The Nest Above the Herbs- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Clara stepped onto the back patio just after noon. She carried a glass jug and a pair of scissors because she had promised mint lemonade for the occasion. A striped cat waited on the warm stone wall, its ears forward in a welcoming tilt. Sunlight lay across the herbs, and a cool breath of wind pushed mixed perfume toward the house. For a moment Clara paused to savor the tangled smell of basil, thyme, and freshly watered soil.

The mint she needed grew in a hanging basket above her head. She set a narrow stool beneath it and started up, yet the wind inspired a slow swing in the wires. At the same instant, the cat leaped onto the basket’s rim, adding a second, heavier sway. Metal hooks groaned, and Clara bent her knees to keep balance. When the planter drifted closer, she raised the scissors—and froze. A tiny nest, woven with hair-thin grass, sat hidden among the leaves. Two speckled eggs rested inside, still and perfect. Clara climbed down, choosing not to disturb the fragile home. Instead, she clipped a handful of bright basil, the stems snapping cleanly. The cat jumped back to the wall, whiskers quivering at the sudden movement. Water in the jug caught the afternoon light as Clara carried the basil toward the kitchen.

克拉拉剛過中午就走到後院的石板露台。她提著一壺玻璃水和一把剪刀，因為她答應要為這次聚會準備薄荷檸檬水。一隻條紋貓蹲在溫暖的矮牆上，耳朵向前微斜，像在熱情打招呼。陽光灑在香草上，涼風把羅勒、百里香和濕土的混合香氣推向屋內。克拉拉停了一下，細細品味那股複雜的氣味。

她需要的薄荷長在頭頂上的懸掛花籃裡。她把窄凳放在下面並踩上去，但風讓吊線開始慢慢擺動。同時，那隻貓跳到花籃邊緣，額外的重量使擺幅更大。金屬勾發出呻吟聲，克拉拉彎膝保持平衡。當花籃晃到她面前，她舉起剪刀──然而她停住了。籃中葉片之間藏著一個用細草編成的小巢，兩顆有斑點的蛋安靜地躺在裡面。克拉拉下了凳子，決定不打擾這脆弱的家。她改剪一把亮綠羅勒，莖部清脆折斷。貓跳回矮牆，鬍鬚因突然動作而顫動。克拉拉提著水壺，讓午後的光在水面上閃爍，帶著羅勒朝廚房走去。