The Squirrel's Flying Cone- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

A red squirrel tugged on a long green vine. The vine stretched, bending a thin birch branch above. A tight bundle of dry twigs sat under the branch. The squirrel pulled harder and then took a quick pause. He let the vine go.

Warm light fell across the quiet glade. The released vine sprang upward and slapped the birch branch. The branch sprang down and drove into the twig bundle. Elastic twigs sprang back, flinging a hard pine cone high. The cone landed with a dull report near a small hole. A cricket jumped aside as loose earth shook around the hole. Soil heaved, and a furry mole burst into the sunlight. Its broad head blocked the rolling cone and slowed the chain. The squirrel watched from a branch, tail flicking like a flag. Loose leaves circled above the fresh mound of soil.

一隻赤色松鼠抓住一條長長的綠藤。藤蔓被拉長，把上方一根細樺枝拉彎。乾枯樹枝綑在樺枝下方。松鼠更用力，再短暫停一下。牠放開藤蔓。

溫暖的光線灑在寧靜的林間空地。回彈的藤蔓猛抽樺枝。樺枝向下彈擊那堆樹枝。富彈性的樹枝反彈，把一顆堅硬松果甩到空中。松果落地，在小洞旁發出沉悶巨響。一隻蟋蟀趕緊跳開，鬆動的土壤在洞口顫動。土壤隆起，一隻長鼻鼴鼠鑽出陽光。牠寬闊的頭擋住滾動松果，減緩了這連鎖動作。松鼠在枝頭搖動尾巴觀看。鬆散的葉子在新翻起的土堆上方旋轉。