Chapter 7 Maomao Chapter 7 Maomao is looking for her friend, an enemy comes to Maomao

"I don't know why," Mao Mao said one day, "I always feel that our old friends seem to come here less and less. Some people, I haven't seen for a long time." Gigi, the tour guide, and Beppo, the scavenger, sat next to her on the stone steps of the ruins overgrown with weeds, watching the setting sun lost in thought. "Yeah." Gigi thought for a while and said, "I feel the same way. Fewer and fewer people want to listen to my stories. It's not like it used to be. Something must have happened." "What will happen?" Maomao asked hurriedly.

Gigi shrugged, thoughtfully spitting away the letters he had scribbled on a small slate.This small slate was picked up by the former Beppo in a trash can a few weeks ago and brought back to Mao Mao.Of course, the slab was not new and had been broken in half with a large crack in the middle.Other than that, though, it works great.From that day on, Jiji taught Maomao to recognize letters with this small slate every day.Because Mao Mao has a good memory, she can read books now, but she still can't write well. Bebo, the scavenger, thought about Mao Mao's question for a long time, then nodded slowly and said, "Yes, it's true, it's getting closer and closer. In the city, it's everywhere. I've been surprised for a long time."

"What happened?" Maomao asked. Old Beipo thought for a while and said, "It's not a good thing." After a while, he added: "It's going to get cold." "What's the matter?" Jiji said, and at the same time put an arm around Mao Mao's shoulder comfortingly, "However, more and more children come here to play." "Yes, that's why," said old Beppo, "that's why." "What do you mean by that?" Maomao asked. Old Beppo thought for a long time, and finally replied: "They didn't come because of us, they just wanted to find a shelter."

Together the three of them looked at the round lawn in the middle of the amphitheatre.A lot of kids are playing a new kind of ball game there, which they invented this afternoon. Some of them are Mao Mao's old friends: the boy with glasses Paul, the little girl Maria and her little sister Dede, the fat boy with a squeaky voice named Massimo, another boy who looks dirty It's called Franco, and besides them, there are a few new kids who have arrived recently.One came just this afternoon.It really looks like Gigi said: they are increasing in number every day. Maomao was very happy to have so many friends here.But most of the new kids can't play.They soon dispersed unhappily, some looking around boredly, some staring at Mao Mao and her friends.Some children deliberately make trouble, destroy things, or quarrel with others.Of course, this situation will not last long, because Mao Mao will have an influence on them, so that they can come up with good ideas and have fun.However, because there are new arrivals every day, and some even come from other urban areas, the bad phenomena mentioned above still happen frequently.

As they themselves said, a few troublemakers disturb everyone's peace. However, there is another point that Maomao can't understand, that is, what happened in the recent period.This happens more and more frequently.The new kids brought all sorts of toys, none of those things to play with, like a remote control tank that you can make it go around, otherwise it's useless.Or a space rocket that whizzes around in circles along an orbit, and nothing else to play with.Or a little robot, with his red eyes flickering and his head turning from side to side—but it's no use for anything else.

Naturally, these were very expensive toys, none of Fluffy's friends had ever owned them--much less Fluffy himself.Especially since all these toys are so complete down to the smallest detail that they require no imagination at all.In this way, children often sit there for hours, looking at a certain toy with fascination and boredom at the same time.Toys, some of which rumbled incessantly, some blinked, some whizzed round and round--they could not imagine anything in front of them, and ended up playing their old games again .They think that for those games in the past, one or two cardboard boxes, a broken tablecloth, a pile of rats, or a handful of small stones are enough.Playing with these things, they can develop their rich imagination.

For some reason, as if the games tonight were not successful, the children did not play one game after another as usual, and finally they all sat down around Jiji, old Beppo and Momo.They longed that Gigi might tell them a story, but Gigi didn't.The younger boy, who was here for the first time today, sat a little further away from the others because he had brought a portable radio.He turned on the radio very loudly, and an advertisement was playing on the radio. "Can you turn down that little box of yours a little bit?" asked Franco, the untidy boy, in a menacing tone. "I don't understand your words." The strange boy said, with a sneer on the corner of his mouth, "The radio is so loud. "

"Turn it down now," Franco yelled, standing up suddenly. The new boy turned pale, but he still replied stubbornly: "Why do you interfere with me? No one has the right. As long as I want, I can turn on the radio so loudly." "He's right," said old Beppo. "We shouldn't ban him, we can only ask him." "He should go somewhere else," Franco said angrily. "We've been affected by him all afternoon." "He must have his reasons," old Beppo replied, looking friendly at the new boy through his little glasses. "He must have his reasons."

