Luka walked to school on Monday morning. The sky was grey, and the street was wet. He looked down at his shoes. Then he stopped.
星期一早上，卢卡走路去上学。天空是灰色的，街道湿漉漉的。他低头看着自己的鞋子。然后他停住了。
There were seeds on the ground. They were small, black, and shiny. They lay in a long line along the pavement.
地上有一些种子。它们又小又黑，闪闪发亮，沿着人行道排成长长的一行。
"Sunflower seeds," said Luka. "Who dropped them here?"
“葵花籽，”卢卡说，“是谁把它们掉在这里的？”
He looked left. He looked right. The street was empty. Only the seeds were there, one after another.
他往左看，又往右看。街上空无一人，只有种子，一粒接着一粒。
Luka was ten minutes early. He had time. "I will follow them," he said. "Just for a little while."
卢卡比平时早了十分钟，他有时间。“我要跟着它们走，”他说，“就走一小会儿。”
The seeds went past the bakery. A pigeon walked next to them. It ate one seed and looked at Luka. Then it walked on.
种子经过面包店。一只鸽子走在它们旁边，吃了一粒，看了看卢卡，又继续往前走。
"You like this trail too," said Luka.
“你也喜欢这条路啊，”卢卡说。
The seeds turned left at the post office. Two more pigeons came. Then three. Luka walked behind them. They all walked in a line, like a small parade.
种子在邮局那里往左拐。又来了两只鸽子，接着是三只。卢卡走在它们后面。它们排成一行走着，像一支小小的游行队伍。
At the corner, an old woman stood with her dog. "Why are you walking so slowly?" she asked.
街角站着一位老太太，牵着她的狗。“你为什么走得这么慢？”她问。
"I follow the seeds," said Luka. "I want to know where they go."
“我在跟着种子走，”卢卡说，“我想知道它们通向哪里。”
"Ah," she said. "That is a good puzzle. I hope you find the answer."
“啊，”她说，“这是个好谜题。希望你能找到答案。”
The seeds went across the old stone bridge. Under the bridge, the river was brown and fast. Luka stopped for a moment. A duck looked up from the water.
种子穿过了古老的石桥。桥下，河水是棕色的，流得很快。卢卡停了一会儿。一只鸭子从水里抬起头来看他。
"I cannot find a person," said Luka. "I only see birds."
“我找不到人，”卢卡说，“我只看到鸟。”
He walked up Mill Road. It was a steep road. His bag felt heavy. The seeds were fewer now, but they did not stop. He saw one by the yellow gate. He saw one by the blue bicycle.
他走上了磨坊路。那是一条很陡的路，他的书包觉得很沉。种子越来越少了，但是没有断。他在黄色的大门旁看到一粒，又在蓝色的自行车旁看到一粒。
Then the seeds ended. Luka stood in front of a small house. It had a red door. The door was open. On the step, a man sat on a chair. He wore a green hat. In his hands he held a paper bag.
然后种子没有了。卢卡站在一座小房子前面，房子有一扇红色的门，门开着。台阶上，一个男人坐在椅子上。他戴着一顶绿色的帽子，手里拿着一个纸袋。
Luka looked at the bag. It was old. The bag had a little hole in the bottom. A black seed fell out. Then another one. They dropped onto the step.
卢卡看着那个袋子。袋子很旧，底部有一个小洞。一粒黑色的种子掉了出来，接着又掉了一粒，落在台阶上。
"Excuse me," said Luka. "Your bag has a hole."
“打扰一下，”卢卡说，“您的袋子有个洞。”
The man looked down. "Oh no," he said. "Not again!"
男人低头看了看。“哎呀，”他说，“又来了！”
"Not again?" asked Luka.
“又来了？”卢卡问。
"Every morning I walk to the park," said the man. "I feed the birds. Every morning my bag is lighter than before. I never know why."
“我每天早上都走去公园，”男人说，“给鸟儿喂食。每天早上我的袋子都比出门时轻。我一直不知道为什么。”
"Because of the hole," said Luka. "The seeds fall out on the way. They make a trail from the park to your door."
“是因为那个洞，”卢卡说，“种子在路上掉了出来。它们从公园一直排到您家门口，成了一条小路。”
The man laughed. It was a big, happy laugh. "So that is why the birds follow me home!" he said. "Last week, five pigeons waited at my gate. I thought they liked me."
男人哈哈大笑，笑声又大又开心。“原来这就是鸟儿跟着我回家的原因！”他说，“上星期，五只鸽子在我家门口等着。我还以为它们喜欢我呢。”
"They do like you," said Luka. "You are their best friend. You also feed them all day."
“它们是喜欢您，”卢卡说，“您是它们最好的朋友。而且您一整天都在喂它们。”
"You are a smart boy," said the man. "How did you find me?"
“你真聪明，”男人说，“你是怎么找到我的？”
"I followed the seeds," said Luka. "It was a puzzle."
“我跟着种子走，”卢卡说，“这是个谜题。”
Luka took some tape out of his school bag. He put it on the hole. It was a bit crooked, but it held.
卢卡从书包里拿出一些胶带，贴在洞上。贴得有点歪，但是很牢。
"There," he said. "Now the bag is good."
“好了，”他说，“现在袋子好了。”
The man took a handful of seeds from the bag. He put it into Luka's hand.
男人从袋子里抓了一把种子，放进卢卡的手里。
"Now you throw," he said. "The birds want their breakfast."
“现在你来撒吧，”他说，“鸟儿们想吃早饭了。”
Luka threw the seeds high in the air. The pigeons came down from the roof.
卢卡把种子高高地抛向空中。鸽子们从屋顶上飞了下来。
