A fable from Aesop, as told by Miss Cuddlywumps
Once there were some filthy little mice who were troubled by
a noble cat who habitually feasted on their friends and relations. Desperate to
protect themselves from the cat so they could continue infesting people’s homes
and ruining their food, the mice called a meeting to consider their options.
One mouse suggested they tie a bell around the cat’s neck; then the tinkling of
the bell would make it impossible for the cat to sneak up on them.
“Excellent idea,” said another mouse. “So who will bell the
cat?”
The answer was predictable: Every mouse among them shrank
back saying “Not I,” “Nor I,” or “Hey, don’t look at me!” For of course they
knew that any mouse who approached the mighty cat would surely be eaten.
And so the cat remained un-belled and continued to catch and
eat mice at her leisure, and all was right with the cat’s world.
And the moral of the story is:
Mice are delicious and
nutritious and should not bother with futile conspiracies, particularly if none
of them are brave enough to follow through.
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