People have always transmitted wisdom through short stories that are popular across cultures. The stories not only contain a moral lesson, but are amusing to read for kids and adults alike. For children, it introduces new concepts, and adults have an opportunity to refresh stories they may have forgotten. ‘Belling the Cat’ is a story of mice who decide to bell a cat to alert the mice of its presence. This story has many moral lessons that we can apply to our own lives. So, let’s just jump straight in and learn the full story of how a cat’s vanity protects a colony of mice from predators.
Origin & History of the Story ‘Belling the Cat’
The story of Belling the Cat comes from Aesop’s Fables, a collection of stories told by Aesop, who was a storyteller in the 5th century BC. Greek philosophers and historians have mentioned Aesop’s fables as well. The tales from Aesop have appeared across different cultures and in many languages, including Greek and Latin. Like many fables worldwide, Aesop’s tales have a strong moral core. The stories involve animals and people, and are meant to entertain children and teach them moral and ethical behaviour. Belling the Cat historically also refers to performing a dangerous task. Before a group undertakes a risky task, the question “who is going to bell the cat?” is often asked.
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‘Belling the Cat’ Story in English for Kids
Once upon a time, there was a big store owned by a merchant in a small town. The store held grains, oil, fruit, bread and other edible items required by the people in the town. Just like what happens in all stores, a large colony of mice lived under the store. Every day, the mice would raid the store, steal the food supplies, and leave behind a mess for the merchant to clean up. The merchant got tired and decided to bring a cat to the store to take care of the rodent problem.
The merchant bought a grown plump cat for the store and allowed her to stay inside the store to keep the mice away. The cat was a skilled predator that quickly got to work and killed many mice. The mice colony would take casualties daily as the fat cat would consume a few of its members. The merchant saw that the mice problem was quickly resolved, and he was happy with his decision to bring a cat.
Seeing the rising number of mice eaten by the cat every day, the mice colony decided to hold a meeting in their burrow. Every mouse was worried that their friend or relative had gone missing recently, and that they could not take food because of the fear of being eaten alive. Being a skilled hunter, the cat would sneak up quietly and eat any mice caught off guard. Many mice were also afraid of going back to the store as they didn’t want to be eaten.
As all the mice were discussing their woes, the elder mice decided on a plan to fix the problem. They came up with the idea to bell the cat so everybody would be alerted by the jingle if the cat was in the vicinity. All the mice were delighted by the idea, except there was one problem. Nobody knew who would take up the task of belling the cat. Considering the life-threatening risk involved in the operation, no mice volunteers came forward. Finally, after a long silence, one brave little mouse stepped forward, saying he would bell the cat.
The little mouse took the pretty pink ribbon with three bells attached to it into the store, where the cat was ready and waiting to pounce on any mice that dared to enter. The cat jumped on the little mouse as soon as he entered, ready to devour him in one bite. However, the mouse threw up his hand, shouting at the cat to stop instead of running away. The cat was surprised by this behaviour and stopped to see what was happening.
The mouse told the cat that he had brought her a nice present to make her look beautiful and presented the ribbon with the bell. The mouse also spoke flattering words, talking about the cat’s good looks, appealing to her vanity. Then he jumped on her and tied the bells to her neck. The cat got up on a stool and looked at herself in the mirror. She was lost in admiration of her beauty.
Because of the mouse’s kind act and flattering words, she decided to spare his life and let him go. As the days passed, the cat could not find any mice in the store. However, the food was still being stolen from the shelves. She walked around hungry and frustrated, not realising her folly of accepting the present from the mouse.
Moral of the Story
“With courage and wit, it is possible to confront any tough situation and emerge victorious from it. It is unwise to trust others blindly, especially when your loss is their gain”.
The moral story ‘Belling The Cat’ teaches children the importance of being smart and courageous. Big risks have big rewards only when you can execute them in full confidence.
Belling The Cat is one of the best cat stories for kids, balancing fun with morals. This fable can also be represented as a story with pictures; however, it is better left to children’s imagination to picture the shopkeeper’s store, the plump cat and the mice colony.
Also Read:
King Midas and The Golden Touch Moral Story for Kids
Hansel and Gretel Moral Story for Children
The Ant and The Dove Story for Kids with Moral
