小猫为啥要求猫头鹰帮忙？
猫头鹰看到小猫捉到田鼠，正要离开，却听到小猫要求帮忙。请看惠言童话第7集《猫头鹰和猫》。
编辑寄语
受疫情影响，自3月16日起，大纽约地区学校陆续关闭，孩子们在家，除了上网课外，各种活动受到限制。如何帮助孩子们度过这个非常时期的枯燥生活，让家长们十分操心。惠言先生在征得参与创作者和组织者同意后，主动向我们编辑部提议，把他正在筹划出版的《惠言童话》18篇绘画本稿子赠给我们网站连载，可以让孩子们在网上看到和听到这些故事，有助于提高他们的中文阅读和听力水平。
故事文稿是基于惠言先生前几年在《世界日报》上发表的故事修改的，中美两地34个孩子们参加了插画稿创作，上海五里桥文化中心张炜玮主任组织“音之魅”诵读沙龙的语言艺术家们创作了9个朗诵作品。希望这些生动有趣的故事、童趣洋溢的图画和美妙的朗诵艺术作品，能伴随孩子们度过新冠疫情这个困难时期。对此，我们向惠言先生；英文稿的校阅者Jason Kenny先生和赵蒙皓女士；上海五里桥文化中心及“音之魅”诵读沙龙语言艺术家们；参与画稿创作的孩子们及其家长表示衷心感谢！
本网站将于5月4日（周一）起，每逢周一、三、五连载推出，每次一篇《惠言童话》故事，大约持续六周，欢迎大家下载收看收听。
7.猫 头 鹰 和 猫
The Owl and the Cat
文： 惠言
画： 郑高馨（7岁，图1-5）；张语吟（10岁，图6-9）
英文校阅： Jason Kenny & 赵蒙皓
中文朗诵： 童国雄
英文朗诵： Zoe Xu（徐若一）& Vivien Xu（徐温惠）
7.猫头鹰和猫中文朗诵
7.猫头鹰和猫英文朗诵
村庄附近山林的树洞里住着猫头鹰一家，邻近的岩洞里住着猫妈妈和刚开始学捕猎的小猫。
The owl family lived in the hole of a tree in a mountain forest near the village. The mother cat lived in a nearby cave with her young cat that had just started to learn how to hunt.
一个月朗星稀的晚上，猫头鹰妈妈翱翔夜空，
One evening, under the bright moonlight and twinkling stars, the mother owl flew high in the sky.
她发现有两只田鼠在啃食庄稼地里的玉米，也看到小猫潜伏在草丛里准备出击。
She found two voles eating corn in a field. She also saw that the little cat was lurking in the bushes ready to strike.
田鼠听到了小猫笨拙的拨草声，分两个方向仓促逃窜，猫头鹰看到小猫紧追一只田鼠，于是展翅扑向另一只。当猫头鹰叼起猎物准备回家时，听到小猫叫她：“猫头鹰阿姨，能不能帮帮我？”
The voles heard the sound of the little cat, and fled in separate directions. The owl saw the little cat chasing one vole, so she stretched her wings and pounced on the other. After picking up her prey, the owl was ready to go home. She suddenly heard the little cat ask her, “Great owl, can you please help me?”
猫头鹰关心地问：“怎么啦？有什么需要帮忙？”小猫答：“我抓到一只田鼠，但是我需要两只。”猫头鹰有点纳闷：“这么肥的田鼠，一只也应该够你饱餐一顿了嘛。”小猫解释：“我妈腿受了伤，不能捕猎。我昨天只抓到一只小老鼠，她让我吃了，只有我带回两只田鼠，她才会与我分享。妈妈挨饿两天了，我很着急，自己抓不到，想求您帮助多抓一只田鼠。”
The owl asked with concern, “What’s the matter? What can I do for you?” The little cat said, “I caught a vole, but I need two.” The owl was a little suspicious, “One fat vole should be enough for you to enjoy a wonderful meal.”The little cat explained, “My mom’s leg was injured so she could not hunt. I only caught one little mouse yesterday, which she let me eat. She will only eat herself if I bring two voles. My mother has been hungry for two days; I am very worried about her. I cannot catch two by myself, so I wonder if I can ask you to help me catch one more vole.”
