The Freed Leaf- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

Morning light fell across the calm lake.

A small brown duck swam near tall reeds. Thin twigs already lined her hidden nest. She wanted one more delicate yellow leaf for padding. The leaf floated just beyond her longest reach. It drifted beside a light wooden stick.

The duck stretched her neck and pushed against the water. Waves rolled under the stick and nudged it forward. The stick bumped a beetle resting on the leaf. The startled beetle slid, then splashed into the lake. Ripples spread wider and loosened the trapped leaf stem. Another duck, a friend from the reed bed, drifted closer. The freed leaf brushed against his side and stopped. He flicked it toward her with a quick wing beat. She gripped the leaf and paddled back to shore. Water settled, and sunlight glimmered on the floating stick.

晨光灑在平靜的湖面上。

一隻棕色小鴨在高高的蘆葦旁游動。細枝已鋪在牠藏好的巢裡。牠還想要一片更細緻的黃色葉子作為墊層。那片葉子漂在牠最遠可及的地方，貼著一根輕木枝。

小鴨伸長脖子，用力推開水面。波浪托起木枝，把它向前推。木枝撞到停在葉子上的甲蟲。受驚的甲蟲滑落，噗通落水。漣漪擴散，鬆開被卡住的葉柄。另一隻鴨子──蘆葦窩裡的朋友──游了過來。脫困的葉子擦過他的身側後停住。他快速扇翅，把葉子推向她。她叼住葉子，撥水回到岸邊。水面平靜下來，陽光在漂浮的木枝上閃閃發亮。