FABLE XXI
by John Gay
The Cat and the Rat-Catcher
Rats are in the house. The rats run and play. They eat the food. They make a big mess. The house is not clean. A woman sees the mess. The woman is not happy. She wants the rats to go away.
A man comes to the house. He is a rat-catcher. He is tall and strong. He says, “I can help you.” He will catch all the rats. The rats will not be a problem.
The man looks around the house. He looks in the kitchen. He looks in the bedroom. He sees where the rats hide. He puts down a small trap. The trap has cheese inside. The trap is for the naughty rats.
A cat lives in the house. She is a good cat. She likes to catch rats. She sees the man’s little trap. She does not like the trap. It is in her spot. She quietly takes the trap away.
The next day, the man returns. The trap is gone. He puts down a new trap. The cat sees the new trap. She takes the new trap away. The man comes back. He puts down another trap. The cat takes that one, too.
The man is not happy now. "Who takes my traps?" he thinks. He sets a very special trap. This trap is bigger. This trap is stronger. He hides and waits. He wants to see who takes them.
The cat comes to take the big trap. She pulls and she tugs. Oh no! Her paw is stuck. She is caught in the trap. She pulls and pulls. The cat cannot get out.
The man finds the cat in the trap. He points his finger. “You are a naughty cat!” he says. The cat is very sad. A tear rolls down her face. She says, “I want to catch rats. That is my job.” The man shakes his head. “No! This is my job,” he says. “You do not help me. You take my traps.”
Then, another cat walks in. This cat is old and white. She is a very wise cat. She sees the man. She sees the sad cat. She sits down. "Friends should not fight," she says softly.
The wise cat looks at them both. "This house is very big," she says. "There are many, many rats here. There is enough work for two. You can catch some rats. The cat can catch some rats. You can both be friends."
The man thinks. The cat thinks. They look at each other. They agree. The man opens the trap. The cat is free. They are friends now. They both catch the rats together. The house is clean and happy.
Original Story
FABLE XXI.
The Ratcatcher and Cats.
The rats by night the mischief did, And Betty every morn was chid. The cheese was nibbled, tarts were taken, And purloined were the eggs and bacon; And Betty cursed the cat, whose duty Was to protect and guard the booty. A ratcatcher, of well known skill, Was called to kill or scotch the ill; And, as an engineer, surveyed Their haunts and laid an ambuscade. A cat behold him, and was wrath, Whilst she resolved to cross his path; Not to be beaten by such chaps, She silently removed his traps. Again he set the traps and toils, Again his cunning pussy foils. He set a trap to catch the thief, And pussy she got caught in brief. "Ah!" said the rat-catcher, "you scamp, You are the spy within the camp." But the cat said, "A sister spare, Your science is our mutual care." "Science and cats!" the man replied; "We soon that question shall decide; You are my rival interloper, A nasty, sneaking, crouching groper."
A sister tabby saw the cord, And interposed a happy word: "In every age and clime we see Two of a trade cannot agree; Each deems the other an encroacher, As sportsman thinks another poacher. Beauty with beauty vies in charms, And king with king in warfare's arms: But let us limit our desires, Nor war like beauties, kings, and squires; For though one prey we both pursue There's prey enough for us and you."
Moral of the Story
Those of the same trade often see each other as rivals, but there can be enough for all if they choose cooperation over conflict.
Characters
The Ratcatcher ★ protagonist
A man of average height and build, with a practical, no-nonsense demeanor. His hands are likely calloused from handling traps and tools. His movements are precise and deliberate, reflecting his trade.
Attire: Practical, sturdy clothing typical of an 18th-century working-class man in England. This would include a plain linen or wool shirt, a waistcoat of drab color (brown, grey, or dark green), sturdy breeches, thick wool stockings, and practical leather shoes with buckles. He might wear a simple, functional cap.
Wants: To eliminate rats and prove his professional competence, earning his livelihood.
Flaw: His pride and competitive nature, which makes him see the cat as a rival rather than a potential ally.
He begins by viewing the cat as a rival and interloper but is presented with an argument for cooperation by the second cat, though his final reaction is not explicitly stated, implying a potential shift in perspective.
Determined, skilled, observant, easily frustrated, competitive.
The First Cat ⚔ antagonist
A sleek, agile domestic cat, likely of a common tabby pattern, with quick, silent movements. Its fur is well-maintained, suggesting it's a house cat.
Attire: None, as it is an animal. Its fur is its natural covering.
Wants: To protect its perceived territory and food source (the rats), and to assert its own competence in pest control.
Flaw: Its pride and territoriality, which leads it to sabotage the ratcatcher and get caught.
Starts as a saboteur, gets caught, and then attempts to reason with the ratcatcher, though its argument is less persuasive than the second cat's.
Protective (of its territory/prey), cunning, defiant, territorial, mischievous.
The Second Cat ◆ supporting
Similar in appearance to the first cat, likely also a tabby, but perhaps with a slightly calmer or more composed demeanor. Its movements are observant and deliberate.
Attire: None, as it is an animal. Its fur is its natural covering.
Wants: To resolve the conflict between the ratcatcher and its sister, advocating for a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution.
Flaw: None apparent in the story; it acts as a voice of reason.
Acts as a mediator, offering a resolution to the conflict. It doesn't undergo a personal arc but facilitates a potential change in the ratcatcher's perspective.
Wise, diplomatic, rational, persuasive, calm.
Locations
Betty's Pantry/Kitchen
A domestic kitchen or pantry area, likely in a modest 18th-century English home, where food items like cheese, tarts, eggs, and bacon are stored. It's a place of frequent nocturnal disturbance by rats.
Mood: frustrating, chaotic, busy
The scene of the rats' nightly mischief, leading to Betty's morning scolding and the call for the ratcatcher.
The Ratcatcher's Ambush Site
A specific, strategic location within the house where the ratcatcher sets his traps. It's likely a hidden corner, a passageway, or near a known rat haunt, implying a confined, tactical space.
Mood: tense, strategic, cunning
The ratcatcher surveys the area and sets his traps, which are repeatedly foiled by the first cat. Eventually, the cat herself is caught here.
Story DNA
Moral
Those of the same trade often see each other as rivals, but there can be enough for all if they choose cooperation over conflict.
Plot Summary
Rats infest a house, prompting the hiring of a skilled ratcatcher. A resident cat, feeling her role threatened, repeatedly sabotages the ratcatcher's traps. The ratcatcher eventually catches the cat and confronts her, accusing her of being a rival. Another cat intervenes, delivering a moral about how those of the same trade often clash, but suggests that there is enough prey for both the ratcatcher and the cats, advocating for an end to their conflict.
Themes
Emotional Arc
conflict to resolution
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
John Gay's fables were popular in 18th-century England, often satirizing human behavior through animal characters and concluding with a clear moral.
Plot Beats (12)
- Rats cause damage in a house, leading to maid Betty being scolded.
- A skilled ratcatcher is hired to deal with the rat problem.
- The ratcatcher surveys the area and sets traps.
- A cat, feeling her duty usurped, silently removes the ratcatcher's traps.
- The ratcatcher repeatedly sets traps, and the cat repeatedly foils them.
- The ratcatcher sets a trap specifically to catch the saboteur.
- The cat is caught in the trap.
- The ratcatcher confronts the caught cat, calling her a "scamp" and "spy."
- The cat claims they share a mutual interest in "science" (rat-catching).
- The ratcatcher dismisses her, calling her a "rival interloper."
- Another cat intervenes, observing that "two of a trade cannot agree."
- The second cat argues that despite their rivalry, there is enough prey for both the ratcatcher and the cats, suggesting they limit their conflict.
