ACCORDING to the decree of Heaven, there once lived in the Persian city of Kerman a cat like unto a dragon—a longsighted cat who hunted like a lion; a cat with fascinating eyes and long whiskers and sharp teeth. Its body was like a drum, its beautiful fur like ermine skin.
Nobody was happier than this cat, neither the newly-wedded bride, nor the hospitable master of the house when he looks round on the smiling faces of his guests.
This cat moved in the midst of friends, boon companions of the saucepan, the cup, and the milk jug of the court, and of the dinner table when the cloth is spread.
Perceiving the wine cellar open, one day, the cat ran gleefully into it to see if he could catch a mouse, and hid himself behind a wine jar. At that moment a mouse ran out of a hole in the wall, quickly climbed the jar, and putting his head into it, drank so long and so deeply that he became drunk, talked very stupidly, and fancied he was as bold as a lion.
"Where is the cat?" shouted he, "that I may off with his head. I would cut off his head as if on the battlefield. A cat in front of me would fare worse than any dog who might happen to cross my path."
The cat ground his teeth with rage while hearing this. Quicker than the eye could follow, he made a spring, seized the mouse in his claws, and said, "Oh, little mouse, now will you take off my head?"
"I am thy servant," replied the mouse; "forgive my sin. I was drunk. I am thy slave; a slave whose ear is pierced and on whose shoulder the yoke is."
"Tell fewer lies," replied the cat. "Was there ever such a liar? I heard all you said and you shall pay for your sin with your life. I will make your life less than that of a dead dog."
根据上帝的安排,从前波斯科曼尔有一只猫，他有着像龙一样的本领-他可以像一头有远视眼似的狮子般捕猎动物,他有着迷人的眼睛、长长的胡须和锋利的牙齿。他的身子圆鼓鼓的,他美丽的皮毛跟貂皮一样顺滑。
没人比这只猫更幸福,无论是新娘在新婚的时候,还是当热情好客的主人在微笑环视他的客人的时候。
当餐桌布在桌面铺开的时候，这只猫开始在院子里和餐桌上的平底锅、杯子、牛奶罐之间跑老跑去,它们都是他的好朋友。
有一天，酒窖的门打开了,猫兴高采烈地跑进去，看自己是否能抓住一只老鼠,并藏在酒坛子后面。就在那一刻,一只老鼠从墙洞里跑出来,并迅速爬上了酒罐,把他的头伸了进去,喝了好长一段时间,然后老鼠喝醉了,他开始说胡话,幻想着他是一头狮子，他的胆子变得很大。
“猫在哪里?”他喊道,“我要咬掉他的头。我要像在战场上一样咬掉他的头。一只猫在我面前会比一只偶尔路过的狗更惨。”
听到这个，猫气得咬牙切齿。他以迅雷不及掩耳之势，跳起来用爪子抓住了老鼠,说,“哦,小老鼠,你现在要咬掉我的头吗?
“我是你的仆人,”老鼠回答,“请原谅我的罪。我喝醉了。我是你的奴隶。看，我的耳朵耷拉在肩膀上呢。”
“少说谎,”猫回答。“有你这样的骗子吗?你刚说的我都听到了,你必须用一生来赎罪。我会让你活得长不过一条死狗。”