Belling the Cat
Short Story on "Belling the Cat"
Some mice lived in the house of a wealthy man. They would sneak into every nook and corner of the house and damage everything they found. The man, fed up with the mice’s tricks, bought a large cat. On the very first day the cat came, she caught two fat rats for her lunch. The others ran in to their holes. But they could not keep to their holes for long. In the evening, some rats felt hungry and came out. They had hardly started nibbling at a fruit cake in the kitchen when he cat pounced upon them. They ran to their holes, but one of them had been caught in the paws of paws cat.
Now the life of the mice became miserable. The cal hunted them like plague. One night they assembled in a dark room. There, they discussed the ways and means by which they could not harm of the cat. The older rats said that they could not harm the cat. They hoped that, some day, the cat would become so fat and lazy that she would not be able to hunt them. One group suggested that they should leave the house and go somewhere else. But this suggest ion was rejected by the majority.
Then one little mouse came out with a bright suggestion. tic said, “We cannot kill the cat. We cannot run away like cowards. But we can put a bell round her neck. This hell would ring and announce her movements well in time, and we would have enough time to run back to our holes.
” This suggestion was greeted with a shout of approval. When the applause had died down, an old rat stood up and said. It is a bright proposal. But let us select the rat who will tie the hell round the cat’s neck. Who volunteers himself for this heroic deed ?“
None answered. Every one tried to hide himself behind his neighbour. Just then the cat pounced upon them. They ran away in panic. h is true that Some things arc easier said than done.
Now the life of the mice became miserable. The cal hunted them like plague. One night they assembled in a dark room. There, they discussed the ways and means by which they could not harm of the cat. The older rats said that they could not harm the cat. They hoped that, some day, the cat would become so fat and lazy that she would not be able to hunt them. One group suggested that they should leave the house and go somewhere else. But this suggest ion was rejected by the majority.
Then one little mouse came out with a bright suggestion. tic said, “We cannot kill the cat. We cannot run away like cowards. But we can put a bell round her neck. This hell would ring and announce her movements well in time, and we would have enough time to run back to our holes.
” This suggestion was greeted with a shout of approval. When the applause had died down, an old rat stood up and said. It is a bright proposal. But let us select the rat who will tie the hell round the cat’s neck. Who volunteers himself for this heroic deed ?“
None answered. Every one tried to hide himself behind his neighbour. Just then the cat pounced upon them. They ran away in panic. h is true that Some things arc easier said than done.
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