Long ago, only the cats had the ability to trace their prey¹ by its odour², while the other animals used their vision to discover their prey.

上古时期，只有猫有根据气味来追寻猎物的本领，而别的动物只能靠眼睛去发现猎物。

The dog knew that was the best way to hunt a prey so he decided³ to visit the cat.

狗知道这是一种极好的狩猎方法。于是，狗决定去找猫。

“Mr. Cat, can you teach me the skill to trace the prey by its odour？ It is very efficient and convenient.”

“猫先生，根据气味来追寻猎物这种方法既灵验又方便，你能传授我这门本领吗？”

The cat agreed to teach the dog and to let him stay in his house during the lessons. After a few days, the dog thought that he could use the skill and he wanted to go home.

猫答应了狗的请求，并让狗在学习时间住在自己的家里。过了几天，狗认为自己已经掌握了这门本领，便想回家。

“You have not learnt the skill yet,”said the cat.“You have to stay longer.”

猫说：“你还没有学会全部的本事呢！你还得再待些日子！”

“But I have to go home now,”the dog insisted.

“但是我现在必须回家呀。”狗坚持说。

“All right,”the cat said,“you may go back tomorrow but not today.”

“那好吧！”猫说，“但你今天别回，明天再回吧！”

The next morning, the cat said to his wife,“When the dog comes to bid farewell, tell him that I have gone out. When he asks where, tell him that you don't know.”

第二天一早，猫对妻子说：“狗来告别时，你就告诉它我出去了。它问我到哪儿去了，你就说不知道。”

After a while, the dog came.“Where is the teacher？”he asked.

不一会儿，狗来了。“老师呢？”狗问道。

“He went out early in the morning and I don't know where he went,”the cat's wife answered.

“它一早就出门了，我不知道它上哪儿去啦。”猫的妻子回答道。

Actually, the cat intended to test whether the dog had learnt how to trace any prey by its odour.

其实猫是要考验一下狗是否已学会了根据气味来寻找猎物的本领。

The dog started by following the footprints of the cat. However, after a short distance, the cat had jump from one rock to another and then gone into a cave.

于是，狗开始顺着猫的脚印去追踪猫的去向。可是，猫离开家走了一段路后，就没有在地上行走了。它从一块石头跳到另一块石头上，然后跳进一个山洞，又从另一个洞口爬出来

Then he came out from the other side and leapt onto a tree.

最后跳到了一棵大树上。

The dog followed the seemingly⁴ vanishing footprints of the cat and he came to the two rocks.

于是，狗开始顺着猫的脚印去追踪猫的去向。

He entered the cave and managed to come out from the other side of it.

它也进了山洞，并竭力从另一个洞口出来。

At last, he came to the tree but he could not find any footprint. The dog could not trace the cat though he kept going round and round the tree.

最后，当狗走到树下时，猫的脚印没有了。狗找不到猫的痕迹，就绕着树走来走去。

The cat stayed on top of the tree watching every move of the dog. Finally, he said,“Look up！ You have not completely learnt the skill and yet you are ready to leave. You can see now that you are still ignorant.”

猫在树上，把这一切情形看得清清楚楚。最后，猫说：“往上看！你还没有学好本事，就打算匆匆离去，结果还不是一只没学问的狗！”

Since then, the dog only knows how to trail its prey on the ground.

直到今天，狗都只会在地面上追寻猎物。