A boy had his hair cut for the first time at Mr. Freshman's shop. His mother took him there. Mr. Freshman had cut his father's hair since he was a child. His father's hair was red like the boy when he was young, Mr. Freshman told him.
When his hair was done, he and his mother went to buy a cap for him. The cap was what he had been wanted. It was too large for him, but she bought it. It may last him a long time. If so, it would help them economically.
His father ate his dinner giving some of his meal to his son. He promised that he and his son would go for a walk on Sunday.
On Sunday, they went to walk. They walked along the disused canal. The father thought about things before he was born. They went to Fletcher's Woods, where the boy never had been to. They ate blackberries. They are juicy and sweet. They picked blackberries for the mother. Since they didn't have anything to carry them in, they used the boy's cap to put them in.
When they came home, the mother was mad, because the boy's cap was ruined by blackberries. She said "if you had anything like a job". They couldn't afford to buy another cap.
The boy watched his parents quarreled, then he cried quietly for his pain that he never had experienced before.

最後の
he must learn sometimes to be alone.
というのは、一人になるということを学ばなければいけない、　という意味なのでしょうか？
ちょっとわかりませんでした。
子供がかわいそうですよね。この話。

The boy and his mother got to Mr. Frensham's barber shop. It was first time for him so he was a little nervous.
But once he sat down in the chair, he started playing with the sheet covered on him. As Mr. Freshman cut the boy's hair lightly, the boy could hear snipping and watch his hair dropping on the floor.
After finishing, the boy's mother told Mr. Frensham they were going shopping. They went to buy a cap to clothier.
The boy liked to lean against his father's knee while his father ate dinner. He fed some food to his son carefully as if he were feeding a small bird. The boy felt so cozy as he felt sleepy.
Afterwards he put his cap and showed it to his father. They promised to go for a walk on Sunday.
The weather was very good on that day. They walked beside the canal which had no water anymore. The boy played with his father's walking stick and imagined this canal used to be full of water and have a lot of fish.
They finally reached Fletcher's wood. There should be blackberries. The blackberries' skin was plump, shining and they were so tasty. They enjoyed eating very much. The boy's father suggested he bring back them to mother. Although the boy had nothing to keep those blackberries, he put them in his new cap.
When they got home, his mother was so angry and looked her husband with disrespect. Because the cap got stains dark by the sticky juice of blackberries, they could not afford another one. No matter how much he tried to smoothen the problem, she never compromised.
The boy began to understand and cry quietly. He had never experienced this feeling before.

最初、主人公は散髪屋の男かと思ったのに、男のが主人公だったようだ。幼い男の子が髪を初めて切ってもらい、ほしかった帽子を買ってもらう。そして、父と山へのおでかけ。ウキウキするような気分が一転、両親のいさかいを目の当たりにしてしまう。
幼いながらも、微妙な人の感情を読み取り、黙っている男の子。
そして、男の子は成長していくのでしょうね。
現実って、厳しいなって思いました。
子どもに親のケンカ、見せちゃだめですね。私はしょっちゅうで…　＼(__ )