Papa saw purple pants at the market. He told the shopkeeper， \"We're having a picnic tomorrow. I must have those pants.\"

When Papa tried them on， the shopkeeper said， \"A perfect fit. A little long， but don't worry. They need to be shortened only the length of a thumb.\"

Papa paid for them and went home. He asked his wife， \"Can you hem1) my new pants before the picnic tomorrow? They need to be shortened only the length of a thumb. I'd do it myself， but I make such a mess2) when I sew3).\"

Mama said， \"Can't you see how busy I am? If we're going to have a picnic， first I must bake the cakes. Then I must cut tomatoes and cucumbers for the salad.\"

\"I can see how busy you are.\" Papa sighed. \"I'll ask Nina.\"

He found his oldest daughter going out the door with her satchel4). \"Nina， can you shorten my pants for tomorrow? They need to be cut only the length of a thumb.\"

\"Oh， Papa，\" Nina said， \"look at this list Mama gave me. First I must go to the baker's and order fresh pita5) for tomorrow. Then I must buy drinks at the grocery store. Ask one of the twins.\"

The twins were in their bedroom. Margot was braiding6) Becky's hair.

\"Can one of you fix my pants for the picnic?\" asked Papa. \"They need to be shortened only the length of a thumb.\"

\"We want to look pretty for the picnic，\" Becky said. \"When Margot finishes my hair， I'm going to braid hers.\"

Max tugged7) at his father's sleeve. \"Let me shorten them. I know what to do.\"

\"Nonsense，\" said Papa， laughing. \"You're too little.\"

Papa was disappointed he wouldn't be able to wear his new pants to the picnic. He went outside to water the garden.

Max lifted the pants off the hook. I'll show Papa that I'm not too young. After measuring the length of his thumb， Max cut a purple strip from each leg. Snip， snip. Then he folded the cut edges inside and stitched8) them with thread from Mama's sewing box. When Max hung the pants back on the hook in Papa's bedroom， he thought they looked as good as new.

\"Papa is going to think we're selfish，\" Margot said to her sister. \"Why don't we take a rest from this braiding? You hem one leg， and I'll hem the other.\"

Becky agreed.

Each girl measured the length of her thumb. Snip， snip. Off came a purple strip from the left leg. Snip， snip. Off came a strip from the right. They folded the rough edges under and， with purple thread from the sewing box， hemmed the pants.

\"Don't say a word!\" said Becky. \"It will be a surprise.\"

When Nina came home from shopping， the pants were back on their hook. I hope Papa didn't think I was rude， rushing off like that. I can fix them now. Nina measured the length of her thumb. Snip， snip. When she finished hemming the pants， she returned them to Papa's room.

After everyone had gone to sleep， Mama put the last of the food in the refrigerator. She sat down to rest. Poor Papa， she thought. I'll fix those pants so he can wear them tomorrow. She snipped and stitched until the job was done.

When Papa woke up in the morning， he saw his new pants and sighed. Maybe no one will notice they're a bit too long， he thought. He pulled the pants on. What's going on here? He wondered. The family found him standing in front of the mirror.

\"Papa， what happened to your pants?\" everyone asked.

\"I just took off a bit，\" Max said.

\"You? Papa asked us to shorten them，\" the twins said.

\"You also shortened them?\" said Nina. \"So did I.\"

\"And so did I!\" Mama said， suppressing9) a laugh.

\"Oh， Papa， what will you do?\" Nina cried. \"We can't make them longer.\"

Papa laughed so hard that tears rolled down his cheeks. When at last he could speak， he said， \"Nobody wanted to disappoint me. What a great family I have!\"

\"Wait，\" said Margot. \"I have an idea. If everyone helps， we can have those pants ready in time.\"

Max ran for the sewing basket. The twins measured and cut. Mama hemmed the left leg， Nina the right. When they were finished sewing， Mama said， \"Go try on your new shorts.\"

Papa went into the bedroom to put them on， then came back out.

Max said， \"Shorts are great to wear to a picnic.\"

\"Perfect，\" Papa agreed.

爸爸在商場看中了一條紫色的褲子，便對老板說：“我們明天要去野餐，我一定要買下這條褲子。”

他把褲子穿在身上試了一下，老板評價道：“真合身。稍微有點兒長，不過別擔心，只要裁掉拇指那么長就行了?！?/p>

爸爸付錢買下褲子，回家去了。他問媽媽：“你可不可以趕在明天野餐之前幫我把新褲子扦一下褲邊呢？只需要剪掉拇指那么長就行了。我本來想自己動手的，不過我每次做針線活兒都會弄得一團糟?！?/p>

媽媽回答道：“你沒看見我有多忙嗎？咱們要去野餐的話，我得先把蛋糕烤好，還得把番茄和黃瓜切好，這樣才能做蔬菜沙拉。”

