適讀年齡：6-9歲
Mole從路邊看到一隻小鳥，它守在鳥旁邊，等了好久，但不見有鳥媽媽過來尋找，Mole就把小鳥帶回家。Mole的爸爸媽媽都說小鳥很難照顧，很容易死去。但Mole的這隻小鳥並沒有死。
Mole found a baby bird.
小鼴鼠看到一隻鳥寶寶。
It had fallen out of its nest.
它是從窩裏掉下來的。
Mole waited and waited:
小鼴鼠等啊等：
but no big bird come to help it-
都沒有大鳥來幫助它——
so Mole took the baby bird home.
小鼴鼠就把鳥寶寶帶回了家。
He made a nest for it.
他給它做了一個窩。
“Look!” he said to his mother.
“看，”他對媽媽說。
“It’s very, very hard to take care of a baby bird,”she said.
“照顧鳥寶寶是件非常辛苦的事。”媽媽說。
“They usually die,”said his dad.
“它們通常都會死的。”鼴鼠爸爸說。
“My bird won’t die,”said Mole.
“我的鳥不會死。”小鼴鼠說。
His friends helped him find food for the baby.
他的小夥伴們幫他給鳥寶寶找食物。
His mother showed him how to feed it.
媽媽教小鼴鼠怎麼喂鳥寶寶。
Mole fed it whenever it chirped.
鳥寶寶只要唧唧一叫，小鼴鼠就餵它。
And the bird didn’t die! It grew.
鳥寶寶沒有死！它長大了。
“It’s my pet bird,”said Mole.”
“它是我的寵物鳥，”小鼴鼠說。
“It’s not a pet bird.It’s a wild bird,”said his mother.
“它不是寵物鳥，它是一隻野生的小鳥，”媽媽說。
The bird fluttered its wings.
鳥寶寶扇動着它的翅膀。
“Your bird is trying to fly,”said his mother.
“你的鳥兒正在試着飛，”媽媽說。
“No!”cried Mole. “It mustn’t fly!”
“不！”小鼴鼠哭着說：“我不許它飛走！”
Mole found some wood and some nails.
小鼴鼠找了些木頭和釘子。
He borrowed his dad’s toolbox.
還從爸爸那裏借來了工具箱。
“What are you making?”said his dad.
“你要做什麼？”爸爸問。
“I making a cage for my pet bird!” said Mole.
“我要給我的寵物鳥做個鳥籠子！”小鼴鼠說。
He put his bird into its new cage.
他把鳥兒放在新籠子裏。
The bird was sad.
鳥兒很憂傷。
Mole’s mother was sad, too.
鼴鼠媽媽也很憂傷。
But Mole kept his bird, because he loved it.
但小鼴鼠就是關着他的鳥，因爲他愛它。
Then-Grandad came to visit.
有一天爺爺來做客。
He looked at Mole’s pet bird.
他看了看小鼴鼠的寵物鳥。
Presently Grandad said,
過了一會爺爺說，
"Let's go for a walk, little Mole."
“我們一起散步去吧，小鼴鼠。”
Grandad took Mole to the top of a high hill.
爺爺帶着小鼴鼠走到了山頂上。
Mole looked down at the trees far below.
小鼴鼠向山下望去，看到了遠處的樹林。
He felt the wild wind trying to lift him.
他覺得原野的風快把他給舉起來了。
“Wheee! I’m flying!” cried Mole.
“哇哦！我在飛啦！”小鼴鼠激動地叫着。
“Nearly,”said Grandad.
“差不多啦！”爺爺說。
When Mole got home he looked at his bird.
當小鼴鼠回到家，他看了看他的鳥。
It was sitting very still in its cage in Mole’s dark underground room.
在小鼴鼠黑黑的地下房間裏，鳥兒安靜地呆在籠子裏。
“Birds are meant to fly,”said Mole.
“鳥兒就應該飛，”小鼴鼠說。
He opened the cage door, and he let his bird fly away because he loved it.
他打開鳥籠，讓他的鳥飛走了，因爲他愛它。
Then he cried.
然後，他哭了。
The next day Mole went into the forest.
第二天，小鼴鼠來到森林裏。
He saw his bird flying, soaring, free.
他看到他的鳥自由地飛着。
And Mole was glad.
小鼴鼠感到很高興。
• END •