Long ago, only the cats had the ability to trace their prey by its odour , while the other animals used their vision to discover their prey.
The dog knew that was the best way to hunt a prey so he decided to visit the cat.
“Mr. Cat, can you teach me the skill to trace the prey by its odour? It is very efficient and convenient.”
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.
“You have not learnt the skill yet,” said the cat. “You have to stay longer.”
“But I have to go home now,” the dog insisted.
“All right,” the cat said, “you may go back tomorrow but not today.”
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.”
After a while, the dog came. “Where is the teacher?” he asked.
“He went out early in the morning and I don't know where he went,” the cat's wife answered.
Actually, the cat intended to test whether the dog had learnt how to trace any prey by its odour. The dog started by following the footprints of the cat. However, after a short distance, the cat had jumped from one rock to another and then gone into a cave. Then he came out from the other side and leapt onto a tree.
The dog followed the seemingly vanishing footprints of the cat and he came to the two rocks. He entered the cave and managed to come out from the other side of it. 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.
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.”
Since then, the dog only knows how to trail its prey on the ground.
很久以前，只有猫能够凭气味追踪猎物，其他动物只会靠视觉寻找猎物。
狗觉得借助嗅觉才是捕猎的最好方法，于是他去拜访猫。
“猫先生，您能教我凭气味追踪猎物的方法吗？那方法想必高效便捷。”
猫答应了，让狗在学习期间就住在自己家里。几天以后，狗觉得自己已经掌握了本领，就想要回家了。
“你还没学会呢，”猫说，“再待一阵儿吧。”
“我现在就要回家。”狗很坚持。
“行吧，”猫说，“要走也是明天，今天不行。”
第二天早上，猫对妻子说：“狗要是来道别，你就说我出门去了。他要是问我去哪儿了，你就说你不知道。”
一会儿，狗来了。“师傅呢？”他问。
“他一大早就出门了，我也不知道他去哪儿了。”猫的妻子回答道。
其实，猫是想试试狗，看他到底有没有学会凭借气味追踪猎物的本领。只见狗开始沿着猫的脚印寻找。走了没多远，猫从一块石头跳到另一块石头上，然后钻进了山洞里。之后，猫又从山洞的另一个出口跑出来，跳上了一棵树。
狗沿着猫的脚印来到了两块石头跟前，从这开始脚印好像消失了。他钻进山洞，从另一个洞口跑出来，最后来到了树下，根本看不到一个脚印。狗只能围着树打转转，根本找不到猫的藏身之处。
猫趴在树冠上，观察着狗的一举一动。最后，猫说：“抬头往上看，你还没有完全掌握本领就急着要走。看见了吧，你还是一无所知。”
从那以后，狗只会在地上找猎物。
-odour [ˈəʊdə(r)] n. 气味
-leap [liːp] v. 跳跃
万事成于坚忍，毁于急躁。