Henry is going through a very hard time. His wife has just passed away. He feels that life without her is hopeless. For months, Henry sits in his house, doing nothing. His family try to encourage (鼓励) him to do new things and enjoy life, but they're not successful.
Henry's neighbor, an old woman named Lisa, sees him from her yard one day. She has not seen him outside in days! She asks him to come closer to the fence (篱笆) next to her house.
"Hello, Henry! Just look at this fence. It is falling apart. You are a strong man. Can you help
me fix this fence?" Lisa asks.
Henry is angry inside. He is the one who needs help right now. He thinks the old lady is being kind of rude (无礼的). But she is too old to fix the fence herself, so he agrees.
Henry works on the fence for days. Lisa brings him orange juice while he works. When he finishes, she thanks him. Henry smiles for the first time in months.
"What a wonderful job! Could you please paint it for me?" Lisa says to him.
Henry cannot believe she is asking for more help. Doesn't she know how sad he is? But because he respects her, he agrees. He works hard and paints the fence in the hot sun, but Lisa's orange juice and encouragement are helpful. As their neighbors pass by, they all tell Henry what a beautiful job he has done. Henry feels very happy.
Henry no longer feels that life is hopeless. He finally realizes that Lisa wasn't being rude. She knows that staying busy can help us forget our sadness. He helped her, but she truly saved him.
