(原版)澳大利亚语文第二册 LESSON 6
LESSON 6 THE CAT AND THE MOUSE
THE CAT AND THE MOUSE
mous-ie tab-by touch
chil-dren who-ev-er scratched
1. "Dear Mousie," said a cat one day, "do come out of that hole, and I'll take you to play with my little ones."
2. "Oh, no," said the little mouse, "mother told me that I must keep away from all cats, big and little."
3. "What a pity!" cried the big cat, who was called Tabby. "Why does your mother say that you may not play with such darling kittens as mine?"
4. "Because," said Mousie, "she says that you will kill and eat me." "That is not true," replied Tabby. "My children just want to play with you. Do come, and I will show you the pantry, where the cheese and pies are kept."
5. Mousie thought that would be nice, for she loved cheese very much. "I will go and ask mother," she said.
6. "There is not time to ask mother," said Tabby; "I am in a hurry to get back to my children."
7. Mousie knew well that her mother did not wish her to go, but she kept thinking of the fine cheese.
8. "Come, my dear Mousie," said Tabby again, "You are such a pretty mouse. I never saw one as pretty as you before."
9. This pleased the silly mouse very much. So she said, "I will go with you for a little time." And she went, though her mother had told her not to go.
THEY WERE PLAYING WITH A COTTON REEL.
10. Well, Tabby brought the little mouse to the room where her kittens were. They were playing with a cotton reel.
11. One pussy would put her paw on the reel, and it would roll away. Then they would all run after it, and the one that got to it first won the game.
12. When Tabby saw what they were playing at, she was pleased, and said, "You are good children. You are learning your lessons well.
13. "Now," she said to them, "let us change the game a little bit—just for fun, you know. Mousie here is to be the reel, and when you touch her she runs. Then whoever catches her first keeps her."
14. The kittens said, "Mew, mew." So Mousie ran, and they ran after her. She was soon caught by Blackie.
15. "Oh! Oh!" cried Mousie, "your claws hurt me. I do not think that this is fun at all."
16. But Tabby said, "I brought you here to please the kittens, and they seem to like it. You must just let them have their own way."
17. The cats played with her, and scratched her, and at last they killed and ate her. Poor Mousie! why did she not do what her mother told her?
