Leo on the Windy Cliff- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Leo jumped from the rocking boat onto the small island just after sunrise. The salty air touched his cheeks while gulls circled overhead. Under his arm rested a bright wooden giraffe he had carved during winter afternoons. He has practiced flying the small remote helicopter for weeks. Now he wanted a picture: the toy animal on the high cliff with spinning blades above it. A narrow footpath, which twisted among smooth rocks, led toward that cliff. In his backpack lay thin metal rods that would support the fragile figure against the breeze. Humming a tune, he started uphill, sand shifting beneath each careful step.

Halfway up, a sudden gust knocked a loose plank across the trail, and Leo stumbled. The rods scattered; one rolled under the plank and stopped it from sliding farther. While he bent to collect them, the helicopter lifted early after a button was pressed by his elbow. Its propellers caught the wooden giraffe, and both were carried above the path; the sudden lift widened Leo’s eyes. Battery lights blinked red; the craft was losing power. Leo drew a deep breath and slid the longest rod upward like a fishing pole. The metal tip worked like a dedicated friend, guiding the drooping machine back until skids touched stone. Wind eased, blades slowed, and the giraffe stood firmly against the cliff’s rough surface.

日出剛過，利奧從搖晃的小船跳上這座小島。海風帶著鹹味拂過他的臉頰，海鷗在頭頂盤旋。他夾著一隻自己在冬日午後雕好的木質長頸鹿。這幾週來，他已經反覆練習操控那架小型遙控直升機。現在，他想拍一張照片：讓玩具動物站在高崖上，旋翼在上方轉動。蜿蜒的小徑穿過光滑岩石，引向懸崖。背包裡的細金屬桿可以在微風中支撐脆弱的模型。他哼著歌往山上走，沙粒在腳下滑動。

走到半途，一陣突風把一塊鬆動的木板吹到小徑中央，利奧差點絆倒。金屬桿散落，其中一根滾到木板下，擋住了它。當他彎腰收拾時，他的手肘碰到按鍵，直升機過早升空。螺旋槳勾住木質長頸鹿，兩者一起被帶離小徑，突然的上升讓利奧瞪大了眼。電池燈閃著紅光，飛行器正在失去動力。利奧深吸一口氣，將最長的金屬桿像釣竿一樣舉起。金屬尖端就像盡責的朋友，引導下墜的機體回來，直到起落架貼上岩石。風勢減弱，旋翼停轉，長頸鹿穩穩站在粗糙的懸崖邊。