第37章 老鼠和貓

一天黃昏，一個詩人遇到了一個農民。詩人是孤僻的，農民是見人靦腆的，然而他們談起話來了。 農民說："讓我把一個最近聽到的小故事講給你聽吧。一隻老鼠給逮在捕鼠籠裡了；老鼠快樂地吃著擺在籠子裡的干酪時，有一隻貓在籠子旁邊。老鼠顫抖了一會兒，不過它心裡明白，身在籠子裡，它是安全的。 "於是貓開口道：我的朋友，你正在吃你最後的一餐啊。"，是的，老鼠答道：我只有一條命，因此隻死一次。可你又如何呢？據說你有九條命。 難道這不是意味著你必須死九次嗎？ "農民瞧瞧詩人，說："這豈不是個新奇的故事嗎？ "詩人沒有回答農民，他走了開去，心靈裡卻在尋思："千真萬確，我們有九條命，確確實實是九條命。因而我們要死九次，確實要死九次。也許，還不如只有一條命，給逮在一隻籠子裡一一一過著一個農民的生活，只有一小片乾酪作他的最後一餐。然而，難道我們不是沙漠和林莽裡的獅子的親戚嗎？ "

The Mouse And The Cat Once on an evening a poet met a peasant. The poet was distant and the peasant was shy, yet they conversed. And the peasant said, "Let me tell you a little story which I heard of late. A mouse was caught in a trap, and while he was happily eating the cheese that lay therein, a cat stood by. The mouse trembled awhile, but he knew he was safe within the trap.

"Then the cat said, You are eating your last meal, my friend. "Yes, answered the mouse, one life have I, therefore one death. But what of you? They tell me you have nine lives. Doesnt that mean that you will have to die nine times?" And the peasant looked at the poet and he said, "Is not this a strange story?"

And the poet answered him not, but he walked away saying in his soul, "To be sure, nine lives have we, nine lives to be sure. And we shall die nine times, nine times shall we die. Perhaps it were better to have but one life, caught in a trap -- the life of a peasant with a bit of cheese for the last meal. And yet, are we not kin unto the lions of the desert and the jungle?"