The Flower in the Library Book

Kaia works at the library on Saturdays. She sorts returned books onto a cart. One book comes back again and again. It is an old book about gardens.

凯亚每个星期六在图书馆工作。她把还回来的书整理到推车上。有一本书一次又一次地被还回来。那是一本关于花园的旧书。

Every time, the same page has a flower. The flower is small, dry, and flat. It always sits on page forty-two.

每一次，同一页里都夹着一朵花。那朵花很小，干干的，扁扁的。它总是夹在第四十二页。

Kaia finds this very strange. She checks the name on the card. The name is Otilia, a kind reader.

凯亚觉得这很奇怪。她查看了借书卡上的名字。名字是奥蒂莉亚，一位和善的读者。

Kaia wants to solve this small puzzle. She waits by the counter on Saturday. A woman with gray hair returns the book.

凯亚想解开这个小谜题。星期六，她在柜台旁等着。一位灰发的女士来还书了。

"Are you Otilia?" Kaia asks kindly.

“您是奥蒂莉亚吗？”凯亚亲切地问。

"Yes, that is me," the woman says.

“是的，我就是。”那位女士说。

"I found a flower in your book," Kaia says. "It is always on the same page."

“我在您的书里发现了一朵花。”凯亚说。“它总是在同一页。”

Otilia smiles a warm, quiet smile. "That page has my favorite lines," she says. "I press a flower from my garden. Then I mark that page every time."

奥蒂莉亚露出温暖而安静的微笑。“那一页有我最喜欢的句子。”她说。“我会摘一朵自家花园里的花压在里面。每次都用它来标记那一页。”

"That is a lovely habit," Kaia says.

“这真是个可爱的习惯。”凯亚说。

"My garden has many small flowers," Otilia says. "Would you like to see it sometime?"

“我的花园里有很多小花。”奥蒂莉亚说。“你想找个时间去看看吗？”

Kaia nods with a big smile. "I would love that very much."

凯亚笑着点点头。“我非常愿意。”

The next Saturday, Kaia visits the garden. Otilia gives her a small yellow flower. Kaia presses it inside her own book. She marks her favorite page, just like Otilia.

下个星期六，凯亚去了那座花园。奥蒂莉亚送给她一朵黄色的小花。凯亚把它压在自己的书里。她像奥蒂莉亚一样，标记了自己最喜欢的那一页。

Now two books in town have flowers.

现在，镇上有两本书里夹着花了。