Milo Before Noon Rain- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Milo spread bright paper across the kitchen table. He planned to slip a tiny hand-painted whistle inside a gift box and deliver it to his neighbor Mrs. Lane before the noon rain. The caring plan needed neat folds, yet the room found ways to misbehave. The scissors that usually hung on the peg were gone, and ribbon lay in a messy knot. While he searched, wind rushed through the half-open window and scattered little squares of tissue. Milo has already cut one strip, but that piece fluttered under the stove. Time raced rapidly, and distant thunder tapped on the roof.

He dropped to his knees, but the strip remained out of reach. A wooden spoon, resting on a pan, offered the length he needed. He slid it beneath the stove, swept the paper forward, and spotted something else: a silver pendant that Mrs. Lane had lost last week. Surprise widened his eyes. An idea sparked; the pendant slipped beside the whistle, turning the gift box heavier and more delightful. Paper that had been crumpled by the wind wrapped around the box once he used a red scarf instead of ribbon. The spoon pressed the final crease flat. Rain started tapping harder, yet Milo stepped onto the porch with the wrapped box balanced in both hands.

米洛把色彩鮮艷的包裝紙攤在廚房桌上。他打算把一個手繪口哨放進小禮盒，並在中午降雨前送到鄰居蘭太太家。這份貼心的計畫需要整齊的摺角，然而屋子卻不配合。平常掛在釘子上的剪刀不見了，絲帶成了一團凌亂的結。尋找時，半開的窗戶灌進風，把紙屑吹得到處都是。米洛已經剪好的那條紙飄到爐子底下。時間飛快流逝，遠處的雷聲敲在屋頂上。

他跪在地上，但那條紙仍摸不到。一把靠在平底鍋上的木勺剛好夠長，他把它伸進爐下，勾出紙條，卻同時發現上週蘭太太遺失的銀墜子。眼睛頓時睜大。靈光閃過，他把墜子和口哨一起放進禮盒，盒子變得沉甸甸又驚喜。被風弄皺的包裝紙在他改用紅圍巾當絲帶後重新包好。木勺壓平最後一道摺痕。雨聲加劇，米洛端著包好的盒子走上門廊。