Patrick never did homework. \"Too boring，\" he said. He played baseball and basketball and Nintendo1） instead. His teachers told him， \"Patrick！ Do your homework or you won't learn a thing.\" And it's true. Sometimes he did feel like a ding-a-ling2）. But what could he do？ He hated homework.

Then on St. Patrick's Day3） his cat was playing with a little doll and he grabbed it away. To his surprise it wasn't a doll at all， but a man of the tiniest size. He had a little wool shirt with old fashioned britches4） and a high tall hat much like a witch's. He yelled， \"Save me！ Don't give me back to that cat. I'll grant you a wish； I promise you that.\"

Patrick couldn't believe how lucky he was！ Here was the answer to all of his problems. So he said， \"Only if you do all my homework till the end of the semester—that's 35 days. If you do a good enough job， I could even get A's.\"

The little man's face wrinkled like a dishcloth thrown in the hamper5）. He kicked his legs and doubled his fists and he scowled and pursed6） his lips， \"Oh， am I cursed！ But I'll do it.\"

And true to his word， that little elf began to do Patrick's homework. Except there was one glitch7）. The elf didn't always know what to do and he needed help. \"Help me！ Help me！\" he'd say. And Patrick would have to help—in whatever way.

\"I don't know this word，\" the elf squeaked8） while reading Patrick's homework. \"Get me a dictionary. No， what's even better， look up the word and sound it out by each letter.\"

When it came to math， Patrick was out of luck. \"What are times tables？\" the elf shrieked9）. \"We elves never need that. And addition and subtraction and division and fractions？ Here， sit down beside me. You simply must guide me.\"

Elves know nothing of human history； to them it's a mystery. So the little elf， already a shouter， just got louder， \"Go to the library； I need books. More and more books. And you can help me read them too.\"

As a matter of fact every day in every way that little elf was a nag10）！ Patrick was working harder than ever and it was a drag11）！ He was staying up nights， had never felt so weary， was going to school with his eyes puffed12） and bleary13）.

Finally the last day of school arrived and the elf was free to go. As for homework， there was no more， so he quietly and slyly slipped out of the back door.

Patrick got his A's； his classmates were amazed； his teachers smiled and were full of praise. And his parents？ They wondered what had happened to Patrick. He was now the model kid. He cleaned his room， did his chores， was cheerful， never rude， like he had developed a whole new attitude.

In the end Patrick still thought he'd made that tiny man do all his homework. But was it really the elf？

帕特里克從來不做作業(yè)?！疤珶o聊了?！彼f。取而代之，他打棒球、籃球，玩任天堂的游戲。他的老師們告訴他：“帕特里克，你要做作業(yè)！否則，你什么也學(xué)不到?！贝_實是這樣。有時他的確覺得自己像個傻子。但他能怎么辦？他討厭作業(yè)。

后來在圣帕特里克節(jié)那天，他家的貓在玩一個小玩偶，他一把把那個玩偶給搶了過來。令他驚奇的是，那根本不是玩偶，而是一個超級小的小人兒。他穿著一件小小的羊毛襯衫和一條老式的褲子，頭上戴著一頂很像巫師帽的高帽子。他大喊著：“救救我！別把我還給那只貓。我會滿足你一個心愿，我向你保證?！?/p>

帕特里克簡直不敢相信自己有多幸運！這就是他所有問題的解決辦法。于是他說：“除非你替我做所有的作業(yè)，一直做到這個學(xué)期結(jié)束，一共35天。如果你做得夠好，我還能得A呢?！?/p>

小人兒的臉皺得像扔在籃子里的抹布。他踢了踢腿，握緊了拳頭，愁眉苦臉地撅起嘴說：“哦，我真是倒了大霉了！不過我會做到的?！?/p>

小精靈說話算話，開始做起了帕特里克的作業(yè)。除了一個問題，那就是精靈經(jīng)常不知道做什么，他需要幫助?！皫蛶臀?！幫幫我！”他會說。帕特里克則不得不去幫他——要怎么幫就怎么幫。

“我不認(rèn)識這個單詞，”精靈在讀帕特里克的作業(yè)時尖叫道，“給我拿本字典來。不，更好的辦法是，你查一下這個詞，再一個字母一個字母地念出來?！?/p>

到做數(shù)學(xué)作業(yè)時，帕特里克就沒這么幸運了。“什么是乘法表？”精靈尖叫道，“我們精靈從來不需要那個東西。還有什么是加法、減法、除法、分?jǐn)?shù)？過來，坐我旁邊，你必須指導(dǎo)我。”

精靈對人類歷史也一無所知。對他們來說，那就是個謎。因此，已經(jīng)大呼小叫的小精靈只能更大聲地叫喚：“去圖書館，我需要書，更多更多的書。你也可以幫我把這些書都看了?！?/p>

事實上，每天不論什么事那個小精靈都嘮叨個不停！帕特里克比以前任何時候都更用功，這可真令人討厭！他晚上要熬夜，從未感到過如此疲倦，而且雖然雙眼紅腫惺忪，但還得照樣去上學(xué)。

終于，這學(xué)期的最后一天到了，精靈自由了。至于作業(yè)，也不再有了，于是他偷偷摸摸地從后門悄悄溜了出去。

帕特里克拿到了好幾個A，同學(xué)們都很詫異，老師們則滿臉微笑，對他贊不絕口。他的父母呢？他們很想知道帕特里克怎么變成了這個樣子。他現(xiàn)在是模范小孩：打掃房間，做家務(wù)，變得開朗，從不粗魯無禮，就好像他脫胎換骨，有了全新的態(tài)度似的。

到最后，帕特里克仍然認(rèn)為是他讓那個小精靈替他做了所有的作業(yè)?？勺鳂I(yè)真的是那個精靈做的嗎？

1. Nintendo： 任天堂，日本最著名的游戲開發(fā)公司

2. ding-a-ling： <美口>怪人；瘋子

3. St. Patrick's Day： 圣帕特里克節(jié)，在每年的3月17日舉行，是為了紀(jì)念愛爾蘭主保圣人圣帕特里克主教。圣帕特里克受教皇派遣前往愛爾蘭勸說愛爾蘭人皈依基督教，后于公元493年3月17日逝世。這一節(jié)日如今已成為愛爾蘭的國慶節(jié)。

4. britches [?br?t??z] n. [復(fù)] <口>褲子

5. hamper [?h?mp?（r）] n. （裝食品用的）有蓋大籃子

6. purse [p??s] vt. 噘（嘴）

7. glitch [ɡl?t?] n. 小難題

8. squeak [skwi?k] vt. 以短促尖聲發(fā)出；尖聲說出

9. shriek [?ri?k] vt. 尖聲喊出

10. nag [n?ɡ] n. 不斷指責(zé)（或抱怨、提要求）的人

11. drag [dr?ɡ] n. 很無聊的事；討厭的事

12. puffed [p?ft] adj. （因傷痛而）腫脹的

13. bleary [?bl??ri] adj. （眼睛因睡眠不足等而）紅腫多淚的；惺忪的