The Slip of an Acorn- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

Maya carried a small acorn to the park. She planned to plant it beside the quiet pond. The corner looked like a tiny jungle. A neat plot of soil waited beside the water. Planting felt difficult on the solid ground. She pushed the shovel down, but a root stopped her. The shovel shook, soil flew, and the acorn slipped away. It rolled down, tapped stone, then bounced. The small nut splashed straight into the clear pond. Water rippled toward the reeds, and a frog leapt aside.

Maya hurried and reached the water’s edge. She saw the acorn floating near an old log. A thin branch rested near her boots, ready to help. She lifted the branch, slid it under the nut, and nudged. The branch hit the log sideways. Mud below the log moved and uncovered a small metal box. The box lay where a gardener once forgot extra seeds. Maya placed the wet acorn into that empty space. She pressed fresh soil over the seed.

瑪雅帶著一顆小橡實走進公園。她打算把它種在靜靜的池塘旁。那個角落像一片迷你叢林。水邊有一塊整理好的泥土空地。堅硬的地面讓種植變得不太容易。她把鏟子往下壓，卻被一條根擋住。鏟子震動，泥土飛濺，橡實從手中滑出。它沿斜坡滾下，撞到石頭又彈起。小果實直接掉進清澈的池塘。水面起波紋，蘆葦旁的青蛙猛然跳開。

瑪雅快步走到水邊。她看見橡實漂在一根舊木頭附近。一根細樹枝就在她靴子邊，正好用得上。她舉起樹枝，從橡實下方托起並輕推。樹枝側撞木頭。木頭下的淤泥移開，露出一只小鐵盒。那盒子躺在園丁曾遺忘的種子處。瑪雅把濕橡實放進那個空位。她把新土輕輕壓在種子上。