Hem said, "You know, if we just work harder we'll find that nothing has really changed that much. The Cheese is probably nearby. Maybe they just hid it behind the wall."
The next day, Hem and Haw returned with tools.
Hem held the chisel (凿子) while Haw banged (重击) on the hammer (铁锤) until they made a hole in the wall of Cheese Station C.{1}
They peered (窥视) inside but found no Cheese.
They were disappointed but believed they could solve the problem.
So they started earlier, stayed longer, and worked harder.
But after a while, all they had was a large hole in the wall.
Haw was beginning to realize the difference between activity (行动) and productivity (生产率).
"Maybe," Hem said, "we should just sit here and see what happens. Sooner or later they have to put the Cheese back."
Haw wanted to believe that.
So each day he went home to rest and returned reluctantly (无奈地) with Hem to Cheese Station C.
But the Cheese never reappeared (再出现).
By now the Littlepeople were growing weak from hunger and stress.
Haw was getting tired of just waiting for their situation to improve.
He began to see that the longer they stayed in their Cheeseless situation, the worse off they would be.
Haw knew they were losing their edge.
Finally, one day Haw began laughing at himself.
"Haw, haw, look at us. We keep doing the same things over and over again and wonder why things don't get better.
If this wasn't so ridiculous (荒谬的), it would be even funnier."
Haw did not like the idea of having to run through the maze again, because he knew he would get lost and have no idea where he would find any Cheese.
But he had to laugh at his folly (愚蠢) when he saw what his fear was doing to him.
He asked Hem, "Where did we put our running shoes?"
It took a long time to find them because they had put everything away when they found their Cheese at Cheese Station C, thinking they wouldn't be needing them anymore.{2}
As Hem saw his friend getting into his running gear, he said, "You're not really going out into the maze again, are you?
Why don't you just wait here with me until they put the Cheese back?"
"Because, you just don't get it," Haw said.
"I didn't want to see it either, but now I realize they're never going to put yesterday's Cheese back. It's time to find New Cheese."
Hem argued, "But what if there is no Cheese out there? Or even if there is, what if you don't find it?"{3}
"I don't know," Haw said. He had asked himself those same questions too many times and felt the fears again that kept him where he was.
He asked himself, "Where am I more likely to find Cheese-here or in the Maze?"
He painted a picture in his mind. He saw himself venturing (冒险) out into the Maze with a smile on his face.
While this picture surprised him, it made him feel good.
He saw himself getting lost now and then in the Maze, but felt confident he would eventually find New Cheese out there and all the good things that came with it.
He gathered his courage.
Then he used his imagination to paint the most believable (可信的) picture he could - with the most realistic (现实的) details - of him finding and enjoying the taste of New Cheese.
He saw himself eating Swiss (瑞士的) cheese with holes in it, bright orange Cheddar (切达干酪) and American cheeses, Italian Mozzarella (意大利干酪) and wonderfully soft French Camembert Cheese (卡蒙伯尔干酪), and....{4}
Then he heard Hem say something and realized they were still at Cheese Station C.
Haw said, "Sometimes, Hem, things change and they are never the same again. This looks like one of those times. That's life! Life moves on. And so should we."{5}
Haw looked at his emaciated (憔悴的) companion and tried to talk sense to him, but Hem's fear had turned into anger and he wouldn't listen.
Haw didn't mean to be rude to his friend, but he had to laugh at how silly they both looked.
As Haw prepared to leave, he started to feel more alive, knowing that he was finally able to laugh at himself, let go and move on.
Haw laughed and announced, "It's…maze…time!"
Hem didn't laugh and he didn't respond.
Haw picked up a small, sharp rock and wrote a serious thought on the wall for Hem to think about.
As was his custom, Haw even drew a picture of cheese around it, hoping it would help Hem to smile, lighten up, and go after the New Cheese.
But Hem didn't want to see it. It read:
If You Do Not Change, You Can Become Extinct (灭绝的).
Then, Haw stuck his head out and peered anxiously into the maze.
He thought about how he'd gotten himself into this cheeseless situation.
He had believed that there may not be any Cheese in the maze, or he may not find it.
Such fearful beliefs were immobilizing (使固定) and killing him. Haw smiled.
He knew Hem was wondering, "Who moved my Cheese?" but Haw was wondering, "Why didn't I get up and move with the Cheese sooner?"
As he started out into the maze, Haw looked back to where he had come from and felt its comfort.
He could feel himself being drawn back into familiar territory (领域) - even though he hadn't found Cheese there for some time.
Haw became more anxious and wondered if he really wanted to go out into the maze.
He wrote a saying on the wall ahead of him and stared at it for some time:
What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid?
He thought about it.
He looked to his right, to the part of the maze where he had never been, and felt the fear.
Then, he took a deep breath, turned right into the maze, and jogged slowly, into the unknown (未知的事物).