The strange little boy fell silent, and after a while, he automatically turned down the volume of the radio while turning his head to one side. Mao Mao walked up to him and sat beside him silently, so he turned off the radio. There was silence for a while. "Giji, can you tell us something?" another new kid begged. "Tell me a story, please!" The other children jumped up and shouted, "Tell me an interesting story!—No, tell me a tense story!—No, tell me a fairy tale!—Let me tell you a thrilling one!" But Gigi didn't want to talk about it, and this was the first time this happened.

"I'd rather listen to you," Gigi said finally. "Tell me about yourself, what you do at home, and why you come here." The children fell silent, and their faces suddenly became cold and sad. "Our family has a very beautiful car." Finally heard a child say, "on Saturdays, my parents clean the car whenever they have time. If I am obedient, I can help them. In the future, I will also have a small car like that." car." "But," said a little girl, "I can now go to the movies every day if I want, because then I am sent to a safe place. It's a pity that my parents don't have time to look after me. "

After a while, she continued: "But I didn't want to be sent to that safe place, so I sneaked here. I saved up all my movie money, and when I saved up enough money, I'll buy a train ticket and go to the Seven Dwarfs!" "You are so stupid!" cried another child, "there are no seven dwarfs." "Yes!" said the little girl stubbornly, "I saw it in a travel brochure." "I've got eleven Fairytale records," a little boy announced. "I can listen to it whenever I want. It used to be that my daddy would tell me something every night after get off work. How nice it was then! Now, he doesn't talk about anything, maybe he's too tired, maybe he's not interested." "Where's your mother?" asked the little girl Maria. "She's not home all day now either." "Yes," said Maria. "It's the same in our family, lucky to have Dede with me. "She kissed her little sister who was sitting on her lap, and then said: "I come home from school every day, light up my meal, and then do my homework, and then..." She shrugged, "Yes, and then, we will Running around and not coming home until dark.We come here often. " The kids all nodded in agreement because their situations were more or less similar. "I was very happy that my parents didn't care about me anymore." Franco said, but he didn't look happy at all. "Otherwise, they would start arguing again, and I would be beaten again." At this time, the kid with the portable radio suddenly turned around and said, "I get a lot more pocket money now than before!" "That's right!" replied Franco. "They're doing it to send us away! They don't like us anymore, but they don't like themselves either. They're not interested in anything, that's what I think .” "No!" the new boy yelled angrily. "My parents like me very much, but they don't have time to play with me. What can I do? That's the way it is. They gave me this one now." An expensive portable radio is a testament to love—isn't it?" Everyone fell silent. Suddenly, the little boy who had been making trouble all afternoon burst into tears.He didn't want to cry out, and kept wiping his tears with his little dirty hand, but the tears still flowed down his smeared cheeks. Some of the other children looked at him sympathetically, while others looked down at the ground.Now, they understood him. Originally, their moods were exactly the same, and they both had a feeling of being abandoned. "Yeah," said old Beppo again after a long time, "it's going to be cold." "Maybe we won't be able to come here anymore," said Paul, who was wearing glasses. "Why?" Maomao asked in surprise. "My parents said," Paul explained, "that you're all idlers, slobs. That you stole time from dear God. That's why you have so much time. They also said that because you There are more and more people like this, so other people have less and less time. I shouldn't have