Aesop Fables – Belling the Cat – Story and Analysis

Aesop’s fables have captivated readers for centuries with their timeless wisdom and moral lessons. Among these enchanting tales, “Belling the Cat” stands as a thought-provoking story that imparts a valuable lesson about the importance of courage and strategic thinking in the face of a challenging situation. In this article, we will explore the narrative of “Belling the Cat” and uncover the underlying wisdom that continues to resonate with us today.

If you want to read another thought provoking tale from the Aesop Fables, you can read The frog and the Ox or The city mouse and the country mouse.

The story 

Once upon a time, there lived a family of mice in a large house. There was papa mouse with fat belly, mama mouse with her tight hair bun, brother mouse with his long teeth, sister mouse with her curly hair, baby mouse with its small paws, grandpa mouse with his black cane and grandma mouse with her white hair. There were also 10 neighbour mice.

In this house, this family had an enemy, a very mean cat. The cat used to chase the mice all the time. He would hiss at the mice. The cat would steal their food, set up mouse traps, close the mouse holes and many many more. He was a very bad cat to the mice.

One day, the papa mouse called the entire family and all the neighbour mice for a meeting.

“Hello everyone! I hope everyone has had their tea and slice of cheese. Good, let us sit down”

All the mice sat down holding their tea and cheese.

“We need to find a way to stop the cat”, said Mayor mouse.

“Yes. Yes. He is chasing all of us. We need to stop her!”

The mice gave many ideas!

“Let us kick her out of the house”, said brother mouse.

“She is so much bigger than us. How can we do that”, asked Grandpa mouse.

“Yes. Yes. The idea won’t work”, said all the mice together.

“We need another idea!”

“Let us put her in a cage”, said sister mouse.

“We don’t have a big cage. How can we do that”, asked Grandma Mouse.

“Yes. Yes. The idea won’t work”, said all the mice together.

 “We need another idea!”

“Let us scare her with fireworks”, said neighbour mouse.

“We don’t have so many fireworks”, asked mayor mouse.

“Yes. Yes. The idea won’t work”, said all the mice together.

 “We need another idea!”

“Let us bring a dog and he’ll scare the cat away”, said sister mouse.

“The dog might scare us too”, said the mayor mouse.

“Yes. Yes. The idea won’t work”, said all the mice together.

 “We need another idea!”

They spoke. They talked. Finally baby mouse came up with an idea.

“I have an idea. This will surely work”, baby mouse said loudly.

“What is the idea? What is the idea?” said all the mice together excitedly.

Baby mouse looked around excitedly and said “Let us put a bell around the cat.”

“But why put a bell? Oh, I don’t understand”, said baker mouse.

Baby mouse said, “Whenever the cat comes, we can hear the bell. When there is the sound of the bell, we can easily run away.”

“That is a wonderful idea” said Mayor Mouse.

“Super Idea!” said Sister Mouse.

“Let us bell the cat”, said all the mice together.

“Wait! Wait! There is a problem with this idea.” said Teacher mouse.

“What, teacher mouse? What is the problem?” said all the mice together.

“Who will bell the cat?” she asked.

The moral of the story:

The moral of the belling the cat story is, “It is one thing to say that something should be done, but quite a different matter to do it.”

“Belling the Cat” imparts a powerful moral lesson that holds relevance in various aspects of life. The story teaches us the importance of courage, critical thinking, and taking calculated risks to overcome challenges. The dilemma faced by the mice reflects the common struggle between recognizing the need for action and mustering the courage to execute a daunting plan.

Courage without strategy can lead to reckless behavior, while strategy without courage can result in missed opportunities. The fable reminds us that true success often lies at the intersection of bravery and thoughtful planning.

Summary of the story:

“Belling the Cat” recounts the tale of a group of mice living in constant fear of a cunning and elusive cat. Disturbed by the cat’s relentless pursuit, the mice gather in a council to discuss a solution to their problem.

Amidst the discussions, a young and brave mouse suggests a plan: placing a bell around the cat’s neck. The idea is met with enthusiasm, as it promises to provide an early warning system, allowing the mice to detect the cat’s approach and escape in time.

However, as the council members contemplate the plan, they soon realize a significant challenge: Who will bell the cat? While the idea was enticing, the execution proved to be a daunting task, as it required one of the mice to risk their life to approach the formidable feline.

Analysis of “Belling the cat”

1. Problem-Solving in the Workplace: In professional settings, “Belling the Cat” serves as a metaphor for approaching complex problems. It encourages individuals and teams to combine courage with strategic thinking to devise effective solutions, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges.

2. Personal Development: The fable resonates on an individual level, reminding us to step out of our comfort zones, face our fears, and take calculated risks to achieve personal growth. It encourages us to embrace courage and strategic thinking as essential tools for overcoming obstacles and pursuing our aspirations.

3. Leadership and Decision-Making: Leaders can draw inspiration from “Belling the Cat” when confronted with difficult decisions or when guiding their teams through uncertain times. The fable emphasizes the importance of weighing the risks and benefits of a course of action and having the courage to make bold choices when necessary.