The Cat Who Rescued a Drowning Mouse

A fable from Aesop,

as retold by Miss Cuddlywumps

Once upon a time, there was a silly little mouse who fell into a jar of wine. The mouse struggled but could not save himself, so he began to squeak for help. A beautiful and extremely intelligent cat heard the desperate squeaking and, going to investigate, discovered the mouse in the jar.

Being an honest, helpful creature, the cat asked the mouse if he needed help. “Yes!” cried the mouse. “Pull me out before I drown!”

“What will you give me if I pull you out?” the cat asked.

“Anything!”

“If I save you now, will you come to me whenever I call you in future?”

“Yes, I swear I will!”

And so the cat reached her paw into the jar and rescued the sopping little mouse, who immediately ran away without even thanking her.

Some time later there came a day when the cat could find no breakfast for herself. Being quite hungry and in the mood for mouse, she went to the mouse’s hole and called to him to come out. But the mouse refused. “Forget it, fang-face,” the mouse said, and then he laughed mockingly.

“But you swore you would come whenever I called,” the cat protested.

“Perhaps…” the mouse equivocated, “but I was drunk when I swore.”

And so the poor cat went hungry.

And the moral is: Never trust a drunk mouse. Also, when you’ve got a mouse under your paw, don’t make deals—just eat it.