come to you, or I would be exactly like you." A few more kids nodded because someone had said something similar to them. Gigi surveyed the other children and asked, "Do you believe we are that kind of people? Then why do you even want to come here?" After a while, Franco said: "It doesn't matter to me to say that. My parents even said that I will definitely become a robber in the future. I am on your side." "So that's the case!" Gigi raised her eyebrows as she said, "So, you also think we are idlers?" The children stared at the ground in bewilderment.Finally, Paul looked directly at old Beppo tentatively. "My parents don't lie," he said softly, and then he asked even more quietly, "aren't you guys like that?" At this moment the aged scavenger stood up, stretched his thin body as straight as he could, and thrust three fingers into the air: "I never—never in my life did I steal from dear God or Same kind even for a little bit of time. I swear it's true, God bless! " "I've never lost!" Maomao continued. "And me, I didn't steal it either!" Jingji said seriously. The children were deeply moved, and all of them fell silent.Not one of them doubted the words of the three friends. "Now, I want to say something to you again." Gigi continued, "In the past, people always wanted to come to Maomao, so that she would listen to them, and at the same time they would find themselves again, you know What do I mean. But they don't care much about it now. There used to be a lot of people who liked to come and hear my stories so they could forget about themselves. But they don't need to do that anymore. They Say, they don't have time for such things any more, but they don't have any more time for you either. Do you realize? Why they don't have time is something to be noticed!" He narrowed his eyes, nodded, and continued: "Not long ago, I met an old acquaintance in the city. His name is Fossey, and he is a barber. I haven't seen him for a long time. When I saw him this time , I can hardly recognize him, he has changed so much, he is irritable, complaining, and depressed. It turns out that he is a lovely person, and he sings very well. For everything, he has his own unique Thoughts. He suddenly ran out of time for these things. He is no longer Fossey, but only his own shadow, do you understand?If he was the only one, I'd have no problem thinking he's a little out of his mind.However, no matter where you look, you will see such people everywhere.Their numbers are increasing, and now even our old friends are doing it too!I really want to ask, is there a kind of contagious madness? " Old Beppo nodded approvingly. "True," he said. "There must be an epidemic." "Then," said Momo, terrified, "we must help our friends!" That night, they talked together for a long time to see what they could do.But none of them thought of Mr. Gray and their tireless work. From the next day, Maomao began to look for her old friends. She wanted to ask them what happened and why they stopped looking for her? She first went to Nicola, the mason.Mao Mao is very familiar with the cabin on the top floor of the house where he lives, but he is not at home. People who lived in that house only knew that he was working on a large construction site on the other side of the city, earning a lot of money, and now he rarely came home, and when he came back, he was very late and often appeared comatose Drowsy and delirious, people simply could not get along with him anymore. Mao Mao decided to wait for him, so she sat on the doorstep.The sky gradually darkened, and Mao Mao fell asleep unconsciously. It was probably midnight when she was awakened by the sound of heavy footsteps and hoarse singing.It was Nicola who staggered up the stairs.When he saw the child at the door, he stopped in shock. "Hey, Momo!" he muttered indistinctly.When he found Mao Mao watching him, he felt more and more embarrassed. "It's really you! Who are you looking for here?" "Looking for you." Maomao replied timidly. "Ah, I thought