Ben Under the Apple Tree- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Ben balanced a paper kite on his arm while walking across the playground. He hoped to free its tail, which had caught under an apple tree near the fence. Dry air smelled of bark and distant chalk. A pale sun warmed the metal slide; soft wind pushed small clouds across the sky. Near the tree, a wide leaf pile reached his knees, and every step sent crunchy echoes upward. Mia, who had sketched during recess, approached from the opposite swing set, holding a thin stick. Their paths crossed at the narrow gap between a bench and the mound, and they bumped shoulders, sending the kite drifting onto the leaves.

Both children paused. A squirrel darted out, scattering leaves like bright confetti. The sudden motion revealed an intriguing red ball buried inside the mound. The ball’s vibrancy stood out against the brown fragments. Ben has tried twice to ignore distractions, yet the find pulled his gaze. He set the kite aside; Mia knelt and lifted the smooth sphere. A glossy stripe reflected sunlight; tiny ants have been carried away by the shifting carpet. Without speaking, Ben pressed one side of the leaf wall while Mia rolled the ball free. The kite string, now loose, slid from a low branch. The ball slipped from Mia’s hands, bounced once on a root, and settled beside the seesaw.

Ben 把紙風箏平衡在手臂上，走過遊樂場。他希望把風箏尾巴從靠近柵欄的蘋果樹下解開。乾燥的空氣帶著樹皮和遠處粉筆的氣味。蒼白的陽光溫暖了金屬溜滑梯，柔軟的風推動小雲飄過天空。靠近樹幹，一大堆落葉堆到他的膝蓋，每一步都發出喀嚓迴響。Mia 在下課時畫畫，她拿著細枝從另一邊的盪鞦韆區走來。他們的動線在長椅與葉堆之間的窄縫交會，肩膀碰在一起，風箏飄落在葉片上。

兩個孩子停住。一隻松鼠竄出，把葉子像亮色紙屑般拋向空中。突然的動作露出埋在堆裡的一顆引人入勝的紅球。球的鮮豔在棕色碎片中格外突出。Ben 已經兩次試著不被干擾，但這個發現仍吸引他的目光。他把風箏放到一旁；Mia 蹲下，舉起那顆光滑的球體。一條有光澤的條紋反射著日光；細小的螞蟻因翻動的葉毯被帶走。沒有對話，Ben 推住葉牆的一側，而 Mia 把球滾了出來。鬆開的風箏線滑離低枝。球從 Mia 手中掉落，在樹根上彈了一下，最後停在蹺蹺板旁。