Leaves Settle on the Doormat- 適合初學者的英語短篇故事

Plink! A drip hits the drain grate. Max crouches beside a wide puddle. Wet paving stones shine under thin sun. Colourful leaves float on the water. He picks one yellow leaf. He lays it left of his knee. He lifts a red leaf next. He lines it beside the yellow leaf. He sorts quietly. A faint echo rolls under the wooden step.

A grey storm cloud drifts over the gate. Another drip lands hard. Splash! The leaves slide away from Max. He pauses. A rough doormat leans by the doorway. A teacher stands there, scraping one muddy boot. A small school bag rests near her heel. Max drags the doormat to the stones. He shakes off tiny grit. He places the wet leaves on the coarse mat. They stay in place. The drain grate now gleams softly.

噗通！一滴水打在排水孔蓋上。Max 蹲在寬大的水窪旁。濕滑的鋪石在微弱的陽光下閃亮。彩色的葉子漂在水面上。他撿起一片黃葉，放在膝蓋左側。他再拿起一片紅葉，排在黃葉旁。他靜靜地分類。微弱的回聲在木製踏階下滾動。

一朵灰色的暴風雲飄過門口上方。另一滴水重重落下。啪！葉子滑離 Max。他停住。一塊粗糙的門口踏墊靠在門邊。一位老師站在那裡，刮掉靴子上的泥。她腳邊放著一個小書包。Max 把踏墊拉到石板上，抖掉細沙，再把濕葉放在粗踏墊上。葉子不再移動。排水孔蓋此刻柔亮發光。