who were you!" Nicola smiled and shook his head, "I came here in the middle of the night just to see your old friend Nicola. Yes, I should have gone to see you too, However, I simply don't have time for such... private matters." He made a quick gesture, and sat heavily on the steps beside Maomao. "What do you say, you ask me what's going on here now, don't you? Yes, boy! It's really different, time itself has changed. Where I'm working now, people are proposing to do it in a different way." Work as fast as the devil. When we build a building, we have to build a whole floor every day, one floor a day. Yes, this is compared to before, but it is very different! Everything now, even every action is arranged, do you understand, from the beginning to the end...??" He kept talking, and Mao Mao listened intently.The more Mao Mao listened intently, the less enthusiastic his words seemed. Suddenly he stopped talking, wiped his face with his calloused hands, and said, "It's all nonsense." Suddenly, he said sadly, "Look, Mao Mao, I drank too much again. I Admittedly, I'm often drunk now. But I can't keep working there without it. It's against conscience for an honest mason. There's too much sand in the mortar, you understand? At most, it lasts for four or five years. At that time, as long as people cough, the wall will fall off piece by piece. It's all a lie, deceiving people alive! But that's not the worst, the worst thing is that we Those buildings built, what are they called buildings, that-that-that are purely warehouses for people! It's disgusting! But what does all this have to do with me?I just make money and nothing else.Yes, times are changing.I wasn't like that at all in the past, when I was always proud when I saw a house I built.But, now... when I earn enough money, I will give up this job and do something else. " He drooped his head and stared sullenly at the ground.Maomao just listened, without saying a word. "Perhaps," Nikolay went on softly after a while, "I should really go to your place and tell you everything. Yes, I should. We will do what we say." Well, what about tomorrow? Or the day after tomorrow would be better? Well, I'll see if I can get the time. But I'm sure I'll go. That's it, okay?" "It's a deal!" Maomao replied, feeling a little relieved in her heart.Then they broke up because they were both tired. However, Niji did not come on the second day, nor did he come on the third day.He didn't show up at all, maybe he really didn't have time anymore. Maomao then visited the owner of the small hotel and his fat wife.Their small old house is located on the old city root, the gray walls are covered with rain spots, and there is a grape trellis at the door.As usual, Maomao went around to the back and walked straight to the kitchen door.The kitchen door was open, and Maomao could hear the intense conversation between Nino and his wife Liliana from afar. Li Lianna was working by the stove, looking at several large and small pots, her chubby face was glistening with sweat.Nino was gesturing and saying something to her as their youngest child sat crying in a baby basket in the corner. Maomao gently sat next to the baby, picked him up, put him on his lap and rocked him gently until the baby calmed down.The couple stopped the verbal battle and turned their heads this way together. "Ah, Maomao, it's you." Nino said, a smile flashed across his face, "It's great to see you again!" "What do you want to eat?" Liliana asked Maomao, still a little angry. Maomao shook his head. "What do you want to eat?" Nino said irritably, "We really don't have time to accompany you now." "I just want to ask you." Mao Mao replied in a low voice, "Why haven't you been with me for so long?" "I don't know either." Nino said as if he had been pricked by a needle, "We really have a lot of things to worry about right now." "That's right." Liliana said loudly, jingling the small pot at the same time, "He does have other things to worry about right now. For example, how