LA LIGUE DES RATS
by Jean de La Fontaine · from Fables de La Fontaine
Adapted Version
Molly the Mouse was very, very scared. A big cat lived near her home. The Big Cat watched Molly every day. Molly felt much fear. She did not know what to do.
Molly went to Rory the Rat. Rory lived nearby. He said he was very brave. He said he was not scared of cats. "Please help me," Molly said to Rory. "The Big Cat watches me." Rory puffed his chest out. "I am not scared!" he said.
Rory thought for a moment. "I cannot fight alone," he said. "But I have many friends. We will call all the rats. We will be a big group. We will scare the Big Cat away. This is a good plan." Molly nodded.
Rory ran very fast. He went to where the rats eat. Many Other Rats ate tasty food there. Rory was out of breath. "The Big Cat is bad!" he cried. "It eats all the mice. Soon it will eat us too! We must help Molly now. We must fight!"
The Other Rats got scared. "Oh no!" they said. "This is very true!" They all stood up. "Yes!" they cried. "We will help Molly. We will fight the Big Cat." They felt brave.
Each rat got ready. They put cheese in their bags. They felt very strong. They felt very happy. They thought they were brave. They walked out of their homes. They went to help Molly.
But the Big Cat was clever. It was faster than the rats. The Big Cat already found Molly the Mouse. Molly was very scared. She could not run away.
The Other Rats walked closer. They saw the Big Cat. The Big Cat saw them too. It made a loud, scary sound. Grrr! The Big Cat walked to the rats. It looked very big.
The Other Rats heard the sound. They saw the Big Cat coming. They got very, very scared. Their bravery was gone. They did not want to fight. They turned around quickly. They ran fast to their homes. Each rat went to its hole.
The Other Rats were all gone. They did not help Molly. Molly the Mouse was left alone. She was with the Big Cat. The rats were not brave. They ran away from danger.
The rats ran away. They were not brave. Molly the Mouse was left alone. Saying you are brave is easy. Being brave is hard.
Original Story
LA LIGUE DES RATS.
Une souris craignoit un chat
Qui dès longtemps la guettoit au passage.
Que faire en cet état? Elle, prudente et sage,
Consulte son voisin: c’étoit un maître rat,
Dont la rateuse seigneurie
S’étoit logée en bonne hôtellerie,
Et qui cent fois s’étoit vanté, dit-on,
De ne craindre ni chat, ni chatte,
Ni coup de dent, ni coup de patte.
Dame souris, lui dit ce fanfaron,
Ma foi, quoi que je fasse,
Seul, je ne puis chasser le chat qui vous menace:
Mais assemblons tous les rats d’alentour,
Je lui pourrai jouer d’un mauvais tour.
La souris fait une humble révérence,
Et le rat court en diligence
A l’office, qu’on nomme autrement la dépense,
Où maints rats assemblés
Faisoient, aux frais de l’hôte, une entière bombance.
Il arrive, les sens troublés,
Et tous les poumons essoufflés.
Qu’avez-vous donc? lui dit un de ces rats; parlez.
En deux mots, répond-il, ce qui fait mon voyage,
C’est qu’il faut promptement secourir la souris;
Car Rominagrobis
Fait en tous lieux un étrange carnage.
Ce chat, le plus diable des chats,
S’il manque de souris, voudra manger des rats.
Chacun dit: Il est vrai. Sus! sus! courons aux armes!
Quelques rates[83], dit-on, répandirent des larmes.
N’importe, rien n’arrête un si noble projet:
Chacun se met en équipage;
Chacun met dans son sac un morceau de fromage;
Chacun promet enfin de risquer le paquet.
Ils alloient tous comme à la fête,
L’esprit content, le cœur joyeux.
Cependant le chat, plus fin qu’eux,
Tenoit déjà la souris par la tête.
Ils s’avancèrent à grands pas,
Pour secourir leur bonne amie:
Mais le chat, qui n’en démord pas,
Gronde, et marche au-devant de la troupe ennemie.
A ce bruit, nos très-prudents rats,
Craignant mauvaise destinée,
Font, sans pousser plus loin leur prétendu fracas,
Une retraite fortunée.
Chaque rat rentre dans son trou;
Et si quelqu’un en sort, gare encor le matou.
XXVI
Story DNA
Moral
Those who boast the loudest are often the first to flee when danger truly arrives.
