A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know if she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one 1.
Her father, a cook, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots 2 water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the 3 he placed eggs, and in the last he placed coffee beans. He let them boil, without 4 a word.
The daughter waited impatiently, wondering 5 he was doing. In about twenty minutes, he 6 the burners and put the carrots, the eggs and the coffee into different bowls. He asked, “Darling, what do you see?" “Carrots, eggs, and coffee." she 7.
He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She noticed that they were 8. He then asked her to take an egg and break 9. After pulling off the shell, she observed (观察) the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. She enjoyed it and smiled.
“What does it mean, Father?" she asked.
He explained that 10 of them had faced the same situation, boiling water, 11 each reacted (反应) differently. The strong and hard carrots became soft and weak 12 being boiled. The fragile (脆弱的) eggs became hard after cooking. Coffee beans were the most 13 of the three. They turned the 14 into tasty coffee. “Which are you?" he asked his daughter.
When 15 knock on your door, how do you answer? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?
