One morning they arrived at Cheese Station C and discovered there was no cheese.
They weren't surprised. Since Sniff and Scurry had noticed the supply of cheese had been getting smaller every day, they were prepared for the inevitable1 and knew instinctively2 what to do.
They looked at each other, removed 3 the running shoes they had tied together and hung conveniently4 around their necks, put them on their feet and laced them up5.
The mice did not overanalyze6 things. And they were not burdened with7 many complex8 beliefs.
To the mice, the problem and the answer were both simple. The situation at Cheese Station C had changed. So, Sniff and Scurry decided to change.
They both looked out into the maze9. Then Sniff lifted his nose, sniffed 10, and nodded to Scurry, who took off11 running through the maze, while Sniff followed as fast as he could.
They were quickly off12 in search of New Cheese.
Later that same day, Hem and Haw arrived at Cheese Station C. They had not been paying attention to the small changes that had been taking place each day, so they took it for granted13 their Cheese would be there.
They were unprepared for what they found.
“What! No Cheese?” Hem yelled. He continued yelling, “No Cheese? No Cheese?” as though if he shouted loud enough someone would put it back.
"Who moved my Cheese?" he hollered14.
Finally, he put his hands on his hips15, his face turned red, and he screamed at the top of his voice, “It's not fair!”
Haw just shook his head in disbelief. He, too, had counted on16 finding Cheese at Cheese Station C. He stood there for a long time, frozen with shock17. He was just not ready for this.
Hem was yelling something, but Haw didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to deal with what was facing him, so he just tuned everything out18.
The littlepeoples' behavior was not very attractive or productive but it was understandable.
Finding Cheese wasn't easy, and it meant a great deal more to the littlepeople than just having enough of it to eat every day.
Finding Cheese was the littlepeoples' only way of getting what they thought they needed to be happy. They had their own ideas of what Cheese meant to them, depending on their taste.
For some, finding Cheese was having material things. For others it was enjoying good health, or developing a spiritual sense of well-being19.
For Haw, Cheese just meant feeling safe, having a loving family someday and living in a cozy cottage20 on Cheddar Lane21.
To Hem, Cheese was becoming A Big Cheese in charge of22 others and owning a big house atop23 Camembert24 Hill.
Because Cheese was important to them, the two littlepeople spent a long time trying to decide what to do. All they could think of was to keep looking around Cheeseless Station C to see if the Cheese was really gone.
While Sniff and Scurry had quickly moved on, Hem and Haw continued to hem and haw25.
They ranted26 and raved27 at the injustice28 of it all. Haw started to get depressed29. What would happen if the Cheese wasn't there tomorrow? He had made future plans based on this Cheese.
The littlepeople couldn't believe it. How could this have happened? No one had warned them. It wasn't right. It was not the way things were supposed to be.
Hem and Haw went home that night hungry and discouraged. But before they left, Haw wrote on the wall:
The More Important Your Cheese Is To You The More You Want To Hold On It
The next day Hem and Haw left their homes, and returned to Cheese Station C again, where they still expected, somehow, to find their Cheese.
The situation hadn't changed, the Cheese was no longer there. The littlepeople didn't know what to do. Hem and Haw just stood there, immobilized30 like two statues31.
Haw shut his eyes as tight as he could and put his hands over his ears. He just wanted to block everything out32. He didn't want to know the Cheese supply had gradually been getting smaller. He believed it had been moved all of a sudden.
Hem analyzed the situation over and over and eventually33 his complicated brain with its huge belief system took hold. “Why did they do this to me?” he demanded. “What's really going on here?”
Finally, Haw opened his eyes, looked around and said, “By the way, where are Sniff and Scurry? Do you think they know something we don't?”
Hem scoffed34, “What would they know?”
Hem continued, “They're just mice. They just respond to what happens. We're littlepeople. We're smarter than mice. We should be able to figure this out35.”
“I know we are smarter,”Haw said, “but we don't seem to be acting smarter at the moment. Things are changing around here, Hem. Maybe we need to change and do things differently.”
“Why should we change?”Hem asked, “We're Littlepeople. We are special. This sort of thing should not happen to us. Or if it does, we should at least get some benefits.”
...
While Hem and Haw were still trying to decide what to do, Sniff and Scurry were already well on their way. They went farther into the Maze, up and down corridors36, looking for cheese in every Cheese Station they could find.
They didn't find any for some time until they finally went into an area of the Maze where they had never been before: Cheese Station N.
They squealed37 with delight. They found what they had been looking for: a great supply of New Cheese.
They could hardly believe their eyes. It was the biggest store of cheese the mice had ever seen.
In the meantime, Hem and Haw were still back in Cheese Station C evaluating38 their situation. They were now suffering from the effects of having no cheese. They were becoming frustrated39 and angry and were blaming each other for the situation they were in.
