When Leaves Broke Loose- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

A brown squirrel stretched along an old oak branch. The nest, hidden inside a hollow, had been its residence since spring, yet fresh lining was now necessary. Rain has washed the outer bark smooth through many months. Quiet air smelled of damp bark; a pale ray skated over green moss. Around the hollow, calm rested over the empty playground below. Perception alone could not judge which twigs were flexible, so the squirrel pressed each with cautious paws. New shoots, warmed by nurturing sun, sprouted further along a thinner limb, promising soft bedding if reached.

The squirrel leaped toward the thinner limb. Time had roughed its surface; flakes of grey bark drifted away. Midway, the branch bent and creaked, and a sudden gust tilted the limb upward, stealing balance. Claws slipped; the squirrel froze, belly close, tail spread for grip. In that instant, a sharp crack sounded above. A bundle of dry leaves, once woven by a bird, snapped loose. They slid down the bark and landed beside the hollow. The branch still swung, but the fallen bundle offered easier reach than the distant shoots. With quick paws, the squirrel retreated, gathered the leaves, and pushed them inside the nest. Dust lifted, then settled; calm stayed between the trunks while the hollow filled with new, rustling lining.

一隻棕色松鼠沿著老橡樹枝條伸展身體。那個藏在樹洞裡的巢穴自春天以來一直是牠的住所，但現在需要新的墊料。多月以來的雨水把外層樹皮沖洗得光滑。寧靜的空氣帶來潮濕木香，一束淡淡的光線掠過綠苔。樹洞周圍保持著平靜，空蕩蕩的操場靜靜躺在下方。僅憑感知無法判斷枝條是否柔韌，因此松鼠用小心的爪子逐一測試。被溫暖的陽光滋養的新嫩枝長在更細的枝條上，如果能到達，將成為柔軟的墊料。

松鼠跳向那根更細的枝條。歲月粗糙了它的表面，灰色樹皮片片飄落。走到一半時，枝條彎曲發出吱嘎聲，同時突然的陣風把枝條抬高，奪走了平衡。利爪打滑，松鼠貼伏在枝條上，展開尾巴以抓牢。就在那一瞬間，一聲尖銳的裂響從高處傳來。一捆曾被鳥類編織過的枯葉脫落，沿著樹皮滑下，在樹洞旁停止。枝條仍在搖晃，但這落下的材料比遠處嫩枝更容易取得。松鼠迅速退回，收集那些葉子，推進巢內。塵埃揚起又落定，平靜停留在樹幹之間，而樹洞裡添滿了新生鏗鏘的襯墊。