The Frog’s Unexpected Weight- 適合中高級的英語短篇故事

Oscar planted both heels on the rough bank and heaved the swollen sluice plank toward his chest. The damp wood barely moved; a faint sucking note rose, as if a tiny vacuum held it under water. He had tried twice already, and tingling arms began to shiver from strain and from the slippery grain. If the surface had been dry, his palms would have found more grip along the plank’s ridged edge. Beside him, bundles of rice seedlings assembled on a low tray waited to be soaked before planting. Water stood too high in the paddy, so the board had to lift a hand-span, yet refused. A frog lurked near the gate, its eyes level with the bright, still surface today.

Oscar’s sharp jerk quickly rippled the warm surface; startled tadpoles darted below the seedling rows. The motion revived the frog, which sprang like a green spring and landed squarely on the plank head. That extra weight pressed the swollen wood lower, and muddy water rushed through the loosened gap, wetting the bank top. A splash coated Lily’s step; her heel skidded, and one bundle dipped before mud sucked her foot still. Seeing water pour faster, Oscar halted the yanking; the plank’s stubborn weight now suggested a compromise. He rolled the board sideways, the broad face jamming the groove so the heavy end corked the flow.

Beneath the makeshift cork, water slowed to a gentle thread, then evened out along the bright seedling stalks. Dragonflies returned, balancing on the humid air, while tadpoles regrouped in the clearer shallows beyond the gate. Even the frog stayed, chest pulsing against the plank as though guarding his new perch. Lily lifted the wet bundle, shaking mud away; droplets pattered over Oscar’s shoulder like soft taps on a drum. They began to assemble a fresh row, the bank firm once more under slow, balanced steps. Oscar kept one hand on the wedged plank, knees bent, while cooler seepage brushed his toes and spun slow rings.

奧斯卡把腳跟穩穩踩在乾裂的田埂上，用力把因吸水而膨脹的木板閘往胸前拉。濕木幾乎紋風不動，只傳出微弱的啵聲，好像小小真空把它鎖在水裡。他已嘗試兩次，手臂因用力和滑手而微微發抖。如果表面乾一些，手掌就能抓住那道粗糙木紋。旁邊的秧苗束整齊排在淺盤上，等著下水浸根。水面過高，他得把板再抬高半掌，但它就是不動。閘口旁一隻青蛙緊盯亮亮的水面。

奧斯卡猛地再扯，溫水盪出波紋，驚得蝌蚪在秧行間四散。這動靜喚醒青蛙，它像彈簧般躍起，準確落在板頭。多出的重量把脹木往下壓，渾水從縫隙衝出濺濕田埂。水花濺到莉莉腳邊，她的腳跟打滑，秧束差點落水，濕泥啪地把她腳吸住。看到水流加快，奧斯卡停止硬拉；那塊固執的重量忽然成了折衷的方法。他把木板橫轉，寬面卡進槽裡，沉重一端像塞子堵住水口。

臨時塞子下，水勢放緩成細線，沿著翠綠秧梗重新平穩。蜻蜓又停回潮濕空氣上方，蝌蚪在較清的淺處重新聚攏。連那隻青蛙也沒走，胸口貼著木板一鼓一縮，像在守衛新座。莉莉提起濕秧束，抖落泥漬；水珠落在奧斯卡肩上，輕得像鼓點。他們開始重新排秧，田埂在謹慎步伐下再次穩固。奧斯卡單手扶著卡住的木板，膝蓋微曲，較涼的滲水掠過腳趾，畫出緩緩迴圈。