The Muddy Ball Surprise- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

Warm afternoon light filled the small back yard.

Leo bounced a basketball near the tall fence. He wanted to score ten shots before going inside. He aimed, jumped, and sent the ball toward the hoop. The ball hit the rim and rolled across the grass. It slipped under a low bush beside stacked flower pots. The moving ball tapped a pot, tilting it toward the rest.

One pot slid down, hit another, and water splashed the ground. Mud spread quickly, and Leo nearly lost balance. He stepped back slowly, watching the pots settle. Mud covered the ball, so Leo wiped it on his shirt. From the bush, an adorable kitten jumped toward the shiny ball. The kitten batted the ball, and it rolled toward Leo again. Leo crouched, lifted the kitten, and the tiny nose twitched naturally. He placed the kitten on a dry step near the door. Then Leo dribbled once more and scored a clear, neat shot. The ball bounced inside the hoop and settled in the net.

溫暖的午後陽光灑滿小後院。

里歐在高籬笆旁拍著籃球，他想在進屋前投進十球。他瞄準、起跳，把球投向籃框。球碰到框邊後滾過草地，溜進矮灌木旁堆好的花盆下。移動的球頂到一個花盆，又把它推向其他花盆。

一個花盆滑下撞到另一個，水潑到地面，泥巴迅速擴散，里歐差點站不穩。他慢慢後退，看著花盆安定。球沾滿泥巴，他只好用襯衫擦乾淨。這時，一隻可愛的小貓從灌木跳出，撲向亮亮的球。小貓拍打著球，球又滾回里歐。里歐蹲下抱起小貓，小貓小小的鼻子自然抽動。他把小貓放在門邊乾燥的台階上，然後再次運球，乾脆俐落地投進一球。球彈進籃框，最後靜靜掛在網裡。