Balloons Over the Pond- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Warm sunlight slid across the park path, and the smell of fresh soil drifted from a flowerbed nearby. Leo walked carefully, holding a small square gift wrapped in bright paper. At the next maple tree he spotted a bunch of balloons that had drifted down after yesterday’s fair. Their string was caught between two thin branches only a little above his head. Workers have sowed a lot of grass seeds under the tree, so loose grains rolled beneath Leo’s shoes when he stepped closer.

He reached up, but the lowest balloon still bobbed away. The new seeds slid like tiny marbles, and his foot slipped against the young grass. While he regained balance, a sudden gust pulled the balloons higher, as if the sky wanted them back. Leo placed the gift on a bench, wiped dust from his hands, and scanned the ground. A bamboo stake, which the gardeners had left beside a watering can, rested against the trunk. He hoped the pole would be long enough.

Another gust snapped the knot on one branch; the balloons drifted sideways, swinging low above the pond. Leo grabbed the stake, stepped onto a flat stone, and stretched his arms. The stick bumped the trailing string, and the balloons slid toward him. He hooked the loop, pulled gently, and wrapped it around the pole. Soon the colorful cluster rested in his hand, still shivering in the breeze. Leo tied the string around the bright paper, lifted the gift again, and walked on while the balloons dipped and rose above the path.

溫暖的陽光掠過公園小徑，新翻的泥土味從花壇飄來。里奧小心地走著，手裡捧著一個用亮紙包好的方形禮物。在下一棵楓樹旁，他看見一串氣球，昨天園遊會後飄落在這裡。氣球的繩子卡在兩根細枝之間，離他頭頂只有一點點距離。園丁今天早上已經在樹下撒了很多草籽，鬆散的種子讓里奧踩近時鞋底微微打滑。

他伸手去抓，但最低的氣球仍然晃開。新撒的種子像小玻璃珠一樣滑動，他的腳在嫩草上打了個趔趄。正當他重新穩住身子時，一陣突風把氣球拉得更高，好像天空想把它們收回。里奧把禮物放在長椅上，拍掉手上的灰土，開始環顧地面。樹幹旁靠著一根竹竿，那是園丁留在澆水罐旁的。他希望這根竿子夠長。

又一陣風掙斷了一根枝上的結，氣球斜著飄向池塘上方，懸得很低。里奧抓起竹竿，踏上平石，盡量伸長手臂。竹竿碰到垂下的線圈，氣球向他滑近。他勾住繩圈，輕輕拉回，並把線纏在竿上。不久，色彩繽紛的氣球團就躺在他手中，仍在微風裡顫動。里奧把繩子綁在亮紙禮盒上，再次提起禮物，走向前去，氣球一上一下在小徑上方飄盪。