【英】《伊索寓言》第35集：Venus and the Cat

Once a cat fell in love with a handsome young man. The cat was so sad about her love that she grew thin and sick. The other cats asked her what caused her so much pain.

“I am in love,” the cat said.

“Love,” scoffed an old stray. “Tomcats are plentiful enough.”

“I don’t love a cat! I love a man and I am sure he would love me too, if only I were a beautiful woman.”

“You are a foolish cat,” the old one said as she stalked away.

The younger cats all thought her story was romantic and lovely. They told her that she must climb to the top of Mount Olympus, where the Greek Gods lived. There she should beg the Goddess Venus to change her into a person.

“Venus understands about love,” one cat said. “She will see how much you want this and have pity on you. Then she will change you into the most beautiful woman in the village. You won’t be as lovely as a cat, but the man may like you better.”

So the cat started immediately on the long and dangerous journey up the mountain. Finally she came to the home of Venus and collapsed at the feet of the goddess, too tired even to meow. Venus scooped up the cat and cared for her until she was well again.

“Tell me why you came to me,” Venus said to the little cat.

“I am in love with a man,” the cat said. “But he barely looks at me. He would love me if I were a woman.”

Venus felt sorry for the cat who had gone through so much and she loved the idea of a cat in love. She turned the cat into a beautiful young woman and shared one of her own snow-white gowns with her. She taught the cat nice manners and how to speak in a voice like music. Then she sent the cat down the mountain to meet the young man.

The young man fell in love at once and asked the cat to marry him. They planned a huge wedding with everyone in the village invited.

As they stood before all the people, a mouse darted out of a crack and raced across the feet of the young bride-to-be. She immediately pounced on the mouse and ate it up. This so horrified the young man and his family that they ran away.

Venus turned the cat back into a cat and urged her to be content with what she was. She said, “You must accept that Nature always wins out.”