to drive out those old customers, this is what he has to worry about!Mao Mao, do you remember those old people?They used to always sit at a table in the corner.He drove them away!He pushed them out! " "I didn't do that!" Nino defended himself, "I just politely asked them to find another restaurant. As the shop owner, I have the right." "Right! Right!" Liliana said angrily, "You can really do this kind of thing. It's both inhumane and despicable to do so. You know very well that they can't find another restaurant. , They are here with us, and they have never hindered others!" "Of course they didn't get in the way!" Nino yelled. "But as long as those bearded old guys stay here, the decent, paying customers won't come. You'd think they'd like the old stuff." Is that a glass of cheap red wine, of course all of them can afford it, but we won’t earn anything! If this continues, we’ll never be rich!” "So far, we've had a good life," Liliana replied. "Yes, it's only up to now!" Wu Nuo said excitedly, "You know very well that you can't go on like this.The landlord has raised the rent and I now have to pay a third more than before.Everything, everything grows money.Where am I going to get the money if I use this tavern as an asylum for the sick and old?Why should I take care of others?Who will take care of me! " Fat Liliana slammed a frying pan on the stove. "I tell you," she cried, crossing her hands on her broad hips, "among those poor old, sick, and invalids you speak of, there is my Uncle Ettore! I forbid you to insult our family." man! Although he is not as rich as your paying customers, he is a straight and kind man "Ettore can come back! Nino replied with a high attitude, "I have already told him that as long as he wants, he can stay, but he doesn't want to." " "Without his old friends, of course he doesn't want to! Think about it, would he be willing to squat in a corner alone?" "Then I can't help it!" Nino shouted loudly, "Anyway, I don't want to be a small hotel owner with a bad reputation just to take care of your uncle Ettore! I want to do something Come on. Is that a crime too? I'm going to make this tavern flourish! I'm going to do well in this tavern! I'm doing it not just for myself, but for you and our children. Don't you understand that, Liliana?" "Understood." Liliana said coldly, "If it's just this ruthless, if it's already started, then it's none of my business! One day I'll leave too. You can do whatever you want." At this time, the child started to cry again. She took the child from Maomao's hands and strode out of the kitchen. Nino didn't speak for a long time. He lit a cigarette, pinched it with his fingers, and twirled it. Mao Mao watched him. "Yes." He finally said again, "Those people are good people, and I actually like them quite a bit, you know, Mao Mao? It's a pity, I... what do you think I should do? Times have changed ah!" "Perhaps Liliana is right." He added after a while, "The hotel is much stranger since the old men left, and it's cold everywhere.Do you understand?I myself felt intolerable.I really don't know what to do.But why should I be different when everyone is doing it today?Don't you think I shouldn't do this? " Maomao nodded slightly. Nino looked at her carefully and nodded.Then, they both laughed. "It's good that you're here, I've completely forgotten that in the past, when we encountered something that didn't go our way, we always said: go to Mao Mao!