The Tipping Bucket- 適合初級的英語短篇故事

Afternoon light fell over the empty playground.

Erin carried a bright baseball toward the low wooden pier. She hoped to toss it across the quiet pond. One quick lift of her arm would start a small game. A sudden gust arrived and pushed tiny waves against the posts. The waves knocked the ball from her hand mid swing. It splashed, rolled along the pier, then bumped a tin bucket. The bucket tipped, spilled water, and sent the ball spinning down.

The spinning ball slipped through a gap beside the bullpen fence. Beyond that fence pitchers usually warmed up, yet only grass waited today. Erin paused, saw plenty of mud gathering around the rolling ball. She climbed the short gate and landed with shoes sinking slightly. Quick steps carried her to the ball before it reached a drain. She grabbed it, wiped it on her sleeve, and laughed quietly. The bucket sat empty, the pier showed wet marks, ripples faded. Erin walked back, ball dripping softly in her muddy hands.

午後的陽光灑在空蕩蕩的遊樂場上。

艾琳拿著一顆亮黃色的棒球，走向低矮的木碼頭。她希望把球丟過安靜的池塘。只要輕輕一抬手，小遊戲就能開始。忽然一陣強風吹來，把細小的波浪推向木柱。波浪在她揮臂中把球撞落。它濺起水花，在碼頭上滾動，接著撞到一個鐵桶。桶翻了，水灑出來，把球送下坡。

旋轉的球從牛棚柵欄旁的縫隙溜過。那道柵欄外，平常是投手熱身的地方，今天只有草地在那裡。艾琳停下腳步，看見滾動的球旁堆了好多泥巴。她爬過矮門，鞋子微微陷進泥裡。幾步之後，她趕在球進水孔前抓住它。她把球擦在袖子上，輕輕笑了。桶空著，碼頭留下濕痕，漣漪漸漸散去。艾琳往回走，雙手沾泥，球還在滴水。