猫头鹰恍然大悟：“怪不得这两天没看到你妈妈。这事好办，你先回家，我再抓只田鼠给你送过去。”猫妈妈看到小猫叼着一只田鼠放到自己面前，高兴地说：“你一天没有吃东西了，肚子该饿了，快吃吧。”小猫说：“妈妈你吃吧，你比我更饿，你两天没吃了。”猫妈妈坚持要小猫吃，小猫说：“我已请求猫头鹰阿姨帮助，她会送田鼠来，你就先吃吧。”猫妈妈仍坚持让小猫吃。
The owl realized what was going on, “No wonder I hadn’t seen your mother for the past two days. It’s easy, you go home first. I’ll catch more voles and send two to you later.” The mother cat saw that her little cat had come back with a vole in his mouth and said happily, “You didn’t eat for a day and must be hungry. Go ahead and eat it right now.” The little cat said, “Mom, you eat first, you are hungrier than me, you didn’t eat for two days.” But the mother cat insisted that the little cat eat first. The little cat said, “I have asked the great owl to help me; she will send us more voles later. Please eat first.” The mother cat still insisted on her little cat eating first.
这时，猫头鹰爪子上抓着一只、嘴上叼着一只田鼠飞进来。猫头鹰把两只田鼠放到猫妈妈面前说：“小猫妈，孩子刚学狩猎，猎物自然少。可是你为了孩子挨饿，伤口就不容易好。以后我每天给你送食物，多吃点，伤口就好得快。” 小猫妈非常感激，借机教育小猫说：“快谢谢猫头鹰阿姨，我们要知恩图报。”
At this moment, the owl flew in the cave with one vole in her beak and another vole in her claws. The owl put two voles in front of the mother cat, and said, “Mother cat, your child is just learning to hunt. It’s normal that he doesn’t catch many. But if you go hungry for the sake of your child, the wound would not be easy to heal. From now on I will bring you food every day. Eat more and you will recover faster.” The mother cat was very grateful and thought it was a teachable moment for her child. She turned to her little cat and said, “Hurry, thank the owl. We should always be grateful.”
猫头鹰一边说：“不用谢，邻里应该互相帮忙的。”一边把小猫抓来的田鼠推给小猫吃，夸道：“好孩子，真懂事，知道求援照料受伤的妈妈。”
The owl said, “Don’t mention it. Neighbors should help each other.” The owl pushed the vole caught by the little cat to him and praised him, “Good boy, what a sensible child. You know how to care for your wounded mother.”
随后几天，猫头鹰陆续送来各种食物，猫妈妈不再饿肚子了，迅速恢复健康，带着小猫外出捕猎，小猫学到全部本领。此后，每年春天猫头鹰孵卵期间，总会收到小猫和猫妈妈送来的猎物。
The owl continued to bring all kinds of food over the next few days. The mother cat was no longer hungry and was quickly restored to health. Hunting with the mother cat, the little cat learned all the necessary skills. Since then, every spring when the owl entered the incubation period, she would find food brought there for her by the little cat.
《猫头鹰和猫》 徐若一 画（时年7岁）
作者简介
惠言（实名：诸惠昌）
退休水处理专业工程师，退休后撰写《惠言童话故事》和生活杂记。1946年生于中国浙江省慈溪市，1950年后在上海完成小学和中学。1968年9月毕业于北京清华大学土建系给排水专业。1994年3月在美国犹他州立大学获土木和环境工程硕士学位。长期从事水处理领域科学研究、工程设计和项目管理。
赵蒙皓
资深跨国教育及文化咨询师。曾在纽约市举世闻名的K-12年制道尔顿学校(The Dalton School)任教多年，并曾任美国名校纽约大学（NYU）的客座教授。上海外国语学院，对外汉语系肄业；美国明德大学（Middlebury College），经济学及日本文学文学双学士；美国马里兰大学商学院（University of Maryland）工商管理硕士。
郑高馨简介
郑高馨，女，时年7岁，是上海市打虎山路第一小学一年级的学生。最大爱好就是画画。绘画获奖证书：上海市第三届“好饰家杯”少儿绘画创意大赛低年级组二等奖；2018年上海市杨浦区第三十二届学生艺术节单项比赛动漫画小学组一等奖；2018年第二届全国“晓画家”绘画征集公益活动优胜奖。
张语吟简介
张语吟，女，时年10岁，就读于浙江省慈溪市慈吉小学四年级。喜爱画画，这是我第一次参加插画故事。我喜欢这个小故事，小猫可爱懂事、猫妈妈宽容慈爱、猫头鹰妈妈乐于助人。希望通过我的插画，能让大家更好地理解这个故事，也希望大家喜欢我的画。
童国雄简介
“音之魅”朗诵组负责人，上海市科学生活大使一等奖获得者。
徐若一简介
徐若一，女，今年10岁，在Jefferson小学读五年级，自幼酷爱画画和唱歌，也喜欢游泳和羽毛球。画画作品曾在Westfield，District Art Show上多次展出。
徐温惠简介
徐温惠，女，今年10岁，在Jefferson小学读五年级，喜欢各种运动，比如游泳、滑雪和羽毛球，也喜欢做手工。画画作品曾在Westfield District Art Show上多次展出。
