Aesop
|
Greece

Two Cats and a Monkey

Two cats found a piece of bread but could not agree on how to share it, so a clever monkey tricked them and took everything.
Greed
Deception
Problem-Solving
Aesop's Fables - Belling The Cat
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, the mice all got together for a big meeting. They were trying to come up with a way to outsmart their biggest fear, the Cat. Every mouse had different ideas. They were all taking turns to share their thoughts.

A young mouse, not as old as the others, but bright and brave, stood up. He said, "We all know our biggest problem is how the Cat sneaks up on us, right? What if we could know when the Cat is coming, so we could run away in time?" Everyone looked interested, so the young mouse continued.

"I think we should get a small bell and tie it around the Cat's neck with a ribbon. That way, when the Cat is near, the bell will ring, and we'll know to run away!"

All the mice started clapping and cheering. They liked this idea. It sounded really smart. But then, an old mouse, the oldest and wisest of them all, stood up. He looked around at all the excited faces, then said, "That sounds like a good idea, but I have one question. Who will be brave enough to go up to the Cat and tie the bell?"

All the mice fell silent. They all looked at each other, but no one said a word. The old mouse sighed and said, "It's easy to suggest things that sound good but are really hard to do."

Once upon a time, the mice had a big problem. Their greatest enemy, the Cat, was always sneaking up on them. They needed a plan to stay safe.

One evening, all the mice gathered for a meeting. They chattered and squeaked, sharing ideas.

"We could build a trap," one mouse suggested.

"Or hide better," said another.

But no idea seemed to work.

Then, a young mouse stood up. He was small but very clever. "I have an idea," he said. "The problem is that we never hear the Cat coming. But what if we could?"

The other mice leaned in, curious. "How?" one of them asked.

The young mouse's eyes lit up. "We can tie a bell around the Cat's neck. Then, whenever it moves, the bell will ring. We will hear it coming and have time to run away."

The mice gasped. Then, they cheered. "That is brilliant!" they squeaked. "Yes, let's do it!"

Before they could celebrate too much, the oldest and wisest mouse cleared his throat. He slowly stood up and looked around at the excited crowd.

"That sounds like a good idea, but I have one question," he said. "Who will be brave enough to go up to the Cat and tie the bell?"

Silence.

The mice looked at one another. Their tails wiggled. Their ears flopped.

No one spoke.

At last, the wise old mouse nodded. "It is easy to think of a smart plan," he said. "But making it happen is the real challenge."

One day, the mice have a meeting. They talk about the Cat. The mice are scared of the Cat because it is very quiet and catches them. The mice want to be safe.

One little mouse has an idea. The little mouse says, “Let’s put a bell on the Cat. The bell will make a sound. When the Cat comes, we will hear the bell and can run away.”

The other mice like this idea. They say, “Yes, this is a good idea!”

But then, an old mouse says, “Who will put the bell on the Cat?”

All the mice are quiet. No one wants to do it.

Once upon a time, the mice had a big problem. Their greatest enemy, the Cat, was always sneaking up on them. They needed a plan to stay safe.

One evening, all the mice gathered for a meeting. They chattered and squeaked, sharing ideas.

"We could build a trap," one mouse suggested.

"Or hide better," said another.

But no idea seemed to work.

Then, a young mouse stood up. He was small but very clever. "I have an idea," he said. "The problem is that we never hear the Cat coming. But what if we could?"

The other mice leaned in, curious. "How?" one of them asked.

The young mouse's eyes lit up. "We can tie a bell around the Cat's neck. Then, whenever it moves, the bell will ring. We will hear it coming and have time to run away."

The mice gasped. Then, they cheered. "That is brilliant!" they squeaked. "Yes, let's do it!"

Before they could celebrate too much, the oldest and wisest mouse cleared his throat. He slowly stood up and looked around at the excited crowd.

"That sounds like a good idea, but I have one question," he said. "Who will be brave enough to go up to the Cat and tie the bell?"

Silence.

The mice looked at one another. Their tails wiggled. Their ears flopped.

No one spoke.

At last, the wise old mouse nodded. "It is easy to think of a smart plan," he said. "But making it happen is the real challenge."

Once upon a time, in the coziest mousehole you could ever imagine, all the mice gathered around for a super-duper-important meeting. They were trying to figure out how to outsmart the Big Bad Cat. It was like trying to figure out how to tie your shoelaces with your paws – very tricky indeed!

Each mouse had different ideas, some funny, some clever, and some just plain wacky! Imagine trying to tickle the Cat until it left them alone. That's one idea that made everyone giggle.

Then, a young mouse, not very old but very, very smart, stood up and said, "Hey everyone, you know how the Cat always surprises us? What if we could hear it coming? We could all scatter like when someone opens a bag of cheese-flavored popcorn!"

Everyone looked interested, so the young mouse kept going.

"I think we should tie a jingle-jangle bell around the Cat's neck with a fancy ribbon. Then, when the Cat is near, we'll hear 'Ding Ding,' and we'll know to run away!"

All the mice started clapping and hopping up and down. They liked this idea. It was like finding an extra piece of cheese in your lunchbox – a real treat!

But then, an old mouse, the wisest mouse, who had more wrinkles than a crumpled napkin, stood up. He looked around and said, "That sounds great, but I have one question, as tricky as putting toothpaste back in the tube. Who will be brave enough to go up to the Cat and tie the bell?"

All the mice fell as silent as a cheese sandwich. They all looked at each other, but no one said a word.

