Chapter 2 A Million Cats - Translated by Lin Zhenmei

Once upon a time, there was an old man and an old lady who lived in a beautiful little house. There are flowers all around the little house.However, the old gentleman and the old lady were not very happy, because they were so lonely. One day, the old lady sighed and said, "If only there was a cat in the house." "A cat?" asked the old gentleman. "Yes, a very small and lovely fluffy cat!" said the old lady. So the old man said, "Okay, then I'll go out and find a cat and bring it back to you." The old gentleman went over the hill and went out to find the cat.

He climbed sunny hills and walked through cool valleys. He walked for a long time, and finally came to a mountain full of cats. Cat on the left and cat on the right.There are cats and kittens everywhere. There are hundreds, thousands, millions, hundreds of millions, trillions of cats. "Wow!" the old man exclaimed happily: "It's great! I'm going to take home the most beautiful cat here." So, the old man picked up a white cat in the cat pile. When he was about to go home, he saw a black and white cat in front of him, and this cat was as cute as the white cat just now.So the old man took the cat away by the way.

After walking a few steps, the old man saw a fluffy gray cat again. Moreover, this gray cat is as cute as the two cats just now.So, the old man also took the gray cat away. Then, the old man found a very cute cat in the corner.The old man felt that it would be a pity not to take it away.So he took the cat away again. At this moment, a black cat came in front.This black cat looks very nice. The old man said: "I can't bear to leave it alone." After speaking, he took the black cat away again. Then the old man saw a cat with brown and yellow stripes. This cat looks like a little tiger.

The old gentleman said loudly: "No matter what, I will take it away." In this way, wherever the old man went, he was reluctant to leave behind every beautiful cat he saw. So, without knowing it, the old gentleman took all the cats away. The old gentleman climbed the sunny hills and walked through the cool valleys to show the old lady the beautiful cats. There are hundreds, thousands, millions, hundreds of millions, trillions of cats, following the old man home. They formed a long, long line. They passed the pond. There are hundreds, thousands, millions, hundreds of millions, trillions of cats saying, "Meow! Meow! I'm so thirsty!"

The old man said: "There is just water to drink here!" Every cat licked a mouthful of water, and then the water in the pond dried up. Hundreds, thousands, millions, hundreds of millions, trillions of cats said, "Meow! Meow! I'm so hungry!" The old man said: "There just happens to be a lot of grass to eat!" So, every cat ate a mouthful of grass, and then the grassland became bare. The old lady waited for a long time, and finally saw the old man come back. In addition, she saw a herd of cats beyond count. "My God!" cried the old lady, "what the hell is going on? I just said I wanted a kitten, and you...?"

Cat on the left and cat on the right.There are cats and kittens everywhere. There are hundreds, thousands, millions, hundreds of millions, trillions of cats. "How can we afford to keep so many cats?" The old lady said, "This family will be eaten up by them." "Ah! I didn't think of this." The old gentleman said, "What should I do?" The old lady thought for a while and said, "Yes! Let these cats decide who to keep!" "Good idea." After the old man finished speaking, he asked the cats, "Who is the most beautiful cat among you?"

"Me!" "It's me!" "No, no, it's me!" "I'm the most beautiful!" "I! I! It's me!" There are hundreds, thousands, millions, billions, trillions of cats vying to say they are the prettiest cat. So these cats started fighting.They fought back and forth, scratched and pulled, making a lot of noise. The old man and the old lady hurried back home.They hate seeing quarrels the most. After a while, there was no more noise outside.The old gentleman and the old lady leaned out of the window to see what was going on. At this time, they found that all the cats were gone.

The old lady said: "They must have been eaten by you and me by you." "What a pity!" The old man poked the grass with his fingers and said, "But, look!" It turned out that there was a frightened kitten sitting in the middle of the haystack.The old gentleman and the old lady picked up the cat. This cat is so thin and small, so thin that only skin and bones are left. "Poor kitten," said the old gentleman, "how come you haven't been eaten with hundreds, thousands, millions, hundreds of millions, trillions of cats?" "Oh, I'm a very humble kitten," said the kitten; "I didn't say anything when you asked who was the prettiest cat, so no cat would bother."

The old gentleman and the old lady took the cat home. The old lady bathed the cat with hot water and combed the cat's fur to make it soft and smooth. The old man and the old lady feed the cat a lot of milk every day. It didn't take long for the kitten to become fat and cute. The old lady said: "This cat is actually very beautiful!" "Yes! This cat is the most beautiful cat in the world!" The old man said, "I know this best. Because I have seen millions, hundreds of millions, and trillions of cats. Where's the cat!" In 1928, Wanda Jiagu completed "A Million Cats".This book, known as the first "true picture book" in the United States, won her the "Newbery Award" and kicked off the "Golden Age of Picture Books" in the 1930s!

Wanda Gag was born in Minnesota, USA in 1893.Although his parents are not professional painters, they both like painting. It is said that the whole family often gathers at the big kitchen table to graffiti together, and the parents who are open-minded and free-spirited never interfere with the children's painting. In addition to loving painting since childhood, Wanda Jiagu also likes to listen to some oral stories of Bohemians told by her grandparents and father.The unique rhythm and connotation of these stories have exerted a subtle influence on her and made her an expert storyteller in the future.

In 1928, she completed "A Million Cats".This book is known as the first "true picture book" in the United States. Whether it is pictures or text, her brushstrokes are smooth and smooth.Wanda Jiagu has always believed that the creation of picture books is an out-and-out artistic creation, so even if the object is a child, she must go all out for it.And it is precisely because of this spirit, as well as her unique style in painting and writing, that "One Million Cats", which is over seventy years old, still has the charm to this day. The birth of "A Million Cats" kicked off the "Golden Age of Picture Books" in the 1930s. Lin Zhenmei is a native of Taichung City, Taiwan Province.Master of Children's Studies, Ochanomizu Women's University, Japan.Worked in early childhood education and "early treatment" for children with developmental disabilities.Currently teaching "Children's Literature" as a part-time course in a university, and often works with children and picture books, and is the creator of the "Big Hands Holding Small Hands" series.