小貓為啥要求貓頭鷹幫忙？
貓頭鷹看到小貓捉到田鼠，正要離開，卻聽到小貓要求幫忙。請看惠言童話第7集《貓頭鷹和貓》。
編輯寄語
受疫情影響，自3月16日起，大紐約地區學校陸續關閉，孩子們在家，除了上網課外，各種活動受到限制。如何幫助孩子們度過這個非常時期的枯燥生活，讓家長們十分操心。惠言先生在徵得參與創作者和組織者同意後，主動向我們編輯部提議，把他正在籌划出版的《惠言童話》18篇繪畫本稿子贈給我們網站連載，可以讓孩子們在網上看到和聽到這些故事，有助於提高他們的中文閱讀和聽力水平。
故事文稿是基於惠言先生前幾年在《世界日報》上發表的故事修改的，中美兩地34個孩子們參加了插畫稿創作，上海五里橋文化中心張煒瑋主任組織「音之魅」誦讀沙龍的語言藝術家們創作了9個朗誦作品。希望這些生動有趣的故事、童趣洋溢的圖畫和美妙的朗誦藝術作品，能伴隨孩子們度過新冠疫情這個困難時期。對此，我們向惠言先生；英文稿的校閱者Jason Kenny先生和趙蒙皓女士；上海五里橋文化中心及「音之魅」誦讀沙龍語言藝術家們；參與畫稿創作的孩子們及其家長表示衷心感謝！
本網站將於5月4日（周一）起，每逢周一、三、五連載推出，每次一篇《惠言童話》故事，大約持續六周，歡迎大家下載收看收聽。
7.貓 頭 鷹 和 貓
The Owl and the Cat
文： 惠言
畫： 鄭高馨（7歲，圖1-5）；張語吟（10歲，圖6-9）
英文校閱： Jason Kenny & 趙蒙皓
中文朗誦： 童國雄
英文朗誦： Zoe Xu（徐若一）& Vivien Xu（徐溫惠）
7.貓頭鷹和貓中文朗誦
7.貓頭鷹和貓英文朗誦
村莊附近山林的樹洞里住著貓頭鷹一家，鄰近的岩洞里住著貓媽媽和剛開始學捕獵的小貓。
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.
一個月朗星稀的晚上，貓頭鷹媽媽翱翔夜空，
One evening, under the bright moonlight and twinkling stars, the mother owl flew high in the sky.
她發現有兩隻田鼠在啃食莊稼地里的玉米，也看到小貓潛伏在草叢裡準備出擊。
She found two voles eating corn in a field. She also saw that the little cat was lurking in the bushes ready to strike.
田鼠聽到了小貓笨拙的撥草聲，分兩個方向倉促逃竄，貓頭鷹看到小貓緊追一隻田鼠，於是展翅撲向另一隻。當貓頭鷹叼起獵物準備回家時，聽到小貓叫她：「貓頭鷹阿姨，能不能幫幫我？」
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?”
貓頭鷹關心地問：「怎麼啦？有什麼需要幫忙？」小貓答：「我抓到一隻田鼠，但是我需要兩隻。」貓頭鷹有點納悶：「這麼肥的田鼠，一隻也應該夠你飽餐一頓了嘛。」小貓解釋：「我媽腿受了傷，不能捕獵。我昨天只抓到一隻小老鼠，她讓我吃了，只有我帶回兩隻田鼠，她才會與我分享。媽媽挨餓兩天了，我很著急，自己抓不到，想求您幫助多抓一隻田鼠。」
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.”
貓頭鷹恍然大悟：「怪不得這兩天沒看到你媽媽。這事好辦，你先回家，我再抓只田鼠給你送過去。」貓媽媽看到小貓叼著一隻田鼠放到自己面前，高興地說：「你一天沒有吃東西了，肚子該餓了，快吃吧。」小貓說：「媽媽你吃吧，你比我更餓，你兩天沒吃了。」貓媽媽堅持要小貓吃，小貓說：「我已請求貓頭鷹阿姨幫助，她會送田鼠來，你就先吃吧。」貓媽媽仍堅持讓小貓吃。
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.
這時，貓頭鷹爪子上抓著一隻、嘴上叼著一隻田鼠飛進來。貓頭鷹把兩隻田鼠放到貓媽媽面前說：「小貓媽，孩子剛學狩獵，獵物自然少。可是你為了孩子挨餓，傷口就不容易好。以後我每天給你送食物，多吃點，傷口就好得快。」 小貓媽非常感激，藉機教育小貓說：「快謝謝貓頭鷹阿姨，我們要知恩圖報。」
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.”
貓頭鷹一邊說：「不用謝，鄰里應該互相幫忙的。」一邊把小貓抓來的田鼠推給小貓吃，誇道：「好孩子，真懂事，知道求援照料受傷的媽媽。」
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.”
隨後幾天，貓頭鷹陸續送來各種食物，貓媽媽不再餓肚子了，迅速恢復健康，帶著小貓外出捕獵，小貓學到全部本領。此後，每年春天貓頭鷹孵卵期間，總會收到小貓和貓媽媽送來的獵物。
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.
《貓頭鷹和貓》 徐若一 畫（時年7歲）
作者簡介
惠言（實名：諸惠昌）
退休水處理專業工程師，退休後撰寫《惠言童話故事》和生活雜記。1946年生於中國浙江省慈溪市，1950年後在上海完成小學和中學。1968年9月畢業於北京清華大學土建系給排水專業。1994年3月在美國猶他州立大學獲土木和環境工程碩士學位。長期從事水處理領域科學研究、工程設計和項目管理。
趙蒙皓
資深跨國教育及文化諮詢師。曾在紐約市舉世聞名的K-12年制道爾頓學校(The Dalton School)任教多年，並曾任美國名校紐約大學（NYU）的客座教授。上海外國語學院，對外漢語系肄業；美國明德大學（Middlebury College），經濟學及日本文學文學雙學士；美國馬里蘭大學商學院（University of Maryland）工商管理碩士。
鄭高馨簡介
鄭高馨，女，時年7歲，是上海市打虎山路第一小學一年級的學生。最大愛好就是畫畫。繪畫獲獎證書：上海市第三屆「好飾家杯」少兒繪畫創意大賽低年級組二等獎；2018年上海市楊浦區第三十二屆學生藝術節單項比賽動漫畫小學組一等獎；2018年第二屆全國「曉畫家」繪畫徵集公益活動優勝獎。
張語吟簡介
張語吟，女，時年10歲，就讀於浙江省慈溪市慈吉小學四年級。喜愛畫畫，這是我第一次參加插畫故事。我喜歡這個小故事，小貓可愛懂事、貓媽媽寬容慈愛、貓頭鷹媽媽樂於助人。希望通過我的插畫，能讓大家更好地理解這個故事，也希望大家喜歡我的畫。
童國雄簡介
「音之魅」朗誦組負責人，上海市科學生活大使一等獎獲得者。
徐若一簡介
徐若一，女，今年10歲，在Jefferson小學讀五年級，自幼酷愛畫畫和唱歌，也喜歡游泳和羽毛球。畫畫作品曾在Westfield，District Art Show上多次展出。
徐溫惠簡介
徐溫惠，女，今年10歲，在Jefferson小學讀五年級，喜歡各種運動，比如游泳、滑雪和羽毛球，也喜歡做手工。畫畫作品曾在Westfield District Art Show上多次展出。