——but now I'm going again, and I want to talk to Li Li Anna will go together. We will rest the day after tomorrow, and we will go the day after tomorrow, do you agree?" "Agreed." Maomao replied. Nino filled Maomao's pocket with apples and oranges again, and sent Maomao home.On the third day, Nino and his fat wife really came. They held the baby and brought Mao Mao a small basket of delicious food. "Maomao, can you think of it?" Liliana said with a radiant face, "Nino really went to Ettore and those old people, apologized to them, and asked them to come back to our store." "Yes." Nino added with a smile, while scratching the base of his ears, "They're all back now—although my small hotel won't flourish because of it, but I'm happy again now." He laughed. "If this continues, we will have a good life, Nino." Liliana said. It was a fine afternoon, and they left promising to come back in a few days. In this way, Maomao visited her old friends one by one.She went to the carpenter, who had nailed a small table and chairs for her out of box boards; she went to the women, who had brought her a small bed.In short, she visited all the old friends who had told her about them.At that time, because they spoke their minds, some people understood their mistakes, some became more determined, and some became happier.Now they all promised to go back to Mao Mao. Some of them, however, did not keep their promises, and perhaps they were in difficulty and could not spare the time.However, many old friends really came back to Mao Mao.Things are pretty much the same now as they were before. However, Mao Mao didn't know at all that his actions hindered Mr. You from realizing their plan, which they could not tolerate. Soon after, on a hot afternoon, Mao Mao picked up a doll on the stone steps of the ruins. Now, it happens quite often that children leave expensive toys that they never play with, or just throw them away.However, Maomao couldn't remember which child this city doll belonged to.She felt very strange, because this is a very special doll. She is almost as tall as Mao Mao, and her appearance is so lifelike. At first glance, people will think it is really a child! But if you look closely, she doesn't look like a child, but like a fashionable girl, or more like a fashion model in a shop window, wearing a red top, a short skirt and A pair of stiletto shoes. Mao Mao was fascinated by her and just stared at her blankly. After a while, when Mao Mao touched her, the doll blinked its eyes, moved its lips, and spoke in a thin voice that seemed to come from the phone: "Hello, My name is Bibigel, a perfect rag doll." Maomao took several steps back in fright, and then replied involuntarily: "Hello, my name is Maomao." The doll moved its lips again and said, "I belong to you. With me, everyone will be jealous of you." "I don't believe you belong to me." Mao Mao said, "I think someone must have left you here." She picked up the doll and lifted her up high.At this time, the doll's lips moved again and said, "I want more things now." "Really?" Maomao said while thinking, "I don't know if I have anything suitable for you to play with. But wait a minute, I'll let you take a look at my things, and then you can tell me what you like. " Mao Mao climbed into the hole in the wall with the doll in her arms, and came to the room where she lived below.She pulled out a box containing all kinds of little treasures from under the bed and put it in front of Bibiger. "Here," Maomao said, "this is all my treasures, what do you like, just tell me!" She showed Bibiger a beautiful colorful feather, a stone with beautiful patterns, a golden button, and a small piece of stained glass.The doll was silent, and Mao Mao touched her lightly. "Hello." The rag doll said sharply, "My name is Bibigel, a perfect rag doll." "Yes." Maomao said, "I see, don't you want to pick something? Here is a beautiful pink shell, do you like it?" "I belong to you," replied the doll. "With me, everyone will be jealous of you." "Yes, you've already said it," Momo said. "If you don't like my stuff, how about we play together?" "I want more stuff now." The doll repeated. "I don't have anything anymore." Maomao replied.She picked up the doll and climbed outside again.She made the immaculate Bibiger sit on the floor and sat down opposite her. "Let's start playing now, pretending that you are visiting me." Maomao suggested. "Hello." The doll said, "My name is Bibigel, a perfect doll." "It's very kind of you to come to see me!" Mao Mao replied, "Dear lady, where are