THE CAT and THE MICE
by Aesop · from Aesop's Fables; a new translation
Adapted Version
Many small mice lived in a big house. They were happy. Many mice ran and played. The house was full of mice. They lived in the walls.
The Cat heard about the mice. "This house is good," she thought. She went to the house. The Cat moved inside. She wanted to catch the mice. She looked for them.
The Cat caught many mice. One by one, mice disappeared. The Mice were very scared. They saw their friends go away. The Cat was quick. She was very clever. She hunted them every day.
The Mice were very, very afraid. They could not play. They could not run. "We must hide," they said. They went into their holes. They stayed safe inside. They did not come out.
The Cat saw no mice. "Where are they?" she thought. No mice came out. She could not catch them. This was a big problem. She felt hungry.
The Cat made a plan. "I need a trick," she thought. "I will make them come out." She had a plan. It would be a good trick.
The Cat climbed up the wall. She found a small peg. She hung by her back legs. She looked like she was dead. She was very still. Her eyes were closed.
A Wise Mouse looked out. He was very careful. He saw the Cat hanging there. He watched her for a while. He did not move fast.
The Wise Mouse was smart. He knew the Cat was clever. "She is not dead," he thought. "This is a trick." He saw her plan. He would not be fooled. He told his friends.
The Wise Mouse called out. "You are clever, Cat!" he said. "But we know you are dangerous. We will not come near you. Stay there if you like. We will stay safe."
The Mice stayed in their holes. They were safe. They did not trust the Cat. They remembered her bad ways. They were wise now.
Be wise. Do not trust old dangers.
Original Story
THE CAT AND THE MICE
There was once a house that was overrun with Mice. A Cat heard of this, and said to herself, "That's the place for me," and off she went and took up her quarters in the house, and caught the Mice one by one and ate them. At last the Mice could stand it no longer, and they determined to take to their holes and stay there. "That's awkward," said the Cat to herself: "the only thing to do is to coax them out by a trick." So she considered a while, and then climbed up the wall and let herself hang down by her hind legs from a peg, and pretended to be dead. By and by a Mouse peeped out and saw the Cat hanging there. "Aha!" it cried, "you're very clever, madam, no doubt: but you may turn yourself into a bag of meal hanging there, if you like, yet you won't catch us coming anywhere near you."
If you are wise you won't be deceived by the innocent airs of those whom you have once found to be dangerous.
Story DNA
Moral
If you are wise you won't be deceived by the innocent airs of those whom you have once found to be dangerous.
Plot Summary
A house overrun with mice attracts a cat who preys on them. When the mice retreat to their holes, the cunning cat devises a trick, pretending to be dead by hanging from a peg. However, a wise mouse peeks out, recognizes the deception, and declares that they will not be fooled by someone they know to be dangerous, thus thwarting the cat's plan.
Themes
Emotional Arc
fear to cautious wisdom
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Aesop's Fables are a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE. They are characterized by their brevity and moral lessons.
Plot Beats (11)
- A house is infested with mice.
- A cat hears about the mice and moves into the house.
- The cat begins to catch and eat the mice one by one.
- The mice become terrified and decide to hide in their holes permanently.
- The cat realizes her food source is now inaccessible.
- The cat plans a trick to lure the mice out.
- The cat hangs herself by her hind legs from a peg, pretending to be dead.
- A mouse cautiously peeks out of its hole.
- The mouse sees the hanging cat and immediately understands it's a trap.
- The mouse calls out to the cat, stating that they will not be fooled by her clever ruse.
- The mice remain safe, having learned from past experience.
Characters
⚔
The Cat
A sleek, agile domestic cat of medium build, with well-muscled limbs and a predatory grace. Her movements are silent and deliberate, designed for stealth and hunting. She has sharp claws and teeth, typical of a skilled predator.
Attire: None, as she is an animal.
Wants: To hunt and eat the mice, to satisfy her hunger and maintain her territory.
Flaw: Overconfidence in her ability to deceive, which ultimately fails against the wise mouse.
She begins as a successful hunter, then adapts her strategy when the mice hide. Her final trick fails, showing her limitations against a truly wise opponent, but she does not fundamentally change her predatory nature.
Cunning, predatory, patient, deceptive, resourceful.
★
The Wise Mouse
A small, agile house mouse, slightly larger and more robust than the average, suggesting age and experience. Its fur is a common grey-brown, but its eyes are particularly bright and alert.
Attire: None, as it is an animal.
Wants: To ensure the survival of itself and the other mice by avoiding the Cat.
Flaw: Its small size and vulnerability to predators.
Serves as the voice of reason and caution, preventing the other mice from falling for the Cat's final trick. It demonstrates the value of wisdom and past experience.
Cautious, intelligent, observant, skeptical, wise.
◆
The Mice (collective)
A multitude of small, common house mice, varying in size and shade of grey-brown fur. They are generally timid and quick, with twitching noses and tails.
Attire: None, as they are animals.
Wants: To survive and avoid being eaten by the Cat.
Flaw: Their collective fear and vulnerability, making them easy targets.
They start as easy prey, then learn caution and retreat to their holes, eventually relying on the wisdom of one of their own to avoid a trap.
Fearful, numerous, easily preyed upon, initially naive.
Locations
The Overrun House Interior
A domestic interior, likely a common room or pantry, characterized by signs of mice activity and the Cat's presence. The architecture suggests a simple, functional dwelling, possibly a European cottage or farmhouse from an earlier era.
Mood: Initially bustling and fearful for the mice, then tense and dangerous after the Cat's arrival, finally quiet and strategic.
The initial setting where the mice lived in fear and the Cat established her hunting grounds.
The Wall with a Peg
A specific section of an interior wall within the house, featuring a prominent peg from which the Cat hangs. The wall is likely made of plaster or timber, showing signs of age.
Mood: Deceptive, suspenseful, a trap waiting to be sprung.
The Cat's cunning trick to lure the mice out, and the mice's clever refusal to be fooled.