Plot Summary
A mouse, terrorized by a cat, seeks help from a boastful rat. The rat, too scared to act alone, convenes a league of local rats, exaggerating the cat's danger to rally them. Full of false courage, the rats prepare for battle, but upon encountering the cat, who has already caught the mouse, they immediately flee back to their holes, abandoning the mouse to its fate.
Themes
Emotional Arc
fear to false hope to renewed fear
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Jean de La Fontaine (17th century) was famous for his fables, often satirizing human folly and societal norms through animal characters.
Plot Beats (10)
- A mouse lives in fear of a cat that constantly stalks it.
- The mouse consults a neighboring rat, known for his boasting and fearlessness.
- The rat admits he cannot face the cat alone but suggests forming a league of all the local rats.
- The rat rushes to a pantry where many rats are feasting and dramatically describes the cat's threat, warning that if mice run out, rats will be next.
- The assembled rats are alarmed and agree to form a league to confront the cat.
- Each rat prepares for the 'battle,' packing cheese and feeling brave and joyful.
- Unbeknownst to them, the cat has already caught the mouse by the head.
- As the league of rats approaches, the cat growls and advances towards them.
- The 'prudent' rats, hearing the cat's growl and seeing it, immediately panic and retreat to their holes.
- The league disbands, and the mouse is left to its grim fate.
Characters
The Mouse
Small and delicate, with fine, soft grey fur. Her body is slender and agile, typical of a house mouse.
Attire: None, as she is an animal.
Wants: To escape the threat of the Cat and ensure her survival.
Flaw: Her inherent fear and physical vulnerability against a larger predator.
She begins in fear and seeks help, but ultimately becomes a victim despite the efforts of her allies, highlighting the futility of their plan.
Prudent, wise, fearful, humble, resourceful.
The Master Rat
A large, robust rat, noticeably bigger and sturdier than the average mouse. His fur is likely a coarser, darker grey or brown, indicating a more formidable presence.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To maintain his reputation as fearless and influential, and to enjoy the spoils of the 'hôtellerie'.
Flaw: His extreme cowardice and empty boasts, which crumble in the face of actual danger.
He begins as a confident, boastful leader, but his true cowardly nature is revealed when confronted by the Cat, leading to a swift retreat.
Boastful, arrogant, cowardly (when faced with real danger), influential among his peers.
Rominagrobis (The Cat)
A large, formidable domestic cat, likely with a sleek, muscular build. His fur could be dark or tabby, suggesting a predatory nature.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To hunt and consume mice and rats for survival and sport.
Flaw: None apparent in the story; he is the ultimate predator.
He remains consistently a formidable predator, successfully capturing the Mouse and easily dispersing the league of rats.
Cunning, predatory, effective, ruthless, intimidating.
The Assembled Rats
A varied group of rats, generally smaller than the Master Rat but larger than the Mouse. Their fur colors would range from grey to brown, with typical rat features.
Attire: None, as they are animals.
Wants: To support their leader, enjoy a feast, and avoid becoming prey themselves.
Flaw: Their collective cowardice and inability to stand up to a real threat.
They begin as a confident, unified force, but their resolve crumbles instantly upon encountering the Cat, revealing their true cowardly nature.
Gullible, easily swayed, boastful in numbers, cowardly when alone or truly threatened.
Locations
Mouse's Dwelling Entrance
A small, shadowed opening, likely at the base of a wall or furniture, where the cautious mouse lives, constantly under threat from the lurking cat.
Mood: Tense, fearful, vulnerable.
The mouse's initial state of fear and the cat's constant surveillance.
The Pantry (L'Office/La Dépense)
A bustling, well-stocked pantry or larder in a French inn or large house, filled with provisions. It's a place of abundance and feasting for the rats, with shelves laden with food and a lively, chaotic atmosphere.
Mood: Lively, gluttonous, initially confident, later chaotic.
The rat leader convenes the 'league' of rats, who are initially enjoying a lavish feast, to discuss the cat threat.
The Confrontation Area
An open, somewhat nondescript area within the house, possibly a hallway or a larger room, where the rats' brave advance is abruptly halted by the cat. The space feels exposed and vulnerable.
Mood: Initially determined, quickly turning to fear and panic.
The rats confront the cat, who has already captured the mouse, leading to their immediate retreat.