Lesson 16 Cats

Lesson 16 Cats

Zheng Zeduo

I had cats several times in my house, and they always ended up missing or dead. The third sister likes cats the most, and she often plays with cats when she comes home after class. Once, a newborn cat came from next door. The gray fur is very lively, often rolling in the sunlight in front of the porch like a snowball with dirt. The third sister often took a red belt or a rope, and dragged it back and forth in front of it, and it pounced and grabbed it. I sat on a wicker chair and watched them, smiling and spending an hour or two, when the sun was shining warmly and my heart felt the freshness and joy of life. Later, the cat somehow suddenly lost weight, refused to eat, and its shiny fur was stained, and it lay under the chair in the hall all day long, refusing to come out. Sanmei thought of various ways to tease it, but it ignored it. We're all depressed about it. The third sister specially bought a very small and tiny copper bell, wore it with a red ribbon, and hung it under its neck, but it only seemed disproportionate, it was just a businessless, lazy, depressed lying down. One day, at noon, I came back from the compilation office, and the third sister said sadly: "Brother, the kitten is dead!"

I also feel a wisp of bitterness in my heart, pity the little couple who have been with me for the past two months! At that time, he had to comfort the third sister and said, "It doesn't matter, I'll ask elsewhere for one to give you." ”

A few days later, the second sister came back from her uncle's house in Hongkou, and she said that her uncle had three or four kittens there, which were very interesting and were about to be given to others. The third sister encouraged her to get one. On Sunday, my mother returned, but brought a yellow kitten with her. Immediately, part of the attention of the third sister was attracted by this yellow kitten again. This kitten is more interesting and lively than the first one. It runs around the garden, climbs trees, and sometimes pounces when butterflies fly peacefully by. It seems too lively, not at all afraid of people, sometimes jumping from trees to walls, and running into the street, where it basks in the sun. We are all worried about it, and every day we have to "What about kittens?" What about kittens?" I asked several times. I always have to look for it once every time before I find it. The third sister often pointed to it and scolded with a smile: "You little cat, you have to be caught by beggars so that you won't run around!" When I went home for lunch, I always saw it sitting outside the iron gate, and when he saw me enter the door, he flew in. Entertainment after meals is to watch it climb trees. Hidden in the green leaves of the sun, as if waiting to catch something. I took it down, let it go, and climbed up very quickly. After two or three months, it catches mice. Once, I actually caught a very fat rat, and since then, I no longer hear annoying squeaks at night.

One morning, I got up, put on my clothes and went downstairs, but I didn't see the kitten, I searched in the garden, and I didn't see it. There is some early warning of loss in my heart.

"Third sister, where is the kitten?"

She hurriedly ran downstairs and replied, "I searched for it just now, but I didn't see it." ”

The family was busy searching, but finally disappeared.

Sister-in-law Li said, "I got up early in the morning to open the door, and I saw it in the hall." When I cooked, I disappeared. ”

Everyone was unhappy, as if a dear companion had been lost, and even Aunt Zhang, who had never liked it very much, said: "It's a pity, it's a pity, such a good kitten." ”

There was still a glimmer of hope in my heart that it would run away by chance and might recognize its way home.

At lunch, Aunt Zhang complained: "Just now I met the girl from the Zhou family next door, she said that she saw my kitten outside the door in the morning and was caught by a passer-by. ”

So this loss was confirmed. The third sister was very upset and grunted, "They saw it, why didn't they come out and stop it?" They know it's mine!"

I was also stunned, resentful, cursing the unknown man who took away what we loved.

Since then, my family has not had a cat for a long time.

On a winter morning, a very poor kitten crouched in the doorway. The coat color is white, but it is not good-looking, and it is very thin. It doesn't go. If we don't take it and keep it, we will at least be killed by winter cold and hunger. Aunt Zhang picked it up and fed it every day. But everyone doesn't like it very much, it is not lively, and it is not like other kittens who like to wander stubbornly, as if it is naturally melancholy, even the third sister loves cats like this, and does not pay attention to it. So, after a few months, it was still a vague animal in my house. It gradually became fat, but still not active. When everyone was basking in the sun and chatting in front of the porch, it also often came to crouch at the feet of his mother or third sister. Sanmei sometimes teased it, but was not as interested in the first few kittens. One day, because it was cold at night, it got under the stove, and its hair was burned off several pieces, which made it even more ugly.

When spring came, it became a strong cat, but it still did not change its melancholy, did not catch mice, lazily crouched all day long, and ate fat.

At this time, the wife bought a pair of yellow hibiscus birds and hung them in front of the porch, calling them very well. His wife often told Aunt Zhang to change the water, add bird food, and wash the cage. The white cat also seemed to pay special attention to this pair of yellow birds, often jumping on the table and staring at the birdcage.

The wife said: "Aunt Zhang, pay attention to the cat, it will eat birds." ”

Aunt Zhang ran to catch the cat. After a while, it jumped on the table again and stared at the birdcage.

One day, when I went downstairs, I heard Aunt Zhang shouting: "One bird died, one leg was bitten off, and the cage board was covered with blood." What killed it?"

I hurried down to see, and sure enough, a bird was dead, with loose feathers, as if it had struggled with its enemies for a long time.

I was furious and shouted, "It must be a cat, it must be a cat!" So I immediately went looking for it.

When the wife heard this, she also hurriedly ran down, looked at the dead bird, and was sad, so she said: "Who else is not killed by this cat?" It often looked at the birdcage, and I had long told Aunt Zhang to be careful. Aunt Zhang! Why aren't you careful?"

Aunt Zhang was silent and could not have anything to defend.

So the cat's guilt was confirmed. Everyone went to this disgusting cat and wanted to punish it. I searched for a long time, but I couldn't find it. I thought it was really "absconding".

The third sister called upstairs: "The cat is here." ”

It lies on the terrace board basking in the sun, its attitude is very peaceful, and it seems that it is still eating something in its mouth. I thought it must have been eating the poor bird's legs, and in a fit of rage, he picked up a wooden stick that was leaning on by the door, chased it and beat it. It cried out sadly, "Miuuu So he fled to the roof tiles.

I was still indignant in my heart, thinking that the punishment was not happy yet.

A few days later, Sister-in-law Li shouted downstairs: "Cat, cat! Eating birds again. "At the same time, I saw a black cat speeding across the terrace with a yellow bird in its mouth. I'm starting to think I'm wrong!

I was very sad in my heart, really, my conscience was wounded, and I did not judge clearly, so I made a judgment in vain, and wronged an animal that could not speak and plead. The thought of its irresistible evasion makes me feel that my rage, my abuse, is a needle, a needle that pierces my conscience!

I would love to remedy my mistakes, but it cannot speak, how will I confess my misunderstanding to it?

Two months later, our cat suddenly died on the roof of the neighbor's house. I am much sadder about its loss than the previous two cats.

I'll never have a chance to correct my mistakes!

Since then, my family has never had a cat.

November 7, 1925 in Shanghai