Who Will Bell the Cat

Short Version

Once there were many mice in a house. They ate food and damaged many things. The owner of the house became angry. So, he brought a big cat to catch the mice.

The cat began to catch and kill the mice every day. The mice became very afraid. They could not move freely in the house.

One day, the mice held a meeting to find a way to save themselves. At first, nobody had any idea. Then a young mouse stood up and said, “We can tie a bell around the cat’s neck. Then we can hear her coming.”

All the mice liked the idea. They said, “Good idea!”

Then an old mouse asked, “But who will tie the bell around the cat’s neck?”

No mouse could answer. They all became silent.

Moral: A plan is useless if nobody can do it.

Expanded Version

Once there were many mice in a house. They lived in holes and came out at night to search for food. They ate grain, bread, and other things in the kitchen. The owner of the house became very angry because the mice damaged so much food.

At last, the owner brought a large cat into the house. The cat was quick and clever. Every day, it caught one or two mice. Soon, the mice became very afraid. They could no longer move freely around the house.

One day, all the mice held a meeting. They wanted to find a way to protect themselves from the cat. Many mice gave different ideas, but none of the ideas seemed useful.

Then a young mouse stood up and said, “I have a good plan. We can tie a small bell around the cat’s neck. Whenever the cat comes near us, the bell will ring. We will hear it and run back to our holes.”

All the mice became excited. They clapped and said, “What a wonderful idea!”

Then an old mouse slowly stood up. He said, “The plan sounds good, but I have one question. Who will go near the cat and tie the bell around its neck?”

The room became completely silent. No mouse was ready to do the dangerous job.

They then understood that a plan is not useful if it cannot be carried out.