I couldn’t think of a thing to say. I grabbed up the bar of chocolate and hid it next to my chest before I turned around. Father picked me up by the shoulder straps of my overalls and took me over to the woodpile. I didn’t know anybody could spank as hard as he did！
Then he stood me on my feet and asked if I thought I had deserved it. He said it wasn’t so much that I’d taken the chocolate， but that I’d tried to hide it from him.
“Son，” he said， “I know you help to earn the family money. We might say the chocolate was yours in the first place. You could have had it if you’d asked for it， but I won’t have you being sneaky about things. Now， do you want to keep your money separated from mine—or are we partners？”
I never knew till then how much I wanted my money to go in with Father’s. When I went to sleep my hand was still hurting—from where he squeezed it when we shook hands.
我喜欢吃各种各样的巧克力，不过，最喜欢的还是无糖巧克力。妈妈买了一块这样的巧克力，而我怎么也控制不住不去想它。
在扬谷场帮爸爸扬场时，我突然想到一个好主意。我可以从那块巧克力上切下一点儿来吃。这样，妈妈一定会发现少了，但是我会在她想到是有人偷吃了巧克力之前，向她坦白事情的真相。或许，我还有可能不会挨揍呢。
一直等到妈妈外出去喂鸡之后，我才跟父亲说想回家喝点水。但是，当我刚拿到巧克力准备用刀切的时候，便听到妈妈回来了。于是，我将巧克力藏进衬衣的前襟里，急忙离开。在回去帮爸爸干活之前，我先去了谷仓，并把巧克力藏在那里。
从那以后的整个下午，我都不敢去看爸爸一眼。每一次他跟我说话，都让我心惊肉跳。我的双手开始剧烈地颤抖，于是他问我怎么了。我跟他说，只是因为双手觉得冷而已。我知道，爸爸不会相信这个理由，每次他朝我看时，我的心跳就会加速。我不再想要那块巧克力了，只希望能有个机会，神不知鬼不觉地把它放回去。