you from?" "I belong to you," Zabiger continued. "With me, everyone will be jealous of you. " "Oh, listen." Mao Mao said, "If you keep saying the same thing upside down, then we won't be able to play anymore." "I want more stuff," the rag doll replied, with a metallic clatter of fluttering eyelashes. Mao Mao tried to play other games with her, she came up with one, another, and another, but it didn't work.She couldn't think of any more games.Yes, if the doll can't talk at all, Momo can answer questions for her, and then there will be the most beautiful conversation.But every conversation was interrupted by Bibigel's words. After a while, Maomao had a feeling he had never felt before.Because this feeling was very strange to her, it took her a long time to realize that it was boring. Mao Mao felt helpless, she really wanted to simply leave the city doll here and play other games by herself, but for some reason, Mao Mao couldn't bear to leave her. In the end, Mao Mao just sat there in a daze, looking at the doll, and the cloth doll sat opposite, staring at Mao Mao with her pair of dull blue eyes, as if they were both hypnotized by someone. of. Later, Maomao took the initiative to look away from the doll, but she was taken aback. It turned out that at some point, a luxurious car had already parked beside her.It was a gray car, and there was a gentleman in the car. He was wearing a cobweb-colored coat, a stiff gray top hat, and a thin gray cigar in his mouth. , his face was also gray. This Mr. Gray must have observed her for a long time, and he was smiling and nodding to Mao Mao at this moment.Even though it was an extremely hot noon, even the air was shimmering under the scorching sun, Maomao still shivered. Mr. Gray opened the car door, got out of the car, and walked towards Mao Mao, holding a gray briefcase in his hand. "Your doll is beautiful!" said Mr. Nong in a strange monotonous voice. "Your friends will be jealous of you. "Maomao just shrugged his shoulders without making a sound. "This doll must be very expensive?" Mr. Gray asked again. "I don't know." Maomao whispered in embarrassment, "I picked it up." "Don't say that!" Mr. Gray continued, "I think you are a real lucky one." Mao Mao remained silent.She wrapped the fat men's jacket tightly around her body because she was getting colder and colder. "Of course I don't have that impression." Mr. Gray said with a dry smile, "It seems that you are very happy, good boy." Maomao nodded slightly, expressing that he didn't feel any good luck.Suddenly, she had a special feeling, as if all happiness would disappear from this world forever-yes, as if she had never had any happiness.She felt that everything that had been thought to be happiness in the past was only an illusion.At the same time, she also felt that there seemed to be a voice warning her. "I've been watching you for a long time," Mr. Gray continued. "I don't think you know how to play with such a wonderful city doll. Shall I show you?" Maomao looked at the man in surprise and nodded. "I want more stuff." The doll suddenly screamed. "Well, you see, little girl," said Mr. Gray, "she even asks you for things herself. Of course you can't play with such a wonderful doll as you do with other children. That's clear. If that's the case, she wouldn't be here. If you want to have a good time with her, you've got to give her something. Remember this, little girl! " He walked to the car and opened the trunk. "First," he said, "she needs a lot of clothes. For example, here's a lovely evening dress." He pulled out the dress and threw it to Maomao. "It's a real mink coat, it's a silk nightgown, it's a tennis shirt, it's a bathing suit, it's a riding suit. It's pajamas, it's an underwear , a dress, another, another, and another...?" He threw these things one by one between Mao Mao and the doll, and slowly piled them up into a hill. "Well," he said, with another dry smile, "you'll be able to play with her for a while with these things, won't you, girl? But it'll get boring after a few days too, Do you think so? Yes, then you've got to have something more for your ragdoll." 