メープル通りのサプライズ___アメリカの教科書にあるような物語
ある晴れた午後、サラはスクールバスを降りてメープル通りに立っていた。木々の葉は赤や金色に色づき、空気には秋の冷んやりとした香りが漂っていた。彼女はリュックを背負い直し、家までの短い道のりを歩き始めた。明日提出の理科の課題のことを考えながら。
サラが歩いていると、同級生たちが道の真ん中に集まって何かを見ているのに気づいた。気になって足を速めた彼女が近づくと、そこには小さくて汚れた犬が丸くなって座っていた。その犬の毛はボサボサで、疲れた様子でお腹も空いているように見えた。
「かわいそうに……」サラは小さくつぶやきながら、そっと手を差し伸べた。犬は慎重に彼女の指をクンクン嗅ぎ、それから優しくペロリと舐めた。周りの子たちが一斉に話し始めた。
「どこから来たんだろう？」
「首輪はついてるの？」
サラは犬をよく観察したが、タグも首輪も見当たらなかった。迷子の動物を目にして、サラの胸には悲しみが広がった。「きっと野良犬なんだ」と彼女は言った。「助けてあげないと。」
何人かの子たちは肩をすくめ、その場を離れてそれぞれの家へと向かっていった。しかし、サラはその犬を見捨てることができなかった。自分の家に迷い犬を連れて帰ったら、両親が喜ばないかもしれないと分かっていたが、それでも寒空の下に犬を置いておくわけにはいかなかった。
「さあ、おいで」とサラは犬に優しく呼びかけた。ゆっくりと歩き始めると、犬は弱々しくも尻尾を振りながら、サラの後をついてきた。家にたどり着いた彼女は、大きく息を吸い込み、ドアを開けた。
「お母さん、お父さん、見て！この子を見つけたの！」と家の中に声をかけた。すると、両親が玄関に現れ、サラのそばにいる犬を見て驚いた顔をしていた。
「あら、サラ。この子はどこから来たの？」とお母さんが少し頭を傾げた。
サラは帰り道で起こったことを興奮しながら説明した。「この犬をずっと飼えるわけじゃないけど、飼い主を探すのを手伝うことはできるよね？少なくとも今夜はあたたかい場所にいてほしいんだ。」
お父さんは犬を見つめ、そしてサラの顔を見て、口元に微笑みを浮かべた。「そうだな。それがいいだろう」と言って、「まずはこの子にご飯と水をあげようか」と続けた。
サラの顔に笑みが広がり、急いで水をボウルに注ぐと、お母さんは冷蔵庫から残り物を取り出して犬に与えた。犬が嬉しそうに食べる姿を見ていると、サラの胸の中には温かい満足感が広がった。自分が正しい行動を取れたことを誇らしく感じた。
その晩、彼らは迷子の犬の飼い主を見つけるために、町中にポスターを貼り、インターネットにもメッセージを投稿した。サラがベッドに入る頃には、犬はキッチンの隅で丸まって眠っていた。これからどうなるか分からなかったが、必要なときに行動した自分を誇りに思った。
「おやすみ、小さな友だち」と彼女はささやいた。「君の帰るべき場所が見つかるといいな。」
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### The Surprise on Maple Street
It was a sunny afternoon when Sarah stepped off the school bus onto Maple Street. The leaves on the trees were turning shades of red and gold, and the air was filled with the crisp scent of autumn. She adjusted her backpack and began the short walk home, thinking about her science project that was due the next day.
As Sarah walked, she noticed a group of kids from her class gathered around something in the middle of the sidewalk. Curious, she quickened her pace to see what was happening. When she got closer, she saw a small, scruffy dog sitting in the center of the circle. Its fur was matted, and it looked tired and hungry.
"Poor little guy," Sarah said softly, reaching out her hand to the dog. The dog sniffed her fingers cautiously, then gave them a gentle lick. The kids started to talk all at once.
"Where did it come from?" one of them asked.
"Does it have a collar?" another chimed in.
Sarah looked carefully and saw that there was no tag or collar on the dog. She felt a pang of sadness for the lost animal. "It must be a stray," she said. "We need to help it."
Some of the kids shrugged and started to lose interest, heading off to their own homes. But Sarah couldn't just leave the dog there. She knew her parents might not be too happy about bringing a stray dog home, but she also knew she couldn't leave it out in the cold.
"Come on, boy," she said gently to the dog. She started walking slowly, and to her relief, the dog followed her, its tail wagging weakly. When they reached Sarah's house, she took a deep breath and opened the door.
"Mom, Dad, look what I found!" she called as she stepped inside. Her parents came to the door, eyebrows raised in surprise when they saw the dog at her side.
"Oh, Sarah," her mom said, shaking her head. "Where did this little one come from?"
Sarah explained what had happened on the walk home, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I know we can't keep him forever, but maybe we can help find his owner? Or at least give him a warm place to stay tonight."
Her dad looked at the dog, then back at Sarah, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Well, I suppose we can do that," he said. "But first, let's get him some food and water."
Sarah's face lit up with a smile, and she quickly filled a bowl with water while her mom got some leftovers for the dog to eat. As she watched the dog happily munching away, Sarah felt a warm glow of satisfaction in her chest. She had done the right thing.
Later that evening, they put up signs around the neighborhood and posted a message online to help find the dog's owner. As she went to bed, Sarah thought about the dog, now sleeping soundly in a cozy corner of their kitchen. She didn't know what would happen next, but she felt proud of herself for taking action when it was needed.
"Good night, little guy," she whispered. "I hope we find where you belong."
