THE HUNTING PARTY

Mrs. Pussy¹, sleek² and fat,
With her kittens four,
Went to sleep upon a mat
By the kitchen door.
Mrs. Pussy heard a noise;
Up she sprang in glee.
“Kittens, maybe it’s a mouse—
Let us go and see.”
Creeping, creeping, soft and low,
Silently they stole,
But the little mouse had crept
Back into its hole.
“Well,” said Mrs. Pussy then,
“Homeward let us go;
We shall find our supper there,
That I surely know.”
Home went hungry Mrs. Puss
With her kittens four,
Found their supper on a plate
By the kitchen door.
—Selected.

[67]
QUESTIONS

What do you think of people who do not care for and feed the cats they own?

Do you know that a cat that is well cared for, and kept in the house at night is not likely to catch birds, because cats catch birds in the early morning and at twilight³?

What do you think of people who move away from a place and leave their cats behind? What will become of the cats?

What should people do with cats they do not care to take away? Do you know where the nearest S. P. C. A. office is?

What good service does the cat do for people?

Why are rats and mice dangerous to our health?

How many toes has a cat on front paws? On back paws?

Which way does the fur lie on the under side of the legs?

1 pussy   

n.(儿语)小猫，猫咪

参考例句：

• Why can't they leave my pussy alone?为什么他们就不能离我小猫咪远一点？
• The baby was playing with his pussy.孩子正和他的猫嬉戏。

2 sleek   

adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢

参考例句：

• Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
• The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。

3 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。