231-928-914 Калашник В.Н., учитель литературы
231-577-128 Хозивалиева М.П., библиотекарь
297-988-535 Вяткина Л.Л., учитель английского языка
404-776-873 Морева Л.В., библиотекарь
МБОУ «Лицей №2 им В.В. Разуваева» г. Астрахань

HE CAT THAT WALKED BY HIMSELF (PART 1)

The Author:

Hear and attend and listen; because it happened when the tame animals were wild. The Dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild—as wild as wild could be— and they walked in the Wet Wild Woods. But the wildest of all the wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself, and all places were alike to him/
Of course the Man was wild too. He was very wild. He didn't even begin to be tame till he met the Woman, and she told him that she did not want to live like he lived. She found a nice dry Cave;  and she lit a nice fire at the back of the Cave; and she hung a dried wild-horse skin across the mouth of the Cave; and she said, "Wipe your feet, dear, when you come in, and now we'll keep house."

And in the Wet Wild Woods all the wild animals gathered together where they could see the light of the fire and they wondered what it meant. 

The Horse:
 -  "O my Friends and О my Enemies, why have the Man and the Woman made that great light in that great Cave, and what harm will it do us?"      
             
     The Author:                 
Wild Dog lifted his wild nose and smelled the smell of roast mutton, and said,   
                          
The Dog:                                                                             
 "I will go up and see and look; because I think it is good. Cat, come with me."

The Cat:
"No! I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. I will not come."

The Dog:
"Then we can never be friends again,"   

The Author:
  The Wild Dog ran to the Cave.  But then the Cat said to himself, 

The Cat:
"All places are alike to me. I can go and see and look and come away at my own liking."   

 The Author:                                                                                                            So he followed Wild Dog softly, very softly, and hid himself where he could hear everything.
When Wild Dog came to the mouth of the Cave, he lifted up the dried horse-skin with his nose and smelled the beautiful smell of the roast mutton, and the Woman heard him, and laughed, and said:

The Woman:
"Here comes the first. Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, what do you want?"

The Dog:
 "O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, what is this that smells so good in the Wild Woods?"

The Author:                 
Then the Woman took a roast mutton-bone and threw it to
 Wild Dog, he tasted the bone, and he liked it very much, and said:    
The Dog: 
 "O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, give me another."

The Woman:
 "Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, help my Man to hunt in the day and guard this Cave at night, and I will give you as many roast bones as you want."

The Cat:
 "That is a very wise Woman, but she is not so wise as I am."

Wild Dog:
 "O my Friend and Wife of my Friend, I will help your Man to hunt in the day, and at night I will guard your Cave."

The Cat:
"Ah! That is a very foolish Dog." 
(And he went back through the Wet Wild Woods, waving his wild tail, and walking by himself.) 

The Man:    (appearing in the Cave)
 "What is Wild Dog doing here?"  

The   Woman:  
"His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting."

The Author: 
  Next night the Woman cut fresh grass from the valley and dried it before the fire, so that it smelt wonderful, and she sat at the mouth of the Cave, and she looked at the mutton-bone and she made a Magic.
And in the Wild Woods all the animals gathered together and wondered what had happened to Wild Dog.  

The Horse:
"I will go and see why Wild Dog has not returned. Cat, come with me."

The Cat:
"No! I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. I will not come."  ( But he went after Wild Horse softly,  and hid himself where he could hear everything.)

The Woman:  (laughing)
 "Here comes the second. Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, what do you want?"

The Horse:
 "O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, where is Wild Dog?"

The Woman:  
 "Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, you did not come here for Wild Dog, but for the sake of this good grass."

The Horse:
 "That is true; give it to me to eat."

The Woman:  
 "Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, you must be our servant, then you will eat the wonderful grass three times a day."
The Cat:
"Ah, this is a very clever Woman, but she is not so clever as I am."

The Author: 
Wild Horse bent his wild head, and the Woman put the bridle over it.

The Horse:
  "O my Mistress, and Wife of my Master, I will be your servant for the sake of the wonderful grass."

The Cat:
"Ah, that is a very foolish Horse."                                               (And he went back  through the Wet Wild Woods, waving his wild tail and walking by himself. )

The Man:    (coming back from hunting)
 "What is Wild Horse doing here?"  

The Woman:  
 "His name is not Wild Horse any more, but the First Servant, because he will carry us from place to place for always and always and always. Ride on his back when you go hunting."

The Author: 
Next dау Wild Cow came up to the Cave, and the Cat went after her, and hid himself just the same as before; and everything happened just the same as before.

