞速过桥。

　　That evening Jim told grandfather how he had tried the magic word. 那天晚上吉姆告诉祖父他是如何尝试魔法口诀的。

　　Grandfather said, "You see that PLEASE is a magic word. 祖父说：“你看到了，‘请’是一个魔法口诀。

　　People will always try to help you when you say it. But I will tell you a secret about Billy." 你这样说时，人们总是试着帮你。但我告诉你一个比利的秘密。”

　　"When you whisper in his ear that tickles him, and he cannot stand still." “你对着它的耳朵说话会让它发痒，它就站不住了。”

　　After that Jim always knew what to do when the little pony did not want to go. 从此以后，当比利不想走时，吉姆总是知道该怎么做。