TheZenofCat

　　TheManwasverysad.HeknewthattheCat’sdayswerenumbered.Thedoctorhadsaidtherewasn’tanythingmorethatcouldbedone,thatheshouldtaketheCathomeandmakehimascomfortableaspossible.

　　ThemanstrokedtheCatonhislapandsighed.TheCatopenedhiseyes,purredandlookedupattheMan.AtearrolleddowntheMan’scheekandlandedontheCat’sforehead.TheCatgavehimaslightlyannoyedlook.

　　“Whydoyoucry,Man?”theCatasded.“Becauseyoucan’tbearthethoughtoflosingme?Becauseyouthinkyoucanneverreplaceme?”TheMannodded“yes.”

　　“AndwheredoyouthinkI’llbewhenIleaveyou?”theCatasked.TheManshruggedhelplessly.“Closeyoureyes,Man,”theCatsaid.TheMangavehimaquestioninglook,butdidashewastold.

　　“Whatcoloraremyeyesandfur?”theCatasked.“Youreyesaregoldandyourfurisarich,warmbrown,”theManreplied.

　　“Andwhereisitthatyoumostoftenseeme?”askedtheCat.“Iseeyou…onthekitchenwindowsillwatchingthebirds…onmyfavoritechair…onmydesklyingonthepapersIneed…onthepillownexttomyheadatnight.”“Then,wheneveryouwishtoseeme,allyoumustdoiscloseyoureyes,”saidtheCat.

　　“Pickupthatpieceofstringfromthefloor——there,my‘toy.’”TheManopenedhiseyes,thenreachedoverandpickedupthestring.ItwasabouttwofeetlongandtheCathadbeenabletoentertainhimselfforhourswithit.“Nowtakeeachendofthestringinonehand,”theCatordered.TheMandidso.

　　“Theendinyourlefthandismybirthandtheendinyourrighthandismydeath.Nowbringthetwoendstogether,”theCatsaid.TheMancomplied.

　　“Youhavemadeacontinuouscircle,”saidthecat.“Doesanypointalongthestringappeartobedifferent,worseorbetterthananyotherpartofthestring?”TheManinspectedthestringandthenshookhishead“no.”

　　“Closeyoureyesagain,”theCatsaid.“Nowlickyourhand.”TheManwidenedhiseyesinsurprise.

　　“Justdoit,”theCatsaid.“Lickyourhand,thinkofmeinallmyfamiliarplaces,thinkaboutallthepiecesofstring.”

　　TheManfeltfoolish,lickinghishand,buthedidashewastold.Hediscoveredwhatacatmustknow,thatlickingapawisverycalmingandallowsonetothinkmoreclearly.Hecontinuedlickingandthecornersofhismouthturnedupwardintothefirstsmilehehadshownindays.HewaitedfortheCattotellhimtostop,andwhenhedidn’t,heopenedhiseyes.TheCat’seyeswereclosed.TheManstrokedthewarm,brownfur,buttheCatwasgone.

　　TheManshuthiseyeshardasthetearspoureddownhisface.HesawtheCatonthewindowsill,theninhisbed,thenlyingacrosshisimportantpapers.Hesawhimonthepillownexttohishead,sawhisbrightgoldeyesanddarkestbrownonhisnoseandears.Heopenedhiseyesandthroughhistearslookedoveratthecircleofstringhestillheldclutchedinhishand.

　　Oneday,notlongafter,therewasanewCatonhislap.Shewasalovelycalicoandwhite…verydifferentfromhisearlierbelovedCatandverymuchthesame.

　　一只猫的生命哲学

　　　男人非常伤心.他知道猫余下的日子不多了.医生说已经没得治了,他只能把猫带回家,并尽可能地让他在剩下的时间里过得舒服些.

　　男人把猫放在腿上,叹了口气.猫睁开眼睛,呼噜呼噜地叫着,抬眼看了看男人.一滴眼泪从男人的脸颊边滑落,落在了猫的额头上.猫有点不高兴地看了他一眼.

　　“你哭个什么啊,伙计?”猫问道,“因为你无法承受将要失去我的念头?因为你认为永远都没有什么能代替我?”男人点了点头.“是啊.”

　　“那么你认为我离开你以后,会到什么地方去了呢?”猫问道.男人无望地耸了耸肩.“闭上眼睛吧,伙计,”猫说.男人疑惑地看了他一眼,但还是听话地闭上了眼睛.

　　“我的眼睛和毛皮是什么颜色的?”猫问.“你的眼睛是金色的