The Squirrel's Wild Toss- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

Early sun warmed the short grass near the orchard. A grey squirrel stopped and raised its nose toward a red apple. The fruit hung just above the lowest branch. The squirrel leaped onto the trunk and climbed in quick bursts. Claws scraped bark while its tail balanced the moving body.

Near the apple, a woodpecker struck the tree with one sharp chop. The branch shook, and the apple snapped free from the stem. It dropped straight into an empty basket resting on the grass. The basket was deep, and the rim rose above the squirrel’s head. Dry leaves inside muffled the sound of the falling fruit.

The squirrel circled the basket, nose twitching at the sweet smell. A thin fallen stick lay beside the handle. The squirrel gripped the stick and pushed it under the apple. With one steady press, the stick worked like a lever. The apple shot upward and made a wild toss over the rim. It bounced on a stone path and rolled beneath a low bush.

The squirrel darted after the rolling shape and squeezed into the shade. Teeth caught the apple, and paws dragged it into the open. Quiet leaves closed behind its tail.

早晨的陽光溫暖了果園旁的短草。灰松鼠停下腳步，抬起鼻子聞向一顆紅蘋果。那顆果子掛在最低的樹枝上方。松鼠跳上樹幹，迅速地往上爬。爪子抓住樹皮，尾巴保持著身體平衡。

就在蘋果旁邊，一隻啄木鳥猛力敲了樹幹一下。樹枝晃動，蘋果從果梗上脫落。它筆直掉進草地上的空籃子裡。籃子很深，邊緣高過松鼠的頭。籃子裡的乾葉子把果子落下的聲音壓低了。

松鼠繞著籃子跑，聞著甜甜的香氣。籃子旁躺著一根細長掉落的樹枝。松鼠咬住樹枝，將它伸進籃子底下頂住蘋果。穩穩一壓，樹枝像槓桿一樣發力。蘋果跳了起來，在籃緣上做出一個大翻滾。它彈到石頭小徑上，然後滾進矮灌木下。

松鼠追著滾動的身影鑽進陰影裡。牙齒咬住蘋果，爪子把它拖到空地上。安靜的葉子在它的尾巴後方合攏。