honorable punished(punish) promptly
荣誉的 惩罚（过去式） 迅速地
opportunity Bose Tabitha
机会 博兹 塔比瑟
favorite discussion puzzled（puzzle）
偏爱 讨论 困惑（过去式）
persisting（persist） deceived(deceive) fawn
坚持（现在分词） 欺骗（过去式） 小兽崽
1. Bose, the dog, Tabitha, the cat, and Poll, the parrot were alone together. Poll lived in a strong cage, and was expected to stay there, except when she was invited to come out. She was out now, certainly, and the cage door stood open. She was a handsome bird, and a great talker.
2. Bose was a very good fellow, and a useful member of the family. Tabby was a good cat, as cats go. She was fond of milk, and sometimes caught a mouse. She would fawn around you if you had a cooky in your hand, or fly at you with her sharp claws if you chanced to tread on her tail. But she was well enough. Bose and Tabby lived peacefully together. Not a “cat and dogs life” at all, but a friendly sort of life.
3. Polly had tricks that were not agreeable. She would call “Kitty, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!” and when Tabby ran to see why she was wanted, Polly would salute her with a fierce “Scat!” followed by a laugh. And she whistled for Bose so that he was puzzled, and could not tell which was his mistress and which was Polly.
4. Bose and Tabby had been having a little discussion. There stood on the table a sugarbowl, and some empty cups and saucers. Tabby had wished to climb up on the table, and had put her forepaws on the edge of it, but Bose had said, “No, Tabby, not while I am here!”
5. Tabby knew there was no use in persisting, so she dropped the subject. There was nothing on the table but sugar, and she never ate that. She had thought, however, that there might be some small drops of milk in the cups. Now Bose was fond of sugar, but he was much too honest to touch it without leave.
6. While Bose and Tabby were having their little talk, Polly had flown to the table and had helped herself to a lump of sugar, and was now sitting on the droplight, talking to herself. “Polly, Polly! Pretty Polly! Good Polly!”
7. “Oh!” said Tabby, “I have a mind to pull out her tailfeathers.” Bose said nothing. Perhaps he ought to have objected; but his feelings were so strong against Polly, that he felt almost willing to see her punished a little.
8. When Polly had eaten the sugar, she began to call “Kitty, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!” and although Tabby had been deceived before, she allowed herself to think that Polly might possibly have something for her this time; so she promptly obeyed, and was rewarded with the usual “Scat!”
9. “Meow!” said Tabby, as she jumped upon a chair and clawed at Pollys feathers. Polly took no notice of her, but flew to the table for another lump of sugar. Tabby saw her opportunity, sprang after Polly, and seized her by the neck.
10. Bose rushed forward to separate them, and in some way pulled the tablecloth, cups, sugar, parrot, and cat to the floor.
11. Polly feebly muttered, “Polly wants a — ” and then closed her eyes and hung her head. “O Tabby, what have you done!” said Bose, plainly as a dog could say it.
12. “I only meant to pull out her tailfeathers,” said Tabby, “but now she is dead, I might as well eat her.” “No!” said Bose, “I forbid it. Bowwow!”
13. Tabby carried poor Polly under the table, seated herself on the sofacushion, washed her paws, and curled down for a nap. Bose sat on the hearthrug, mournfully gazing at the scene, and saying to himself, “O Tabby, what have we done! What will mistress say!”
14. “If you let me eat Polly, shell think shes lost,” said Tabby. “I will not,” replied Bose, “so dont think of such a thing. Poor Polly! I wish she were alive and on her perch again.”
15. “You do, do you?” said Tabby, “I thought you didnt like her.” “I know it,” said Bose, “but she was a lively bird.”
16. “Yes,” said Tabby. “She had bright feathers, too.” “How fond mistress was of her!” said Bose. “I suppose she liked to hear her talk,” added Tabby.
17. “And well she might. She was a good talker. Worth a dozen of you or me.” said Bose. “She couldnt purr，” said Tabby. “Perhaps she could,” said Bose. “Well, theres one thing we can do,” said Tabby. “We can take Polly, and put a —”
18. “Cracker! Cracker! Polly wants a cracker!” said a husky voice; and Polly herself crawled from under the table, and flew up on the droplight “Polly! Polly! Pretty Polly! Good Polly! Mother！Mother！ Never mind！ Never mind！ Kitty, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty! Scat! Ha, ha, ha, ha!” screamed Polly, ending with a laugh.
19. While Bose and Tabby stood rapt in astonishment, the door opened, and in came the mistress. She gazed at the table a moment. “Bose!” said she, “did you do this mischief?”
20. Bose hung his head and withdrew into a corner, but Tabby came boldly forward with a loud “Purrmeow!” and rubbed against her mistresss dress. “Why, Polly!” said the mistress, as she spied the parrot on her perch, “how did you get out?” and she put her into the cage and fastened the door. “Never mind！ Never mind！ Ha, ha, ha！” said Polly.
21. Then the mistress rang the bell, and as the servant came in to put things to rights. Bose slipped out. Tabby laid herself on the sofacushion, and Polly was presented by her mistress with a large lump of sugar. If Polly the talker could have related to her mistress the whole story, wouldn’t she have been surprised！
Annie Moore
