Aesop

The Cat and the Cock

Summary

A cunning Cat catches a Cock and seeks to justify his intention to eat him. The Cat accuses the Cock of being noisy and disrupting people's sleep, presenting this as a reason for consuming him. In defense, the Cock argues that his crowing serves a helpful purpose by waking people up in time for their daily activities. Despite the Cock's reasonable explanation, the Cat dismisses his arguments and proceeds to eat him anyway, illustrating the idea that the deceptive and strong might ignore reason and fairness when they hold power over the weak. This narrative warns of the dangers of manipulative excuses and the potential for injustice when power is abused.

Read Online

A Cat caught a Cock, and pondered how he might find a reasonable excuse for eating him. He accused him of being a nuisance to men by crowing in the nighttime and not permitting them to sleep. The Cock defended himself by saying that he did this for the benefit of men, that they might rise in time for their labors. The Cat replied, “Although you abound in specious apologies, I shall not remain supperless;” and he made a meal of him.

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