This is a sly old cat, who gave a tea party to a rat.
This is the rat in his best clothes coming down the area steps.
They had their tea in the kitchen.
“How do you do, Mr. Rat? Will you sit on this chair?” said the cat.
“I will eat my bread and butter first,” said the cat, “and then you shall eat the crumbs that are left, Mr. Rat!”
“This is a very rude way of treating visitors!” said Mr. Rat to himself.
“Now I will pour out my tea,” said the cat, “and you shall lick up the drops that are left in the milk jug, Mr. Rat; and then I will have some dessert!” said the cat.
“I believe she is going to eat me for dessert; I wish I'd never come!” said poor Mr. Rat.
She tipped up the milk jug—that greedy old cat! She didn't want to leave one single drop for the rat.
But the rat jumped on the table and gave the jug a pat, and it slipped down quite tight over the head of the cat! Then the cat banged about the kitchen with its head fast in the jug.
And the rat sat on the table drinking tea out of a mug. Then he put a muffin in a paper bag and went away. And he ate the whole muffin at one sitting; so that is the end of the rat.
And the cat broke the jug against the leg of the kitchen table; so that is the end of the cat.
有一只狡猾的老貓,準備辦一個茶會,招待一只老鼠。
老鼠穿上了他最好的衣服,順著樓梯下樓。
他們要在廚房里飲茶。
“你好啊,老鼠先生?你愿意坐在這張椅子上嗎?”貓說。
“我要先吃我的面包和黃油,”貓說,“然后你再吃掉下來的碎屑,老鼠先生!”
“這樣招待客人可是夠粗魯?shù)模 崩鲜笙壬底哉f道。
“現(xiàn)在我要給自己倒茶了,”貓說,“你就舔留在牛奶罐上的那幾滴牛奶吧,老鼠先生,然后我會吃些甜點?!必堄终f。
“我相信她會把我當甜點吃了的,我真希望自己沒來?!笨蓱z的老鼠先生說。
老貓把牛奶罐倒了過來——這只貪婪的老貓!她一滴牛奶也不想給老鼠留下。
但是老鼠突然跳上桌子,狠狠地拍了罐子一下,罐子口朝下,正好緊緊地扣在了老貓的頭上。然后老貓頭上頂著罐子,在廚房里跌跌撞撞。
老鼠坐在桌子上,拿起一個杯子喝茶。然后他用紙袋裝了一塊松餅,便離開了。他一口氣吃光了整個松餅。這就是老鼠的結局。
而貓在廚房桌子的腿上撞碎了牛奶罐,這就是貓的結局。