...
Later, Haw had let go of 40 the past and was adapting to41 the present. Better late than never42. He went through the Maze and finally found cheese in Cheese Station N.
Had Hem ever decided to let go and move on? Had he ever entered the Maze and discovered what could make his life better? Haw realized how far he had come since he had been with Hem in Cheese Station C, but knew it would be easy for him to slip back if he got too comfortable. So, each day he inspected 43 Cheese Station N to see what the condition of his Cheese was. He was going to do whatever he could to avoid being surprised by unexpected change.
The Handwriting On The Wall
If You Do Not Change, You Can Become extinct44.
Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old.
The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Find New Cheese.
It Is Safer To Search In The Maze Than Remain In A Cheeseless Situation.
Old Beliefs Do Not Lead You To New Cheese.
When You See That You Can Find And Enjoy New Cheese, You Change Course45.
Noticing Small Changes Early Helps You Adapt To The Bigger Changes That Are To Come.
Change Happens. Anticipate46 Change. Monitor47 Change. Adapt To Change Quickly. Move With The Cheese. Enjoy The Change!
Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again And Again.
他们并不吃惊。因为嗅嗅和匆匆已经察觉到奶酪一天比一天少，对这种不可避免的情况早有心理准备，凭直觉他们知道该怎么办。
他们相互对望了一眼，取下顺手系在脖子上的跑鞋，穿好，然后系好鞋带。
小老鼠没有做过多的分析。他们也没有那么多复杂的信念。
对老鼠来说，问题和答案一样简单。奶酪C站的情况发生了变化。所以，嗅嗅和匆匆也决定作出改变。
他们同时望向迷宫深处。然后嗅嗅扬起鼻子闻了闻，朝匆匆点点头，匆匆立刻跑向迷宫深处，嗅嗅紧跟其后。
他们迅速行动去寻找新的奶酪。
同一天稍晚时，哼哼和唧唧来到奶酪C站。他们一直没有察觉到这里每天发生的细小变化，因此想当然地认为他们的奶酪还在。
面对发现的一切，他们毫无准备。
“怎么！没有奶酪？”哼哼大叫道，然后不停地嚷嚷，“没有奶酪？怎么可能没有奶酪？”好像如果声音足够大，有人就会把奶酪还原似的。
“谁动了我的奶酪？”他大声喊叫。
最后，他把双手叉腰，脸憋得通红，扯着嗓门大叫：“这不公平！”
唧唧一个劲儿摇头，不想信发生的一切。他也指望可以在奶酪C站照旧找到奶酪。他久久伫立，惊呆了。他对这一切毫无准备。
哼哼还在疯狂地叫嚷着什么，但唧唧不想听。他不想面对眼前的现实，只想回避这一切。
小矮人的行为并不可取，而且于事无补，但可以理解。
找到奶酪并不容易，对两个小矮人来说，奶酪绝不只是每天用来填饱肚子的东西，它意味更多。
对他们来说，找到奶酪是他们获得幸福的惟一途径。根据各自的体验，他们对奶酪的意义各持己见。
对某些人而言，奶酪代表一种物质享受；对另一些人来说，奶酪意味着健康，或是一种安康的精神体验。
对唧唧来说，奶酪意味着安定，意味着未来拥有一个可爱的家、生活在奶酪社区舒适的别墅里。
对哼哼来说，拥有奶酪可以使他掌控其他人，还可以在卡门培尔山顶上拥有一座大房子。
由于奶酪对他们太重要，两个小矮人花了很长时间试图决定该怎么办。但他们能够想到的就是在奶酪C站四处寻找，看看奶酪是否真的不见了。
嗅嗅和匆匆迅速行动，而哼哼和唧唧还在哼哼唧唧。
他们嚷嚷说这一切不公平。唧唧开始消沉了。没有奶酪，明天怎么办？他的未来计划全都是以这些奶酪为基础的。
这两个小矮人就是不能接受这一切。这一切怎么可能发生呢？没有人提醒他们，这是不对的。事情不应该是这个样子。
