English Original
A cat pounced on a cock and cast about for some good excuse for making a meal of him, for cats do not as a rule eat cocks, and she knew she ought not to. At last she said, "You make a great nuisance of yourself at night by crowing and keeping people awake; so I am going to make an end of you."
But the cock defended himself by saying that he crowed so that men might wake up and set about the day's work in good time, and that they really could not very well do without him.
"That may be," said the cat, "but whether they can or not, I'm not going without my dinner." And she killed and ate him.
The want of a good excuse never kept a villain from crime.
中文翻译
一只猫猛扑向一只公鸡，并想找个好借口吃掉他，因为猫通常不吃公鸡，她也知道自己不该这么做。最后她说：“你晚上打鸣，吵得人们睡不着觉，真是个讨厌鬼；所以我要了结你。”
但公鸡为自己辩护说，他打鸣是为了让人们醒来，及时开始一天的工作，而且人们真的离不开他。
“也许吧，”猫说，“但不管他们离不离得开你，我可不能不吃我的晚餐。”于是她杀死了公鸡并吃了他。
恶人作恶，从不缺少借口。