Texas has a law: any 14-year-old children must share the household chores for the parents, such as washing dishes, scrubbing the floor and mowing the lawns.
One Sunday night, smart Tom wrote a bill to his mother:
Tom helped Mom buy the food in the supermarket, so Mom should pay 3 dollars;
Tom got up and folded his quilt, so Mom should pay 2 dollars;
Tom scrubbed the floor, so Mom should pay 5 dollars;
Tom is an obedient good boy, so Mom should pay 5 dollars.
The total is 15 dollars.
After that, Tom pressed the note on the table and went to bed. When his mother saw it, she smiled tolerantly, added a few lines on it and put it beside Tom's pillows.
When Tom woke up, he saw such a bill:
Mom was pregnant with Tom for 10 months, so Tom should pay 0 dollar;
Mom taught Tom to speak and walk, so Tom should pay 0 dollar;
Mom made good food for Tom every day, so Tom should pay 0 dollar;
Mom accompanied Tom to the children's playground every weekend, so Tom should pay 0 dollar;
Mom prays for Tom every day, hoping he becomes an angelic lovely little boy, so Tom should pay 0 dollar.
The total is 0 dollar.
Now this note is still treasured by Tom.
得克萨斯州有一项法律规定：年满14周岁的孩子必须替家长分担家务，如：洗碗、擦地、修剪草坪等。
星期天晚上，聪明的汤姆给妈妈写了一张缴费账单：
汤姆帮妈妈去超市买东西，妈妈需付3美元；
汤姆起床后自己叠被子，妈妈需付2美元；
汤姆擦洗地板，妈妈需付5美金；
汤姆是个听话的好孩子，妈妈需付5美元。
总计15美元。
写完之后，汤姆把纸条压在桌面上就去睡觉了。妈妈看到纸条，宽容地笑了，在上面加了几行字，又把纸条放到汤姆的枕边。
汤姆醒来，也看见一张账单，内容如下：
妈妈十月怀胎生下汤姆，汤姆应付0美元；
妈妈教汤姆学说话，扶汤姆学走路，汤姆应付0美元；
妈妈每天给汤姆做好吃的，汤姆应付0美元；
妈妈每周末陪汤姆到儿童游乐场玩耍，汤姆应付0美元；
妈妈每天为汤姆祈祷，希望他成为天使般可爱的小男孩，汤姆应付0美元。
总计0美元。
这张纸条汤姆珍藏至今。
-chore [tʃɔː(r)] n. 零星工作(尤指家常杂务)
-scrub [skrʌb] v. 用力擦洗
-mow [məʊ] v. 割(草等)
“Real love can't be measured by money.”(真爱岂能用金钱衡量？)