HSK 3 · Chapter 1 · 305 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-cat-that-didnt-come-home

豆腐不见了

The cat that didn’t come home

Name: ________________ Date: ________

爷爷yéye当dāng了le三十sānshí年nián警察jǐngchá，退休tuìxiū十shí年nián了le。可是kěshì每天měitiān早上zǎoshang六liù点diǎn，他tā还hái要yào在zài小区xiǎoqū里走zǒu一yì圈quān。他tā说shuō，这zhè是shì去qù上班shàngbān。

星期一xīngqīyì早上zǎoshang，爷爷yéye刚gāng“下班xiàbān”回家huíjiā，就jiù有人yǒurén敲门qiāomén。

乐乐lèlè放fàng寒假hánjià，住zhù在zài爷爷yéye家jiā。她tā跑pǎo去qù开门kāimén。门口ménkǒu是shì住zhù在zài三sān号hào楼lóu的de赵zhào老师lǎoshī。她tā以前yǐqián是shì小学xiǎoxué老师lǎoshī，现在xiànzài说话shuōhuà还hái像xiàng在zài上课shàngkè。可是kěshì今天jīntiān，她tā的de眼睛yǎnjing红红hónghóng的de。

“老周lǎozhōu，我wǒ儿子érzi不见bújiàn了le！”

她tā说shuō的de“儿子érzi”，是shì她tā的de白bái猫māo豆腐dòufu，很hěn胖pàng很hěn胖pàng。它tā白天báitiān喜欢xǐhuān在zài外面wàimiàn玩wán，可是kěshì每天měitiān晚上wǎnshang，都dōu会huì回家huíjiā睡觉shuìjiào。昨天晚上zuótiān-wǎnshang，它tā没有méiyǒu回家huíjiā。

“它tā太tài胖pàng了le，所以suóyǐ我wǒ让ràng它tā减肥jiǎnféi：一yì天tiān只zhǐ吃chī一yí顿dùn饭fàn，晚上wǎnshang六liù点diǎn。”赵zhào老师lǎoshī说shuō，“它tā是不是shìbúshì生气shēngqì了le，不bù想要xiǎngyào我wǒ了le？”

爷爷yéye两liǎng只zhī手shǒu放fàng在zài背后bèihòu，在zài房间fángjiān里走zǒu了le两liǎng圈quān。“别bié急jí。我wǒ当dāng了le三十sānshí年nián警察jǐngchá，一yì只zhī猫māo，跑pǎo不bù远yuǎn。”

“爷爷yéye，”乐乐lèlè说shuō，“这zhè句jù话huà你nǐ说shuō过guò了le。”

“哪nǎ句jù？”

“三十sānshí年nián警察jǐngchá。今天jīntiān早上zǎoshang，这zhè是shì第三dìsān次cì了le。”

赵zhào老师lǎoshī回家huíjiā以后yǐhòu，乐乐lèlè拿出náchū她tā的de小xiǎo本子běnzi，写下xiěxià了le第一dìyī个gè问题wèntí：

豆腐dòufu一天yìtiān只zhǐ吃chī一yí顿dùn饭fàn，为什么wèishénme还hái那么nàme胖pàng？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
爷爷	yéye	grandpa; paternal grandfather
走	zǒu	to go; to leave
跑	pǎo	to run (a program, test, model)
门口	ménkǒu	doorway; entrance; gate
眼睛	yǎnjing	eye
外面	wàimiàn	outside; out
手	shǒu	hand
远	yuǎn	far; distant
过	guò	(particle) marks a past experience: have ever
次	cì	next; second (as in 次日)
小区	xiǎoqū	residential compound; housing estate
放	fàng	to put; to place

English (for the teacher)

Grandpa was a policeman for thirty years, and he retired ten years ago. But every morning at six, he still walked a lap of the compound. He called it going to work.

On Monday morning, Grandpa had only just got home from “work” when someone knocked at the door.

Lele was on her winter holiday, staying at Grandpa’s. She ran to open the door. It was Teacher Zhao from Building 3. She used to teach primary school, and she still talked as if she were in front of a class. But today her eyes were red.

“Old Zhou, my son’s gone!”

Her “son” was Tofu, her white cat, and it was very, very fat. It liked to play outside during the day, but every night it came home to sleep. Last night, it didn’t come home.

“It’s too fat, so I put it on a diet: one meal a day, at six in the evening.” Teacher Zhao said, “Is it angry with me? Doesn’t it want me any more?”

Hands behind his back, Grandpa walked two laps of the room. “Don’t panic. I was a policeman for thirty years. A cat can’t run far.”

“Grandpa,” said Lele, “you’ve said that before.”

“Said what?”

“Thirty years a policeman. That’s the third time this morning.”

After Teacher Zhao went home, Lele took out her little notebook and wrote down the first question:

If Tofu only eats one meal a day, why is it still so fat?