“我知道你有多忙了，”爸爸嘆了口氣，“那我去問問尼娜吧?！?/p>

他看見大女兒正背著書包向門外走去。“尼娜，你可以幫爸爸把褲子改短一點嗎？我明天穿。只需要剪掉拇指那么長就行了?！?/p>

“噢，爸爸，”尼娜說，“看看媽媽給我的購物清單。我得先去面包店為明天的野餐預(yù)訂一些新鮮的口袋面包，接著還要去雜貨店買飲料。你讓雙胞胎中的哪個幫你弄一下吧?！?/p>

雙胞胎在她們的臥室里，瑪戈正在給貝姬編辮子。

“你們誰能幫爸爸扦一下褲邊呢？我明天野餐時要穿，”爸爸問道，“只需要剪掉拇指那么長就行了?！?/p>

“我們正在為明天的野餐梳妝打扮呢，”貝姬說，“瑪戈幫我編好辮子以后，我還要幫她編呢?！?/p>

馬克斯拽了拽爸爸的袖子?！白屛壹舭?，我知道該怎么弄?！?/p>

“胡說，”爸爸大笑著說，“你還太小吶。”

爸爸不能穿著新褲子去野餐了，他感到很失望，就到外面給花圃澆水去了。

馬克斯把爸爸的褲子從掛衣鉤上取了下來。我要向爸爸證明自己并不小。他先用自己的拇指量了一下，然后從每條褲腿上剪下一塊紫色布料。咔嚓，咔嚓。接著他把剪好的褲邊折進去，從媽媽的針線盒里拿出針線把它們縫好。當馬克斯把褲子掛回爸爸臥室里的掛衣鉤上時，他覺得這條褲子看起來就像新買的一樣好。

“爸爸肯定會覺得咱們很自私，”瑪戈對妹妹說，“要不咱倆先別編辮子了，一人負責縫一條褲腿怎么樣？”

貝姬表示贊同。

她倆每人都用自己的拇指量好長度。咔嚓，咔嚓。一塊紫色布料從左邊褲腿上掉了下來。咔嚓，咔嚓。又一塊紫色布料從右邊褲腿上掉了下來。她們把參差不齊的褲邊折進去，從針線盒中取出紫色的線把褲邊縫好。

“一個字都不許說哦！”貝姬說，“這是咱倆給爸爸的一個驚喜?！?/p>

當尼娜采購好東西回到家時，褲子又重新被掛回了衣鉤上。尼娜想，剛剛急匆匆地就跑了，希望爸爸不會覺得我很沒禮貌，現(xiàn)在我有時間縫褲邊了。尼娜用自己的拇指比劃了一下。咔嚓，咔嚓。她把褲邊縫好以后，又把褲子放回了爸爸的房間。

大家都睡了，媽媽把最后一部分準備好的野餐放進冰箱，這才坐下來休息?？蓱z的爸爸，她心想，我?guī)退蜒澴痈母陌?，這樣他明天就能穿了。媽媽剪剪縫縫，直到把褲子改好。

爸爸早上醒來看到自己的新褲子，嘆了口氣。他想，也許沒人會注意到這褲子有點兒長吧。于是他穿上了新褲子?？涩F(xiàn)在這是怎么回事呢？爸爸很納悶。全家人都看見爸爸站在鏡子前面。

“爸爸，你的褲子是怎么回事兒呀？”大家都問他。

“我只剪短了一點點?！瘪R克斯說。

“你？爸爸叫我倆改來著?！彪p胞胎說。

“你們也把這條褲子改短了？”尼娜問，“我也改了呀?！?/p>

“還有我！”媽媽補充道，忍著沒笑出聲來。

“噢，爸爸，那你要怎么辦呢？”尼娜大聲喊道，“我們也沒法把褲子改長了呀?！?/p>

爸爸笑得眼淚都從臉頰上流下來了。等他終于止住笑可以說話時，他說：“你們每個人都不想讓我失望，我擁有一個多么棒的家庭呀！”

“等等，”瑪戈說，“我有一個主意。如果大家都來幫忙的話，我們還來得及把褲子改好?！?/p>

馬克斯跑去拿針線筐，雙胞胎量尺寸做裁剪，媽媽給左邊的褲腿縫邊，尼娜負責右邊。兩人把褲子縫好后，媽媽對爸爸說：“快去試試你的新短褲?！?/p>

爸爸走進臥室把短褲換上，然后走了出來。

馬克斯說：“穿短褲去野餐才合適呢?！?/p>

“簡直是太完美了！”爸爸表示贊同。

1.hem [hem] vt. 縫……的褶邊

2.mess [mes] n. 混亂的局面，一團糟

3.sew [s#601;#650;] vi. 縫，干針線活

4.satchel [#712;saelig;t#643;#601;l] n. (皮革或帆布制的)書包；小背包

5.pita [#712;p#618;t#601;] n. (中間可填餡的)空心圓面包

6.braid [bre#618;d] vt. 把(頭發(fā))編成辮子

7.tug [t#652;ɡ] vi. 用力拖(或拉)

8.stitch [st#618;t#643;] vt. 縫，縫補

9.suppress [s#601;#712;pres] vt. 抑制，忍住