The Lighthouse Keeper

▶ For forty years, Mr. Deng worked at the lighthouse on the north coast of Taiwan. ▶ Every evening, rain or shine, he climbed one hundred steps to light the great lamp. ▶ Ships far out at sea looked for that light on dark and stormy nights. ▶ He lived alone in the small house beside the tower, with only a radio, his books, and a black cat for company. ▶ People sometimes ask him if he felt lonely during all those long years. ▶ He always answers with a smile: "A lighthouse keeper is never alone, because every ship that passes safely is a friend he has helped."