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古时候，只有猫能根据气味来追寻猎物，而别的动物只能靠眼睛去发现猎物。 狗知道猫具有这种与众不同的谋生技能后，觉得这是一种极好的狩猎方法。于是，狗便去找猫，说道： “猫先生，根据气味来追寻猎物这种方法既方便又灵验，请你传授我这门本领，好吗？” 猫同意了，狗就住在猫的家里，猫开始慢慢且细心地教导他。 过了几天，狗认为自己已经掌握了这门本领，就请求猫允许他回家去。 猫说：“你还没有学会全部的本事呢！再过一些时间再走吧！” “但是我一定要先回家一趟。”狗坚持说。 “那好吧！”猫只好答应了，“但你不要今天回，明天才回吧！” 第二天一早，猫对妻子说：“狗来告别时，你就告诉他我出去了。他问我到哪儿去了，你就说不知道。” 不一会儿，狗果然向猫告别来了。 “老师呢？”狗问猫的妻子。 “他一早出了门，不知上哪儿去啦。”猫的妻子回答。其实猫是故意走开的，他要考一考狗是否已学会了根据气味来寻找猎物的本事。 于是，狗开始边走边嗅，并顺着猫的脚印去追踪寻找。 话说回头，猫离开家走了一段路后，就没有在地上行走。他从一块石头跳到另一块石头上，然后跳进一个山洞，又从另一个洞口爬出来，再跳到一棵大树上去。 狗根据猫那若隐若现的脚印，找到了两块石头，也找到了山洞的进口，又从另一洞口出来，但当狗走到树下时，猫的脚印没有了。狗找不到猫，就绕着树走来走去。 猫在树上，把这一切情形看得很清楚。 猫说：“往上看！你这没耐性的家伙，还没有学好本事，就匆匆要回去，结果还不是一只没学问的狗？” 所以直到今天，狗只能在地面上追寻猎物，不会往上看。他所学的本事也仅此而已。 The Dog and the Cat Long ago, only the cats had the ability to trace their prey by its odour, while the other animals used their vision to discover their prey. The dog knew that was the best way to hunt a prey so he decided to visit the cat. “Mr Cat, can you teach me the skill to trace the prey by its odour? It is very efficient and convenient.” The cat agreed to teach the dog and to let him stay in his house during the lessons. After a few days, the dog thought that he could use the skill and he wanted to go home. “You have not learnt the skill yet，’’ said the cat. “You have to stay longer.” “But I have to go home now，” the dog insisted. “All right，” the cat said, “you may go back tomorrow but not today.” The next morning, the cat said to his wife, “When the dog comes to bid farewell, tell him that I have gone out. When he asks where, tell him that you don’t know.” After a while, the dog came. “Where is the teacher?，，he asked. “He went out early in the morning and I don’t know where he went,” the cat’s wife answered. Actually, the cat intended to test whether the dog had learnt how to trace any prey by its odour. The dog started by following the footprints of the cat. However, after a short distance, the cat had jump from one rock to another and then gone into a cave. Then he came out from the other side and leapt onto a tree. The dog followed the seemingly vanishing footprints of the cat and he came to the two rocks. He entered the cave and managed to come out from the other side of it. At last, he came to the tree but he could not find any footprint. The dog could not trace the cat though he kept going round and round the tree. The cat stayed on top of the tree watching every move of the dog. Finally, he said, “Look up! You have not completely learnt the skill and yet you are ready to leave. You can see now that you are still ignorant.” Since then, the dog only knows how to trail its prey on the ground. |
