Driftwood at the Lake Pier- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

The spring festival filled the park beside Silver Lake with music and colored paper. Banners danced over food stalls while visitors hurried between games. Leo arrived early and has already spotted a tiny island. It sits like a green dot near the center of the water. He hoped to watch the evening lantern release from there, away from the busy shore. A pile of driftwood lay beside the boat shed. The pale sticks had been washed smooth by winter storms. He gathered arm-loads, planning a quick raft before the sun dipped lower.

He dragged the wood to the narrow pier, yet space had vanished. Families lined both sides, and every bench had been taken by people holding snacks. The festival boat, which usually waited there, drifted away for a show rehearsal. While he looked for room, a gust rippled the lake and knocked two sticks from his arms. One floated under the pier and spun out of reach. Leo knelt and linked the remaining sticks with rope he had carried since morning. He pressed his weight on them. They bobbed apart; the knotting idea was failing.

Wind changed again, and festival music rose. Leo decided to take a break near the reeds, allowing his thoughts to settle. While he sat, the rehearsal boat returned and nudged against the pier. A weak wake rocked the loose wood. The movement swung the sticks together in a new angle, and one gap closed neatly. Leo blinked, pushed three more pieces into the same pattern, and the raft stiffened at once. A friend who carried lantern bags offered a surprised cheer. Leo had already stepped onto the floating platform. The small craft glided toward the island, and lantern lights began to bloom behind him.

春季慶典的音樂和彩紙充滿了銀湖旁的公園。布條在攤位上方舞動，遊客穿梭於遊戲之間。里奧很早就到了，他已經看到湖中央那座像綠色小點的微型島嶼。他希望晚上放天燈時能在那裡遠離喧鬧的岸邊觀看。一堆漂流木躺在船棚旁，那些淺色木條在冬季風暴中被沖刷得光滑。他抱起一捆又一捆，打算在太陽再往下沉前迅速做出一艘小木筏。

他把木料拖到窄碼頭，但空間已經消失。兩側排滿了家庭，所有長椅都被拿著點心的人佔據。平常停靠的節慶小船此刻為了彩排而離開。當他尋找空位時，一陣風掀起湖面，打掉他臂中的兩根木條。木條漂到碼頭下，轉著圈飄遠。里奧跪下，用從早上就帶著的繩子把剩下的木條綁在一起，然後整個人壓在上面。它們卻分開浮動，繩結的主意正在失敗。

風再次轉向，節慶的音樂升高。里奧到蘆葦邊「休息一下」，讓思緒平靜。他坐著時，彩排完的小船返回，碰到碼頭，留下微弱的尾流搖晃著散落的木料。這股動作把木條以新角度推在一起，一處縫隙順利閉合。里奧眨眨眼，再推三根進同樣位置，木筏立刻變得結實。提著燈籠袋的朋友驚喜地歡呼，然而里奧已經踏上漂浮的平台。小筏滑向島嶼，身後的燈光開始在水面綻放。