Where Did the Paddle Go?- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

Morning light fell across the slow river.

A young otter slid from a flat stone.

Recently fallen leaves drifted beside the otter’s path.

It swam toward a narrow gap between two logs.

A wooden paddle blocked the gap like a small bridge.

Beside the paddle, a metal bowl pressed against reeds.

The otter pushed the paddle with its nose.

The paddle stayed still; water only rippled around it.

The otter dove, then nudged the bowl from below.

The bowl felt heavy, almost fixed to the mud.

The otter tapped the round side with a claw.

A hollow ring followed, light yet clear under water.

One quick tilt let trapped air slip from the rim.

Bubbles rushed up; the bowl suddenly lost weight.

The otter lifted it and flipped it over.

Sand poured out, releasing a sparkling quartz pebble.

The falling sand hit the paddle and shook it loose.

Current pulled the freed paddle downstream, opening the gap.

Water streamed through and washed new twigs toward open water.

The pebble rolled near the otter’s paw and stayed.

Small waves touched the logs as the otter slipped through.

清晨的陽光灑在緩慢流動的河面上。

年輕的水獺從平坦的石頭滑入水中。

最近飄落的樹葉在牠身旁漂流。

牠游向兩根倒木之間狹窄的縫隙。

一支木槳像小橋一樣堵住了縫隙。

槳旁邊，一只金屬碗緊貼蘆葦。

水獺用鼻子推槳。

槳紋絲未動，水面只起了細小漣漪。

水獺潛下去，從下方頂了頂碗。

碗很重，像是陷入泥中。

水獺用爪輕敲圓邊。

水下傳來清脆的空洞響聲。

牠猛地一掀，困在碗裡的空氣跑掉。

氣泡冒出，碗立刻變輕。

水獺把碗翻過來。

沙子倒出，一顆閃亮的石英小石滾落。

落沙擊中木槳，把槳晃脫。

水流拖著脫困的槳向下游滑去，縫隙隨之打開。

河水湧過，攜著新樹枝流向開闊水面。

小石在水獺爪邊停住。

細浪拍著倒木，水獺穿過縫隙游走。