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Why A Cat Washes Its Face After Meals

(Old stories of Lithuanian)

Translation　ちいさな翻訳屋さん

Japanese　←→　Japanese ＆ English　←→　English

　From ancient times, cats lick their faces and hands to keep them clean after meals.

　Unlike us, why don’t they wash before meal?

　The following story explains why.



　Once upon a time, a sparrow was pecking some wheat grain in a farmer's backyard.

　It was eating grain by grain, coming back and forth.

　The farmer’s cat happened to find it.

　The cat tried to catch the sparrow to eat.

　Then,

“Wait! Please wait!”

　crying out the sparrow, bating its wings.

“Are you going to eat me?”

“Of course. So what?”

　said the cat and it was about to gnaw the head of the sparrow.

“Aren’t you ashamed?”

“Ashamed of what?”

“Aren’t you supposed to wash your face?

　Your master and his family wash their faces and hands before meals, don’t they?

　I’m sure you know that.”

“I see. That’s right.”

　The cat took its hands off of the sparrow to wash its face.

　Soon after that, the sparrow spread its wings and quickly flew into the sky.

“Oh, shoot!”

　The cat regretted so much that it was shaking.

“Ok. I won’t be fooled again.

　Humans do whatever they want to do.

　But from now on, I’ll wash my face after meals.”



　Since then, the cat had washed its face and hands after meals.

The end

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