他重又探身到后备箱里去取东西并把它们扔到毛毛面前。 “这是一个货真价实的蟒皮小手提包，里面装有真正的小口红和小粉盒。这是一架小巧玲现的照相机，这是一副网球拍，这是一台玩具电视机，而且还真能看电视。这儿还有一副手铜、一串项链、一对耳环、一把玩具左轮手枪、一双小丝袜裤、一项羽毛礼帽、一顶草帽、一顶春天戴的小帽、一根高尔夫球小曲棍、一本小支票簿、一个小香水瓶，洗澡用的盐和香水喷子……”他停了一会儿，用审视的目光看着毛毛，此刻，毛毛正像瘫痪了似的坐在那一大堆东西中间。 “你看见了吧。”灰先生继续说下去，“这很简单，人们必须有越来越多的东西，这样才永远不会感到无聊。也许你想，完美的比比格尔总有一天会拥有一切，那时候，她仍然会感到无聊的。不，小姑娘，不用担心！这儿我们为比比格尔找到了合适的伙伴。” 这时候，他从后备箱里又取出一个市娃娃。这个布娃娃和比比格尔一样高，一样完美，不同的只是，这个市娃娃是男的。灰先生把他放在比比格尔身旁解释说：“这个布娃娃叫布比保艾！他也有无穷无尽的东西。当这一切都变得无聊时，那以后比比格尔还会有一个好朋友，她也有各种十分合身的衣服。布比保艾也有与自己合得来的朋友，他们又各有自己的男朋友和女朋友。你看，这样一来，你也就永远木会感到无聊了，因为你所希望的东西，总是会有的，而且是无穷无尽的。” 他一边说，一边从小汽车的后备箱里取出一个又一个市娃娃，好像那里面装着无数的布娃娃似的。他把这些布娃娃放在毛毛周围，可是，毛毛仍然一动不动地坐在那儿，惊恐地瞅着那个灰先生。 “现在你懂了吗？”灰先生问，他嘴里吐出一团团烟雾。“你现在知道怎样和这些布娃娃一块儿玩了吧？” “知道了。”毛毛回答，她感到冷，开始打起哆嗦了。灰先生满意地点点头，又吸起烟来。 “现在，你也一定想得到所有这些可爱的东西，对吗？那好吧，小姑娘，我把这些东西都送给你啦！你将会得到这一切——但不是一下子得到它们，而是一个一个地得到，这是理所当然的事情——以后，你还会得到越来越多的东西。你什么也不用干，你只管与他们一起玩就是了，就像我刚才给你解释的那样。现在你还有什么话要说吗？” 友先生微笑着等待毛毛的回答。可是，毛毛什么也没有说，只是神情严肃地望着他。 灰先生急忙补充说：“以后，你就不再需要以前的那些朋友了，明白吗？所有这些美好的东西都属于你了，你还会不断地得到更多的东西，这足够你玩的了，对不对？你喜欢这样吗？你喜欢这个神奇的布娃娃吗？不管怎么说，你是喜欢她的，对吗？” 毛毛隐约感到自己正面临一场斗争，是的，她已经身不由己了。但是，她不清楚这场斗争到底是为了什么，也不知道谁处在这场斗争之外。因为她听这个不速之客说得越久，就越感到与布娃娃在一起没有什么两样。她仿佛听见一个人在讲话，也能听清他说的什么，但却不知道那个人在什么地方。She shook her head. “怎么啦，怎么啦？”灰先生急忙问，同时扬起了眉毛，“你还不满足吗？怪不得人们都说今天的孩子太不知足呢！你能不能告诉我，除了现在这个完美的市娃娃你还想要什么？” 毛毛一边看着地面一边思考着他的问题。“我想，”她轻声说，“别的孩子们是不会喜欢她的。” 灰先生听了毛毛的话，半天说不出话来，他像布娃娃一样呆呆地望着前方。最后，他强打精神，冷冷地说道：“别人喜欢不喜欢无关紧要。” 毛毛直瞪腾地看着他，眼睛一眨也不眨。灰先生使她感到害怕，尤其是他的目光寒气逼人。但是不知为什么，他也使毛毛感到难过。 “可是我爱我的朋友们。”毛毛说。 灰先生好像忽然得了牙疼病似的，面孔扭曲起来，但他马上克制住自己，脸上露出一丝刻薄的微笑。 “我认为，”他以一种温柔的语调说，“我们应该好好地谈一谈。这样你就知道问题出在哪儿了。” 他从衣袋里掏出一个灰色的小笔记本，翻阅着，终于找到毛毛的名字。 “你叫毛毛，对不对？” 毛毛点点头。灰先生合上笔记本，又把它装进口袋里，然后叹了口气。在毛毛面前的地上坐下。半天过去了，他仍然一言不发，只是若有所思吸着那根细细的雪茄。 “毛毛，现在，你好好听我说。”他终于开了口。毛毛一直在努力地倾听，她感到比听任何人的讲话都费劲。以前，她听别人讲话的时候，稍不留神，也会岔到别的话题上去，误解了别人的意思，因此忽略了别人的真正用意。但要听懂这位不速之客的谈话更不是一件容易的事情。无论她怎样努力，总有一种要陷入黑暗之中的空虚感，好像这儿根本就没有那样一个人似的。她还从来没有碰到过这种情况。 “在生活中推一起决定作用的东西。”灰先生继续说，“就是看人们做出了什么成绩，成为一个什么样的人和得到了什么，在这些方面谁能比别人强。其他的东西，像友谊啦、爱情啦、荣誉啦等等，就会从天而降。而你却认为，你爱你的朋友们。现在，我们必须非常实际地谈谈这个问题。” 灰先生向空中吐出一串烟圈。毛毛把她那双赤脚缩进外衣里，并且尽可能地将衣服裹紧。 “现在，我们谈第一个问题，”灰先生接着说，“你的朋友们在这儿到底得到了什么好处呢？你对他们有什么用处吗？没有。你帮他们进步了吗？你帮他们挣到更多的钱了吗？你帮他们干出些什么名堂来了吗？当然没有。你支持他们努力节省时间了吗？恰恰相反。你使他们感到碍手碍脚，你成了他们的绊脚石，你使他们寸步难行！也许你到现在还不知道这一点，毛毛，不管怎么说，只要你在这儿，你对你的朋友们就是有害的。 当然，作本来也是好意，并不想成为他们的敌人，可是你能把这些称作爱你的朋友们吗？ " 毛毛无言以对了，她还从来没有这样思考过这些事情，一时间，她甚至连灰先生的话有没有道理也不能肯定了。 “所以，”灰先生接着说下去，“我们要保护你的朋友们，使他们不受你的损害，如果你真的爱他们，你就帮助我们这样做把！我们要让他们有所作为，我们才是他们真正的朋友。 我们看见你妨碍他们做各种重要的事情，决不能袖手旁观。我们希望你能让他们安心于自己的事情，所以，现在送给你这许多好玩的东西。 " “你说的我们'是谁？'毛毛的嘴唇哆哆嚷嚷地问。 “我们来自时间储蓄银行。”友先生回答，“我是BLM／553／C号代理人。我本人认为，这完全是为了你好，也是为了我好，因为时间储蓄银行不允许别人同自己开玩笑。” 就在这一瞬间，毛毛猛然想起老贝波和吉吉曾经说过关于节约时间和传染病之类的话。 她心中顿时有了一种可怕的预感，这个灰先生会不会与此有关。她真希望那两个好朋友此时此刻能够在她身边，她从未感到像现在这样孤独。但是，她毅然决定，即使他们不在，她也不能流露出害怕的神情。她使出全身的力量，鼓起勇气，她要冲进那些发先生们隐身的黑暗与空虚之中。灰先生用眼角的余光源着毛毛的面孔，发现了她的表情的变化，便嘲弄地冷笑着，同时用刚才那支烟的烟蒂重新点着了另一支灰色的雪茄。 “不要白费力气了，”他说，“你根本不是我们的对手。” 毛毛没有屈服。 “难道没有人爱过你吗？”毛毛轻轻地问。 灰先生缩成一团，好像突然要倒下去似的。然后，他用一种灰溜溜的声音说：“我不得不承认，我还从来没有碰到过你这样的孩子，真的没有。我认识许多人，如果他们都像你，那么我们的时间储蓄银行就要关门了，那我们也就要烟消云散了——不然我们靠什么生存下去呢？” 这个代理人说到这里忽然停住了，他凝视着毛毛，好像要同他无法理解的东西作斗争似的，但又感到无能为力，脸上的颜色也显得更加灰暗了。 当他又开始讲起来时，他的话好像开了闭似的从他嘴里涌流出来，无法阻止。同时，他自己也因为对这种情况感到害怕，面孔也扭曲得更厉害了。这时候，毛毛才终于听到他真实的，好像是从遥远的地方传来的声音：“我们决不能让人家认出来，任何人都不能知道我们的存在，也不能知道我们在干什么……我们担心的是有人会记住我们的形象……只有我们不被人发觉，我们才能开展工作……值是一种艰苦的工作，要一分一秒地挤出人们的寿命……因为他们节省的全部时间，对他们来说已经失去了……我们把那些时间据为己有……我们把那些时间储存起来……我们需要它们……我们渴望得到它们……啊，你们不知道，你们的时间意味着什么卜…??但我们，我们知道，我们把它们从你们身上，从骨头缝里给吸出来……我们需要的时间越来越多……越来越多……因为我们的人口也变得越来越多……越来越多……越来越多……” 最后，这几个词儿几乎是从灰先生的嘴里一个字一个字地蹦出来，然而，他却用双手捂住了自己的嘴。两只眼睛鼓得圆圆的，呆呆地盯着毛毛，过了半天好像才从昏迷中清醒过来似的。 “什么——我刚才说了什么？”他结结巴巴地说，“你偷听了我的话！我病了！你把我弄病了，你！”然后他几乎用恳求的声音说：“我完全是胡说八道，亲爱的孩子，忘掉那些话吧！你必须忘掉我，就像其他所有的人忘掉我们一样！你必须这样！必须这样！” 他抓住毛毛的双肩使劲地摇晃着，毛毛的嘴唇险动了一下，想说点什么，但却什么也说不出来。 这时候，灰先生猛地跳起来，匆忙地向四周张望了一下，接着便抓起他那个灰色的公文包朝汽车跑去。突然，奇迹发生了：所有的布娃娃和撒满一地的衣服、玩具都一下全都飞进汽车的后备箱里，只听“咋”的一声响，后备箱的盖子关上了。汽车“呼”地一声疾驰而去，无数石子被甩出去老远。 毛毛仍然坐在原地没动，她试图弄明白刚才听到的话。那种可怕的寒冷感觉渐渐地从她的四肢消失了，同时她感到刚才听到的话也越来越清楚了，她一点儿也没有忘记，因为她听到了灰先生发自内心的真正的声音。 一丝清烟在她面前枯黄的草地上升起，这是灰先失碾碎的烟头冒出的清烟，一转眼，那烟头就已变成了灰烬。