The Cat and the Mice

Summary

This short story involves a house plagued by mice, which attracts a cat eager to catch and eat them. Realizing the threat posed by the cat, the mice retreat to safety within their holes. Unable to catch the mice in their hidden refuges, the clever cat devises a plan to lure them out by pretending to be dead. However, the mice remain cautious, and one of them declares that despite the cat's deceptive appearance, they will not be tricked into leaving their safe haven. The story highlights themes of caution, cleverness, and the importance of not trusting appearances, making it a useful moral tale for teaching children the value of wisdom and foresight.

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A certain house was overrun with Mice. A Cat, discovering this, made her way into it and began to catch and eat them one by one. Fearing for their lives, the Mice kept themselves close in their holes. The Cat was no longer able to get at them and perceived that she must tempt them forth by some device. For this purpose she jumped upon a peg, and suspending herself from it, pretended to be dead. One of the Mice, peeping stealthily out, saw her and said, “Ah, my good madam, even though you should turn into a meal-bag, we will not come near you.”