那天晚上，饥肠辘辘的哼哼和唧唧沮丧地回了家。离开之前，唧唧在墙上写下了一句话：
奶酪对你越重要，你就越想抓住它。
第二天，哼哼和唧唧离家重回奶酪C站，他们仍然抱着希望，不管怎么说，希望找到他们的奶酪。
情况依旧，奶酪的确不复存在。小矮人手足无措，站在那里一动不动，就像两尊雕塑。
唧唧紧闭双眼，手捂耳朵，只想把一切堵在外面。他不想知道奶酪一直在逐渐变少。他相信奶酪是突然之间被全部搬走的。
哼哼把情况分析了一遍又一遍，最终，他复杂的头脑及巨大的信念占了上风。“他们为什么对我这样？”他问道。“这里究竟发生了什么事？”
终于，唧唧睁开双眼，看了看周围说：“顺便问一下，嗅嗅和匆匆在哪里？你不认为他们知道一些我们不知道的情况吗？”
“他们能够知道什么？”哼哼嘲弄道。
他继续说：“他们不过是老鼠而已。他们只能对发生的事情做简单的反应。而我们是小矮人，我们比老鼠要聪明。我们应该能够弄清楚这一切。”
“我知道我们更聪明，”唧唧说，“但是，我们目前的行为好像并不聪明。这里的情况在发生变化，哼哼，也许我们需要做一些改变，干些不同的事情。”
“我们凭什么要改变？”哼哼问道，“我们是小矮人，我们不一样。这种事情不应该发生在我们身上。或者说，即使发生了这样的事情，我们至少应该得到一些补偿。”
……
哼哼和唧唧还在争执着，试图决定该怎么办，嗅嗅和匆匆已经很顺利地上路了。他们来到迷宫的更深处，来回穿过一条又一条走廊，在所有奶酪站里寻找奶酪。
好一段时间，他们一无所获，直到他们最终走进迷宫一处从未到过的地方：奶酪N站。
他们高兴得尖叫起来。他们发现了自己一直在寻找的东西：大量的新鲜奶酪。
他们不敢相信自己的眼睛，这是他们曾经见过的最大的奶酪库。
与此同时，哼哼和唧唧仍然回到奶酪C站，揣摩他们的处境。因为没有奶酪，他们备受其苦。他们变得失落、怨恨，并因为身陷困境而相互指责。
……
后来，唧唧放弃了过去，学会了适应现实。亡羊补牢，尤未为晚。他寻遍迷宫，最终在奶酪N站发现了奶酪。
哼哼决定放弃过去、开始行动了吗？他是否走进迷宫发现了改善生活的奶酪呢？唧唧意识到自从在奶酪C站离开哼哼后，自己变化有多大，同时他也知道如果自己太舒适，很容易回到从前的状态。因此每天他都要检查奶酪N站看看奶酪的变化情况。他要尽最大努力避免意外变化带来的吃惊。
迷宫墙上手迹
如果不学会变化，就会毁灭。
经常闻闻奶酪以便知道它们什么时候开始变质。
放弃陈旧的奶酪越快，找到新奶酪也就越快。
寻找新奶酪比呆在空空如也的奶酪站更安全。
旧有的信念不会帮助你找到新奶酪。
发现自己可以找到并
享用新奶酪时，你改变了轨迹。
尽早察觉细微的变化可以帮助你适应即将到来的大变化。
变化时有发生。预期变化。跟踪变化。尽快适应变化。因势而动。享受变化！
随时、尽快做出变化，不断从中得到享受！
2． instinctively adv． 本能地
3． remove v． 摘下
4． conveniently adv． 就便地，省事地
5． lace up 束紧鞋带
6． overanalyze v． 过度分析
7． be burdened with 负重担，麻烦
8． complex adj． 复杂的
9． maze [meiz] n． 迷宫
10． sniff [snif] v． 嗅
11． take off 匆忙离开
12． be off 离开
13． take sth． for granted 认为…理所当然
14． holler v． 发牢骚，大声叫喊
15． hip [hip] n． 臀
16． count on 依靠，指望
17． frozen with shock 惊呆
18． turn out （此处意为）拒绝，排斥
19． spiritual sense of well－being 精神上的康乐 well－being n． 幸福，富裕
20． cozy adj． 舒适的，安逸的
cottage n． 小别墅
21． Cheddar n． 一种干酪 lane [lein] n． 巷区，此处用作地名喻指奶酪丰富的社区
22． be in charge of 负责
23． atop prep． 在…顶上
24． Camembert n． 法国
Camembert 村所产的软质乳酪。此处地名喻指奶酪丰富之地。
25． hem and haw 嗯嗯呃呃(地说)
26． rant v． 咆哮
27． rave [reiv] v． 咆哮 rant and rave 大声叫嚷
28． injustice n． 不公平
29． depressed [di?謖prest] adj． 沮丧的
30． immobilize v． 固定不动
31． statue n． 雕像
32． block．．．out 把…堵在外面
33． eventually adv． 最后，终于
34． scoff v． 嘲笑
35． figure out 了解
36． corridor n． 走廊
37． squeal v． 长声尖叫
38． evaluate v． 评价
39． frustrated adj． 灰心丧气的
40． let go （of） 放弃
41． adapt to 适应
42． Better late than never． 迟做总比不做好。
43． inspect v． 检察
44． extinct adj． 灭绝的
45． course n． 线路