为猫系铃

One night all the little mice living in a farmhouse met together to talk about thewicked cat. The head mice were Brown, Gray and White. "We cannot stay here long with that cat in the house, "said Brown. "We lose one of our friends every day. In a few days she'll eat all of us."

　　"What can we do, then?" asked Gray. "Shall we all run at her at once and bite her, and frighten her away?"

　　"No," said White, "she is so bold that we cannot frighten her. I have thought of something better than that. Let's hang a bell round her neck. Then, if she moves, the bell will ring. When we hear the bell ring, we'll have time to run away."

　　"Oh, yes! Yes!" cried all the mice there. "That is a splendid idea. We will bell the cat! Hurrah! Hurrah! We don't have to worry about the cat any more!"

　　After a little while, Brown asked, "But who will hang the bell round her neck?" No one answered. All the young mice were silent, and only looked at one another. "Will you?" Brown asked White.

　　"I don't think I can," replied White. "I am lame, you know. We need someone who can move quickly."

　　"Will you, Gray?" said Brown.

　　"Excuse me," answered Gray. "I am not well now. I was almost caught in a trap some days ago."

　　"Who will bell the cat, then?" said Brown. "Someone must do it."

　　All of them kept silent for a while, and not a sound was heard.

　　Soon, one by one, the little mice stole away to their holes.

　　有一天晚上，农舍里的小老鼠全都聚在一起议论那只邪恶的猫。带头的老鼠有布朗、葛雷和怀特。布朗说：『屋里有那只猫在，此地不能久留。我们每天都失去一位好友。几天后，她就会把我们全部都吃掉。』

　　葛雷问道：『那么，我们能怎么办呢？我们该一起同时朝她冲去咬她，把她吓跑吗？』
　　『不，』怀特说，『她胆子很大，我们吓不着她。我已经想到比那更好的主意。咱们在她的脖子上挂一个铃铛。这么一来，假如她移动，铃铛就会响。听到铃铛响时，我们就有时间逃走了。』

　　『哦，太好了！太好了！』在场的所有老鼠都叫道。『这个点子真棒。我们替那只猫挂铃铛！万岁！万岁！我们再也不需要担心那只猫了！』
　　过了一会儿，布朗问道：『但是谁去把铃铛挂在她的脖子上呢？』没有老鼠回答。所有年轻的老鼠都安静了下来，大家只是面面相觑。『你去好吗？』布朗问怀特。

　　『我想我办不到，』怀特回答说。『你知道我跛脚。我们需要能跑得很快的老鼠。』
　　布朗说：『葛雷，你去好吗？』

　　『对不起，』葛雷回答说。『我现在身体不好。前几天，我差点就被一个陷阱抓住。』

　　『那么，谁去替那只猫挂铃铛呢？』布朗说：『总要有老鼠去做。』
　　好一会儿，所有老鼠都保持安静，连一点声音都没有。

　　很快地，这些小老鼠一只接一只地溜回牠们的老鼠洞去了。