Who Stopped the Rolling Drum?- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

Light from late afternoon slanted across the small garden.

Jorge carried a round drum because he was a young musician. He wanted to play gentle beats near the pond. A shy cat watched from behind stiff grass. Jorge set a wooden stool beside the water edge. The ground there felt soft, and the stool leaned sideways. He tapped one leg deeper, yet the seat still rocked. His drum slipped forward and rolled toward floating leaves. The cat darted ahead and blocked the slow drum.

The rolling stopped when the drum nudged the cat's shoulder. Jorge hurried, lifted the drum, and brushed dirt away. The cat then jumped onto the low stool and stayed. Its weight pressed the wobbly leg into firm mud. Wood no longer rocked, so Jorge sat on it. He tapped a slow rhythm that mixed with evening wildlife. A bright planet rose above dark trees during the song. More stars followed until the sky looked like endless universe. Cricket chirps continued while Jorge packed the quiet drum. The stool stayed half-sunken beside calm water.

午後的光線斜照在小花園。

喬治抱著一面圓鼓，因為他是一位年輕的音樂家。他想在池塘邊打出輕柔的節奏。一隻靦腆的貓躲在挺立的草後。喬治把一張木凳放在水邊。那裡的地面很軟，凳子向側邊傾斜。他用力把一支凳腳壓得更深，座面仍然搖晃。他的鼓向前滑動，滾向浮葉。貓衝到前面，擋住慢慢滾動的鼓。

鼓撞到貓肩後停住。喬治快步過來，提起鼓，拍掉泥土。貓隨後跳上低凳並留在上面。牠的重量把搖晃的凳腳壓進結實的泥地。木頭不再搖動，喬治坐了上去。他打出慢節奏，與黃昏的野生聲音混在一起。一顆明亮的行星在暗樹上升起。更多星星接著出現，天空像無盡的宇宙。蟋蟀的鳴聲持續，喬治收起安靜的鼓。凳子半陷在平靜的水邊。