Squeaky was a little gray mouse, who lived with his mother in a dark hole in a cellar. 吱吱是一只灰色的小老鼠，与它妈妈住在地下室的黑洞里。

　　One day he came running to his mother. He was so frightened that his tail shook. 有一天，它跑向妈妈。它非常害怕，以至于尾巴都在颤抖。

　　"Oh, Squeaky," said his mother, "what has happened? Why do you shake so?" “噢，吱吱，”鼠妈妈问，“你怎么啦？怎么抖得这么厉害？”

　　"Mother," answered Squeaky, "I have been out to see the world." 吱吱答道：“妈妈，我出去看外边的世界了。”

　　"I was tired of staying in our little dark home. So I went to the barnyard.  “我厌倦待在我们的昏暗小房子里了，所以去了谷仓场院。

　　There I saw a beautiful animal which looks a little like me." 在那里我看到了一只漂亮的动物，它和我有点儿像。”

　　"Looks like you!" said Mother Mouse. “长得像你？”鼠妈妈说，

　　"No, no, Squeaky. There is no animal in the barnyard that looks like you." “吱吱，不可能。谷仓院子里没有长得像你的动物。”

　　"Yes, mother," said Squeaky. "It really does.  “妈妈，有的，”吱吱说，“它真得像我。

　　It has a smooth gray coat like mine, but it is much bigger than I am." 它和我一样，有光滑的灰色外衣，但比我大多了。”

　　Mother Mouse began to be frightened, too. 鼠妈妈也开始害怕了。

　　"Go on, Squeaky," she said. "Tell me more about this animal." “吱吱，继续说，”它说道，“告诉我关于更多它的事。”

　　Squeaky went on. "It was sitting in the sun and singing a little song. 吱吱继续说道：“它在阳光下坐着，唱着小曲儿。

　　It looked so kind that I wanted to talk to it. I thought it would like little mice." 它看起来很和蔼，我想和它说话。我想它会喜欢小老鼠的。”

　　"Oh, oh! My dear little Squeaky!" cried Mother Mouse. “噢，天哪！亲爱的吱吱！”鼠妈妈叫道。

　　"That is the terrible cat. She does like little mice. She likes to eat them. I hope you didn't talk to her?" “那是可怕的猫。它确实喜欢小老鼠，它喜欢吃它们。我希望你没和它说话。”

　　"No, mother," said Squeaky.  “妈妈，我没和它说话，”吱吱说道，

　　"I did not have time, for just then I saw another animal. How it frightened me!" “我没有时间，因为我随后看到了另一只动物。它吓坏我了！”

　　"Tell me about this strange beast," said Mother Mouse. “告诉我这只奇怪野兽的事，”鼠妈妈说。

　　Squeaky said,"He has a long, sharp nose and a strange red chin that shakes when he walks.  吱吱说道：“它有长长的尖鼻子和奇怪的红下巴，下巴能随着走路摇晃。

　　He looked very fierce. Oh, my! How he frightened me!" 它看起来非常凶猛。噢，天哪！它吓坏我了！”

　　Mother Mouse thought and thought. 鼠妈妈想啊想。

　　What animal could that be? It must be some terrible beast that she had never seen. But Squeaky went on talking. 这是什么动物呢？它一定是自己从未见过的某种可怕野兽。但吱吱还在讲。

　　"He has something red on top of his head, and he has only two legs.  “它的头顶上有红色的东西，只有两条腿。

　　He made a terrible noise. Cock-a-doodle-do! I ran away!" 它还会发出‘喔，喔，喔！’的可怕噪音。然后我就跑开了。”

　　Then Mother laughed so hard that she almost cried. 鼠妈妈大笑，几乎要笑哭了。

　　"Oh, oh!" she said. "What a funny little mouse you are! That is only the rooster.  它说：“天哪！你好有趣啊！那只是一只公鸡。

　　He would not hurt a poor little mouse. Oh, oh! How very funny!" 它不会伤害可怜的小老鼠。噢噢，真搞笑！”

　　Squeaky did not think it was funny. 吱吱不认为它很有趣。

　　"But, mother," he said, "the cat looked so kind, and the rooster looked so very fierce.  “但是妈妈，”小老鼠说，“猫看起来那么和蔼，而公鸡却那么凶猛。

　　How could I tell which one would hurt me?" 我怎么辨别谁会伤害我呢？”

　　Mother Mouse stopped laughing and said,  鼠妈妈停止了笑，说道：

　　"Remember, Squeaky, it is never safe to talk to strange animals.  “吱吱，记住，和陌生动物说话都不安全。

　　You can't tell by their looks which ones are kind." 你不能通过它们的外貌辨别谁和蔼。”