It was a dark and windy night. The wind howled and the rain beat down.

Harry and his wife were in bed. Although Harry slept through the storm， his wife woke up. She lay in bed， unable to sleep， listening to the noise of the storm.

Suddenly， she heard a different noise. It sounded like someone tapping on the window. She was very frightened. She woke her husband up.

\"Harry，\" she whispered， \"there's someone outside. Listen.\"

\"It's nothing，\" he said， \"just a branch of a tree tapping against the window in the wind. Go back to sleep.\"

He turned over and went back to sleep.

The tapping continued. It got louder and louder， then the window began to rattle.

Harry's wife woke him up again.

\"Harry， it isn't just the wind. There's somebody there. I know there is. Get up and look.\"

Harry got out of the bed and walked across the room to the window. He pulled the curtain a little and looked out. He saw a man standing on a ladder outside the win- dow. He smiled at the man and then went back to bed.

\"Well?\" his wife asked. \"Was there anyone there?\"

\"Yes，\" Harry said. \"There is a burglar trying to get in.\"

\"Then do something!\" his wife cried. \"Phone the po- lice.\"

\"No，\" Harry said. \"Wait until he opens the window. I've been trying to get it open since we had house painted last year.\"

一個漆黑的夜晚，風雨大作。

海瑞和妻子已經(jīng)睡下。窗外風雨交加，海瑞睡得很香，可他妻子卻清醒得很，躺在床上難以入眠，聽著窗外狂風暴雨的聲音。

突然，她聽到一種異樣的聲音，像是有人在敲打窗戶。妻子害怕極了。叫醒了丈夫。

“海瑞，”她小聲說，“外面有人，聽！”

“別大驚小怪的，”海瑞說，“只是刮風樹枝敲打窗戶的聲音罷了?？焖?！”

他轉(zhuǎn)過身又睡著了。

敲打窗戶的聲音還在繼續(xù)，而且越來越大。過了不久，窗戶開始“咔噠咔噠”地響。

妻子又把海瑞叫醒。

海瑞，這肯定不是風的聲音。那邊一定是有人，一定有，趕快起來看看?！?/p>

海瑞從床上下來，走到窗戶邊，掀起一點兒窗簾，向外看，果然看到一個小偷站在窗外的梯子上。海瑞只是朝他笑了笑，又回到了床上。

“怎么樣？”妻子問，“外面有人嗎？”

“嗯，有個盜賊企圖從窗戶那邊進來?！焙Ｈ鸹卮鹫f。

“咱們得想點辦法，打電話報警吧?！逼拮哟蠼械?。

“現(xiàn)在不急，”海瑞說，“等他幫忙打開窗戶再報警也不遲。自去年粉刷完房子后，這扇窗戶怎么也打不開了！”