书名：The Wish Giver五毛钱的愿望
难度：Lexile蓝思阅读指数720L
作者：Bill Brittain
出版社名称：HarperCollins
出版时间：1986
语种：英文
ISBN：9780064401685
商品尺寸：13 x 1 x 19.4 cm
包装：平装
页数：192
★纽伯瑞儿童文学奖银奖
★美国图书馆协会优秀童书
★波士顿全球号角书推荐读物
★《学校图书馆杂志》年度童书

媒体评论：
“一本独具特色的魔法故事书，精彩绝伦地阐述了愿望与现实的关系。布里坦独特的叙事方式于幽默中带有一丝恐怖色彩，使恐惧与欢笑完美地结合起来。”——《出版者周刊》

“天下路上的每一个骗子，都是让你同时也能得到来自哲人书籍上的提醒的，只不过一个是在诗意状态，一个非得痛心疾首之后。”——著名儿童文学作家梅子涵

A Newbery Honor Book that the New York Times called “an eerie delight,” The Wish Giveris an engaging literary folk story about those who get what they wish for—whether they want it or not.
The people of Coven Tree are no strangers to magic. In fact, the town’s very name comes from a gnarled old tree where covens of witches used to gather. Even now, imps and fiends continue to appear, frightening the townsfolk with their devilish pranks.
Usually these creatures are easy to spot. They have a particular smell, or sound, or way of moving, that betrays their dark nature.
But Thaddeus Blinn showed none of these signs when he came to Coven Tree. He was just a funny little man who drifted into town with a strange tale about being able to give people whatever they wished—for only fifty cents.
There was nothing scary about him. At least, not until the wishing began...

Review
“The fast-paced events conclude suspense fully in a rope-pulling contest that has Dan struggling for his very soul. Britain seasons his tale with generous amounts of tension, merriment, and magic.”  —ALA Booklist

“The plot unfolds in short, suspenseful chapters... the brisk pace of the action makes this a pleasing addition to American folklore, and the nine excellent illustrations are shadowy, misty, spooky, yet full of humor.”  —School Library Journal

“A highly original fantasy The wonder and humor of the story are finely evoked by animated charcoal drawings conveying atmosphere and a sense of mystery.”  —TheHorn Book

“A literary folk story at its best. Folksy, fascinating, and fun.”  —TheKirkus Reviews

“This delightfully spooky tale should send shivers up and down the love-to-be-scared circuit. And with good reason. An eerie delight.”  —The New York Times
你想要的一切都会实现，只要五毛钱！你没看错，这就是泰德司·布林在巫师树村的集市上贩卖的商品——愿望。只要花五毛钱，你就能从他那儿买一张带红点的卡片，使你的一个愿望得以实现。波莉、罗威娜、亚当和杂货店老板司徒·米特走进了布林的帐篷，每人买了一张卡片。在接下来的几天，有三个人许下了自己的愿望。结果，他们的愿望都以出人意料的方式实现了……世界上到底有没有免费的午餐？五毛钱买来的愿望究竟会带来什么……
比尔·布里坦，1930年出生于美国纽约，童年时代一直沉湎于读书并从中找寻自己的梦想与快乐，成年后曾做过教师，教授英语和阅读辅导。他的很多故事素材都来自他的学生。他曾在杂志上发表过很多故事，出版的儿童小说也充满了想象力，很受孩子们欢迎，《五毛钱的愿望》还为他夺得了纽伯瑞儿童文学奖银奖。
Bill Brittain’s tales of the rural New England village of Coven Tree are well loved by children of all ages. The Wish Giver was a Newbery Honor Book; it and Devil’s Donkey were both named ALA Notable Children’s Books as well as School Library Journal Best Books. Dr. Dredd’s Wagon of Wonders was a 1988 Children’s Editors’ Choice (ALA Booklist), and Professor Popkin’s Prodigious Polish was named a “Pick of the Lists” by American Bookseller. He lives with his wife, Ginny, in Asheville, North Carolina.
Prologue: The Strange Little Man序言：奇怪的小矮人
Jug-a-Rum咕-呱呱-咕咕-呱呱
The Tree Man树人
Water, Water, Everywhere水，水，到处都是水
Epilogue: At Stew Meat’s Store在司徒•米特的商店里
Here in Coven Tree we’re no strangers to magic. I’m not talking about the rabbit-from-a-hat or coin-up-the- sleeve variety, either. I mean real magic. Witches have abounded in this part of New England since colonial days, when Cotton Mather held his witch trials in Salem to be rid of them. The very name of our village comes from the huge, twisted tree down at the crossroads where groups of witches—covens, they’re called—used to meet. Imps and fiends and all the rest of Satan’s spawn have appeared here from time to time, taking their pleasure from plaguing and frightening us poor mortals. Some folks even tell of seeing the Devil himself, walking about and looking for souls to claim when the mists hang low on the mountains.
Usually, though, these creatures of darkness can be recognized at once. Their appearance. The sounds that issue from them. Their manner of movement. The dismal swamps where they abide. All these bespeak their evil nature.
That’s what was so odd about Thaddeus Blinn. There wasn’t anything spooky or scary about him—at least nothing you could put your finger on. He seemed like Just a funny little man who came to Coven Tree from out of nowhere with a strange tale about being able to give people exactly what they asked for. It wasn’t until after the wishing started that.
But I’d best tell the story from front to back, the way it ought to be told. Polly and Rowena and Adam were each a part of what went on, to be sure. But it’s myself who knows the whole thing.
Stew Meat’s my name. I was christened Stewart Meade, but the nickname was hung on me as a boy, and it stuck. I own the Coven Tree General Store. The people for miles around shop here, and sooner or later everything they have to tell reaches my ears. So who better to relate the entire tale of Thaddeus Blinn and the awful trouble he brought to our peaceful little village?
The Coven Tree Church Social is always held the third Saturday in June on the church’s big side lawn. It’s like a party with everybody in town invited. Close to the church itself are booths run by the local people: Martha Peabody sells boxes of molasses cookies… LuElla Quinn raffles off the quilt she spent the whole winter stitching together... the Reverend Terwilliger sets up a scale and tries to guess people’s weight. That kind of thing.
But away off at the far end of the lawn, down by the clump of birch trees, is a space where “outsiders” can set up booths—if they pay the church ten dollars for the privilege. Sometimes there’s a woman selling hats with your name sewn onto the brim, or a couple who run a penny toss with balloons for prizes. And once there was a man who heated bits of glass and shaped them into animals you could buy for a dollar or two.