The old mouse sighed and said, wagging a wise finger, "It's like trying to eat soup with a fork, isn't it? Easy to suggest things that sound good but are really hard to do."

All the mice fell silent, their tails drooping and their ears flat. They looked at each other, but no one said a word. They realized that the wise old mouse was right, and as exciting as the idea was, it was just as tricky as trying to wear socks on their ears.

With a knowing smile, the old mouse added, "But hey, at least we had fun dreaming, didn't we? Sometimes the silliest ideas make the best stories!"

And with that, the meeting was over. There was no bell, no grand plan, but everyone went home knowing that they had something even more valuable - the courage to dream big and friends to share those dreams with.

Gathered 'neath the moon so gleaming,
Mice with plans, their faces beaming.
A feline foe had caused them fear,
So they sought a solution near.

Tiny voices, ideas flow,
Seeking ways to beat the foe.
A little mouse, with spirit true,
Had a plan that felt brand new.

"To warn us," he began to say,
"Let a bell's chime lead our way.
Around the Cat's neck it will be,
Then its jingle will set us free."

Applause arose, so loud and high,
Mice believed they'd touch the sky.
But then a voice, both deep and wise,
Brought them back to real-life size.

Old mouse, wisdom in his gaze,
Paused a moment, then did raise.
"This plan's bold, but tell me, do,
Who'll face the Cat to make it true?"

Eyes darted, tails did twitch,
For facing Cat was quite a glitch.
No hero stepped, no voice did rise,
The challenge clear in their eyes.

Share
Feedback

Word Finder

  1. Enemy

    Someone or something that wants to hurt others.

  2. Sneaking

    Moving quietly to not be seen or heard.

  3. Chattered

    Talked quickly and excitedly with others.

  4. Suggested

    Gave an idea or plan to others.

  5. Clever

    Smart and good at solving problems.

  6. Curious

    Wanting to know or learn something new.

  7. Brave

    Feeling scared but still doing something hard.

  8. Celebrate

    Show happiness about something special or exciting.

  9. Excited

    Feeling very happy and full of energy.

  10. Challenge

    Something hard that needs effort to do.

Understanding Questions

  1. What was the main purpose of the mice's big meeting?
  2. What idea did the young mouse propose to help the mice avoid the Cat?
  3. How did the other mice react to the young mouse's idea initially?
  4. What important question did the oldest and wisest mouse ask after hearing the young mouse's idea?
  5. What was the reaction of the mice when the oldest mouse asked his question?
Word Finder
  1. Meeting

    A time when people talk together.

  2. Scared

    Feeling afraid or worried about something.

  3. Catches

    To get something with your hands quickly.

  4. Safe

    Not in danger or hurt by something.

  5. Idea

    A new thought or plan in your mind.

  6. Bell

    A small thing that makes a ringing sound.

  7. Sound

    Something you hear with your ears.

  8. Run away

    To go fast to escape from something.

  9. Quiet

    Not making any noise or sound.

  10. Old

    Having lived for many, many years.

  1. Enemy

    Someone or something that wants to hurt others.

  2. Sneaking

    Moving quietly to not be seen or heard.

  3. Chattered

    Talked quickly and excitedly with others.

  4. Suggested

    Gave an idea or plan to others.

  5. Clever

    Smart and good at solving problems.

  6. Curious

    Wanting to know or learn something new.

  7. Brave

    Feeling scared but still doing something hard.

  8. Celebrate

    Show happiness about something special or exciting.

  9. Excited

    Feeling very happy and full of energy.

  10. Challenge

    Something hard that needs effort to do.

Understanding Questions
  1. What do the mice talk about in the meeting?

    1. The Dog
    2. The Cat
    3. The Bird
    4. The Rabbit
  2. Why are the mice scared of the Cat?

    1. The Cat is very loud.
    2. The Cat is very quiet and catches them.
    3. The Cat is very big.
    4. The Cat is very small and friendly.
  3. What is the little mouse’s idea?

    1. To chase the Cat away
    2. To put a bell on the Cat
    3. To hide from the Cat
    4. To feed the Cat
  4. How do the other mice react to the little mouse's idea?

    1. They do not like the idea.
    2. They are confused by the idea.
    3. They like the idea.
    4. They ignore the idea.
  5. Why are the mice quiet at the end of the story?

    1. They are thinking.
    2. They are sleeping.
    3. They don’t know who will put the bell on the Cat.
    4. They are eating.
  1. What was the main purpose of the mice's big meeting?
  2. What idea did the young mouse propose to help the mice avoid the Cat?
  3. How did the other mice react to the young mouse's idea initially?
  4. What important question did the oldest and wisest mouse ask after hearing the young mouse's idea?
  5. What was the reaction of the mice when the oldest mouse asked his question?
  1. What specific problem did the mice hope to solve during their meeting?
  2. How did the young mouse propose to warn the mice of the Cat’s approach?
  3. Why did the mice initially praise the young mouse’s idea?
  4. What concern did the oldest and wisest mouse raise about the young mouse’s plan?
  5. What lesson do the mice learn by the end of the meeting about coming up with and carrying out ideas?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why did the two cats start arguing?
  2. How did the monkey trick the two cats?
  3. Can you think of a time when you argued with someone but later realized it could have been solved by working together?
  4. What lesson does this story teach us about solving problems with others?
  5. How can we use the lesson from this story in our lives when sharing or making decisions with others?
Fable Quotes
Greed blinds us to the simplest solutions.
Not everyone who offers to help has good intentions.
A problem shared is a problem solved.
Just One More Fable
About

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.