Belling The Cat
The mice think of a clever plan to keep safe from the cat. But what happens when it’s time to put their plan into action?
Featured in the Book Audio available for B1 version
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."
Kudala, iimpuku zazi nengxaki enkulu. Olona tshaba lwazo olukhulu, ikati, yayisoloko ibachwechwela. Babefuna icebo lokuhlala bekhuselekile.
Ngobunye ubusuku, zonke iimpuku zahlanganisana kwintlanganiso. Zatswina, zincokola zicinga.
"Singakha umgibe," yacebisa enye impuku.
"Okanye sizimele ngcono," yatsho enye.
Kodwa kwakungekho mbono ubonakala uzosebenza.
Emva koko, impuku encinci yaphakama. Yayincinci kodwa ikrelekrele kakhulu. "Ndinombono," yatsho. "Ingxaki kukuba asifane siyive ikati xa isiza. Kodwa kungaba njani ukuba sinako ukuyiva?
Ezinye iimpuku zangqiyama nganeno, zinomdla. "Njani?" enye yazo yabuza.
Yavula amehlo impukwana. "Singabophelela intsimbi entanyeni yekati. Kuzothi ke xa ishukuma ihamba, intsimbi ikhale. Siza kuyiva isiza kwaye sibe nexesha lokubaleka."
Iimpuku zavuya, “Ukrelekrele lo mbona wakho” zatswina. "Ewe, masenzeni!"
Bengeka bhiyozi kakhulu, eyona mpuku indala nelumkileyo yazilungiselela izokuthetha. Yimani kancinci yajonga kwinginginya yeempuku ezazivuya.
"Livakala ilicebo elihle ke eli kodwa ndinombuzo omnye," utshilo. "Ngubani oya kuba nesibindi ngokwaneleyo ukuba anyukele kwikati aze abophe intsimbi?"
Kwecwaka.
Iimpuku zajongana. Imisila yazo yashukuma. Iindlebe zazo zawa.
Akukho nenye eyathethayo.
Ekugqibeleni, impuku endala elumkileyo yanqwala. "Kulula ukucinga uze nesicwangciso esilumkileyo," yatsho. "Kodwa ukwenza kubanzima."
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."
In a gathering of mice, a serious meeting was called to address their greatest threat—the Cat. Each mouse offered suggestions, eager to find a solution. Ideas were shared one after another, but none seemed practical enough.
Then, a young mouse, clever and bold despite his age, spoke up. "Our biggest problem," he began, "is that the Cat sneaks up on us without warning. But what if we could know when it was coming, giving us enough time to escape?" The mice listened closely, intrigued by his idea.
"I suggest we tie a small bell around the Cat’s neck," he continued. "When the Cat moves, the bell will ring, alerting us, so we can run before it gets too close." The crowd of mice applauded the plan, praising its simplicity and brilliance.
However, the oldest and wisest mouse, who had been silent until now, stood to address the group. His voice was calm but firm. "The idea is smart, no doubt," he said, "but let me ask you all—who among us will be brave enough to approach the Cat and tie the bell?"
A heavy silence followed. The mice exchanged nervous glances, realizing the true difficulty of the task. The wise old mouse sighed and concluded, "It’s easy to come up with ideas that sound good in theory, but far harder to carry them out when it truly matters."
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.
Word Finder
Meeting
A time when people talk together.Scared
Feeling afraid or worried about something.Catches
To get something with your hands quickly.Safe
Not in danger or hurt by something.Idea
A new thought or plan in your mind.Bell
A small thing that makes a ringing sound.Sound
Something you hear with your ears.Run away
To go fast to escape from something.Quiet
Not making any noise or sound.Old
Having lived for many, many years.
Enemy
Someone or something that wants to hurt others.Sneaking
Moving quietly to not be seen or heard.Chattered
Talked quickly and excitedly with others.Suggested
Gave an idea or plan to others.Clever
Smart and good at solving problems.Curious
Wanting to know or learn something new.Brave
Feeling scared but still doing something hard.Celebrate
Show happiness about something special or exciting.Excited
Feeling very happy and full of energy.Challenge
Something hard that needs effort to do.
Gathering
A meeting of people or animals together.Threat
A danger that could cause harm or trouble.Practical
Something useful and likely to work well.Clever
Quick to understand, learn, or think of something.Intrigued
Very interested and wanting to know more.Alerting
Warning someone of a possible danger.Brilliance
Great intelligence or cleverness.Address
To speak to a group about an important issue.Silent
Not speaking or making any sound.Theory
An idea or explanation based on thought and study.
Imagine
Think of something in your mind.Outsmart
To be cleverer than someone else.Scatter
Run away in different directions.Clever
Smart and quick to understand things.Tickle
To touch lightly to make someone laugh.Surprises
Things that happen unexpectedly.Jingle-jangle
A soft, ringing sound like small bells.Fancy
Beautiful and decorated.Wrinkles
Lines on skin that show age.Realized
Understood something clearly.
Gleaming
Shining brightly, like the moon or stars.Beaming
Smiling very happily or joyfully.Feline
Relating to or resembling a cat.Spirit
Inner strength or courage of a person.Chime
Pleasant ringing sound, like from a bell.Applause
Clapping hands to show approval or enjoyment.Gaze
A steady look or fixed stare at something.Bold
Brave, confident, and willing to take risks.Glitch
Small problem or issue that causes trouble.Challenge
Something difficult that requires effort to overcome.
Understanding Questions
- What do the mice talk about in the meeting?
- The Dog
- The Cat
- The Bird
- The Rabbit
- Why are the mice scared of the Cat?
- The Cat is very loud.
- The Cat is very quiet and catches them.
- The Cat is very big.
- The Cat is very small and friendly.
- What is the little mouse’s idea?
- To chase the Cat away
- To put a bell on the Cat
- To hide from the Cat
- To feed the Cat
- How do the other mice react to the little mouse's idea?
- They do not like the idea.
- They are confused by the idea.
- They like the idea.
- They ignore the idea.
- Why are the mice quiet at the end of the story?
- They are thinking.
- They are sleeping.
- They don’t know who will put the bell on the Cat.
- They are eating.
- What was the main purpose of the mice's big meeting?
- What idea did the young mouse propose to help the mice avoid the Cat?
- How did the other mice react to the young mouse's idea initially?
- What important question did the oldest and wisest mouse ask after hearing the young mouse's idea?
- What was the reaction of the mice when the oldest mouse asked his question?
- What specific problem did the mice hope to solve during their meeting?
- How did the young mouse propose to warn the mice of the Cat’s approach?
- Why did the mice initially praise the young mouse’s idea?
- What concern did the oldest and wisest mouse raise about the young mouse’s plan?
- What lesson do the mice learn by the end of the meeting about coming up with and carrying out ideas?
Reflection Questions
- Why did the two cats start arguing?
- How did the monkey trick the two cats?
- Can you think of a time when you argued with someone but later realized it could have been solved by working together?
- What lesson does this story teach us about solving problems with others?
- 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.


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“Belling The Cat” is one of the 25 illustrated fables in our book, 25 Fables for Fun Quality Time.
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