The Wet Coin- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

Late morning sunlight warmed the quiet street below.

Ella left home with one shiny coin in hand. That small coin was her reward for finishing yesterday's puzzle. She planned to trade it for a pink balloon later. The walk to the corner shop felt usual and calm. Cars rolled past, and a sparrow hopped near her shoe. She smiled and kept moving toward the zebra crossing ahead.

At the painted lines, a bus braked, shaking the ground lightly. Ella stopped; the coin slipped and rolled away from her palm. It spun across the zebra crossing and dropped into a shallow drain. Water inside the drain covered the coin with cold mud. A tall tourist in a yellow jacket noticed the problem. He bent down, acting like a kind guide, yet spoke no words. Their quick negotiation process used nods, smiles, and pointing fingers. Ella tied the tourist's long shoelace around a narrow stick. She lowered the stick, touched the coin, and lifted carefully. Mud dripped, but the coin now rested on her open hand. Cars moved again, and water flowed back into the drain. Ella waved thanks, crossed the road, and reached the shop door. She pushed the shop door.

上午的陽光灑在安靜的街道上。

艾拉手裡拿著一枚亮晶晶的硬幣出門。那枚小硬幣是她昨天完成拼圖後得到的獎勵。她打算用它換一個粉紅色的氣球。前往街角商店的路感覺和平常一樣平穩。汽車行駛而過，一隻麻雀在她鞋旁跳動。她微笑著，繼續走向前方的人行斑馬線。

在斑馬線旁，一輛公車停下來，地面輕輕震動。艾拉停住腳步；硬幣滑落，滾出了她的手掌。它在斑馬線上轉動，最後掉進一個淺水溝。溝裡的水與泥巴覆蓋住硬幣。一位穿黃外套的高個子遊客注意到了狀況。他彎下腰，就像貼心的嚮導，但一句話也沒說。他們快速的協商過程只用了點頭、微笑和指指點點。艾拉把遊客的長鞋帶綁在一根細棍上。她把棍子伸入水溝，碰到硬幣，小心地提了上來。泥水滴落，硬幣終於躺在她攤開的手心。汽車再次行駛，水流回到溝裡。艾拉揮手致意，過馬路，走到商店門口。她推開了店門。