Belling the Cat

You might think that a mouse family would have nothing to worry about. After all, what’s so hard about being a mouse?

But one family of mice had a real problem. The problem was a cat. He was a big, mean cat. And he was always trying to catch the poor mice.

He would run after them and sometimes grab one by the tail. How could these little mice ever feel safe? Enough was enough. Something had to be done about that cat.

So the mouse family all got together to talk about their problem. “Maybe we could run away a little faster,” said a young boy mouse. “We are already running as fast as our little legs will take us,” said the mother mouse. “Maybe we could all run after the cat,” said the father mouse.

“What for?” asked the grandmother mouse, who was very smart. “The cat would only run away. He would come back for us another time.” “I have an idea!” piped up the young girl mouse, who was always full of ideas.

“Let’s hang a bell around the cat’s neck. When the cat comes near us, we will hear the bell.

Then we can get away before he hurts anyone.” Everyone loved this idea. At last, the mice would be free of the cat! Then the very smart grandmother mouse asked an important question.

“Who, may I ask, will put that bell on the cat?” Talking is one thing; doing is something else.