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三怪客泛舟记
Three Men in a Boat

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Chapter12 Montmorency and the cat

On Monday morning， we got up quite early and we went to swim before breakfast． On the way back， Mont－morency behaved very stupidly．

The only thing that Montmorency and I disagree about is cats．I like cats． Montmorency does not．

When I meet a cat， I say hello to it． Then I bend down and I stroke it gently， behind the ears and along the side of its head．The cat likes this．It puts its tail up and it pushes itself against my legs．And there is love and peace．When Montmorency meets a cat， everybody knows about it， and a lot of bad words are used．

I do not really blame Montmorency（usually I just hit him，or throw stones at him），because dogs are like that．They hate cats． But that morning， Montmorency wished that he had not argued with a cat．

As we were coming back from the river， a cat ran out from one of the houses， and it began to walk across the road． Mont-morency saw the cat， gave a shout of real happiness， and ran af－ter it．

It was a big， black cat．I have never seen a bigger cat． It had lost half its tail and one of its ears， but it looked calm and hap-py．

Montmorency ran at that cat as fast as he could，but the cat did not hurry． It did not seem to understand that its life was in danger． It walked on quietly until the enemy was near it．Then it turned and sat down in the middle of the road． It looked at Montmorency in a quiet way， and it seemed to say，'Yes？ You want me？'

Montmorency is quite a brave dog， but there was something in the way the cat looked at him． It frightened him．He stopped suddenly， and he looked at the cat． They did not speak， of course， but it was easy to imagine their conversation．

THE CAT：Can I do anything for you？

MONTMORENCY：No…no，thanks．

THE CAT： Do please tell me if there is something you want，won't you？

MONTMORENCY（ who moves backwards down the road）：Oh， no． Not at all…certainly…I… I'm afraid I've made a mistake．I thought I knew you…I'm sorry．

THE CAT：Notat all．Are you quite sure you don't want any－thing now？

MONTMORENCY（ who continues to move back）：Not at all…thanks…not at all…very kind of you…Good morning．

THE CAT：Good morning．

Then the cat stood up and continued along the road． Mont-morency， with his tail between his legs， walked behind us． He hoped that nobody would notice him．

Now， if you say' Cats！'to Montmorency， he looks up at you， and his eyes beg you，' No， please！'

After this we did our shopping， went back to the boat， and moved off along the river again．However， at Hambledon lock，we found that we had no water．So we went to ask the lock-keeper for some． George spoke for us． He said，' Oh， please，could you give us a little water？''Of course，'the old man replied．'Just take what you want and leave the rest．'

'Thank you very much，'George said，and he looked round．'But where is it？'

'It's where it always is， my boy，'the lock－keeper answered．'It's behind you．'

George looked round again．' I can't see it，'he said．

' Why？ Where are your eyes？'the man said， and he turned George towards the river．

'Oh！'George cried．' But we can't drink the river， you know．'

'No， but you can drink some of it，'the old man replied．' That's what I've drunk for fifteen years．'

We got some water from another house．

After we had got our water， we went on towards Wargrave，but before we got there， we stopped for lunch．

We were sitting in a field near the river，and we were just going to start eating． Harris was preparing the food， and George and I were waiting with our plates．

'Have you got a spoon？'Harris asked．'I need a spoon．'

The basket was behind us， and George and I both turned to get a spoon． It took about five seconds．When we looked back again， Harris and the food had gone．It was an open field， and there were no trees．There was nowhere to hide． He had not fallen in the river， because we were between him and the water．

George and I looked round．Then we looked at each other．Harris had gone—disappeared！ Sadly，we looked again at the place where Harris and the food had been．And then， to our horror， we saw Harris's head-and only his head-in the grass．The face was very red and very angry．

George was the first to speak．

'Say something！'he cried．'Are you alive or dead？ Where is the rest of you？'

' Oh，don't be so stupid！'Harris's head said． 'It's your fault．You made me sit there．You did it to annoy me！ Here，take the food！'

And from the middle of the grass the food appeared， and then Harris came out， dirty and wet．

Harris had not known that he had been sitting on the edge of a hole．The grass had hidden it．Then，suddenly，he had fall－en backwards into it．He said he had not known what was hap－pening to him．He thought， at first， that it was the end of the world．

Harris still believes that George and I planned it．