The Cow:
 "I'll give you milk every day for the sake of this wonderful grass." 

The Woman:  (to the Man coming from hunting)
 "Her name is not Wild Cow any more, but the Giver of Good Food: She will give us the warm white milk for always and always and always, and I will take care of her when you and the First Friend and the First Servant go hunting."

The Author: 
Next day when the Cat saw that no other Wild Thing went to the Cave, he walked there by himself; and he saw the Woman and the Cow, and he saw the light of the fire in the Cave, and he smelt the smell of the warm white milk.

The Cat:
  "O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, what is Wild Cow doing here?"

The Woman:  
 "Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, go back to the Woods again. We don't want any more friends or servants in our Cave."

The Cat:
 "I am not a friend, and I am not a servant. I am the Cat who walks by himself, and I want to come into your Cave."

The Woman:  
 "Then why did you not come with the First Friend on the first night?"

The Cat: (very angrily)
 "Has Wild Dog told tales of me?"

The Woman:  (laughing)
 "You are the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to you. You are neither a friend nor a servant. You have said it yourself. Go away and walk by yourself in all places alike."

The Cat:
 "Must I never come into the Cave? Must I never sit by the warm fire? Must I never drink the warm white milk? You are very wise and very beautiful. You should not be cruel even to a Cat."

The Woman:(smiling)
 "I knew I was wise, but I did not know I was beautiful. So I will make a bargain with you. If ever I say one word in your praise, you may come into the Cave."

The Cat:
"And if you say two words in my praise?" 

The Woman:
"I never shall, but if I say two words in your praise, you may sit by the fire in the Cave."

The Cat:
"And if you say three words in my praise?" 

The Woman:
"I never shall, but if I say three words in your praise, you may drink the warm white milk three times a day for always and always and always."

The Cat:
 "Now let the Wild-horse Skin at the mouth of the Cave, and the Fire at the back of  the Cave, and the Milk-pots that stand beside the 
Fire remember what my Enemy and the Wife of my Enemy has said." (And he went away through the Woods, waving his wild tail and walking by himself.)

The Author: 
Cat went far away and hid himself in the Wild Woods and only the Bat that hung inside the Cave knew where Cat hid. Every evening Bat would fly to Cat with news of what was happening. One evening the bat said:

The Bat:
“There is a baby in the Cave. He is new and pink and fat and small, and the Woman is very fond of him.”

The Cat:
“Ah, but what is the Baby fond of?”

The Bat:
“He is fond of things that are soft and tickle. He is fond of warm things to hold in his arms when he goes to sleep. He is fond of being played with.”

The Cat:
“Ah, then my time has come.”

The Author: 
Next morning Cat came to the Cave and hid not far from it. Man, Dog and Horse went hunting. The Woman was busy cooking and the Baby cried and interrupted. Then the Cat put out his paddy paw and patted the Baby on the cheek, and it cooed. The Cat rubbed against its fat knees and tickled it under its fat chin with his tail.And the Baby laughed. The Woman smiled.

The Bat:
“Oh, my Hostess and Wife of my Host and Mother of my Host,s Son, a Wild Thing from the Wild Woods is most beautifully playing with your baby.”

The Woman:
“A blessing on that Wild Thing whoever he may be.”

The Cat:
“Oh my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy, it is I, for you have spoken a word in my praise and now I can sit within the Cave for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.”

The Woman:
“I will do so because I am at my wits, end but I will not thank you for it.”

The Cat:
“Now I will sing the Baby a song that will keep him asleep for some hours”

The Woman: (looking at her sleeping Baby)
“That was wonderfully done. No question but you are very clever.”

The Cat:
“Oh my Enemy and Wife of my enemy and Mother of my Enemy, it is I, for you have spoken a second word in my praise and now I can sit by the warm fire at the back of the Cave for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.”

A little wee-wee mouse crept out of a corner and ran across the floor.

The Cat:
“Oh my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy
is that little mouse part of your magic?”

The Woman : (jumping  upon the footstool)
“Ouh! Chee! No indeed!”

The Cat:
“Ah, then the mouse will do me no harm if I eat it?”

The Woman:
‘No, eat it quickly and I will ever be grateful to you.”
(Cat jumped and caught the little mouse.)

The Woman:
“A hundred thanks. Even the First Friend is not quick enough to catch little mice as you have done. You must be very wise.”

The Cat:
“Oh my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy, it is I, for you have spoken  three  words in my praise and now I can drink the white warm milk three times a day for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.”

The Author: 
So the Cat keeps his side of the bargain . He kills mice and he is kind to Babies when he is in the house but still he is the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to him.”