This is a story from Aesop’s Fables. It’s a story about mice who are quite happy, but they have one problem. The problem is a cat. What can they do about this cat? Let’s start the story.

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The Mice and the Cat

A family of mice lives in a big, old house. They like to run all around the big house. It is an old house, so they like to play in the many holes and dark corners. The mice often go to the kitchen and hide in a hole there. The mice wait until the people leave the kitchen. Then they jump up to the table and eat the food. The mice are very happy. Except for one thing. The house has a big, old cat. The cat is scary. The mice are afraid of the cat. Sometimes when the mice are eating food in the kitchen, the cat suddenly jumps up on the table. The cat chases the mice out of the kitchen. The cat scratches the mice with her paw. One day, the mice have a meeting in the big, old house. They meet to talk about the cat. What can they do about this cat? They don’t want to be afraid anymore. One mouse has an idea. She says, “I have an idea. It’s a simple plan. I know it will work. It will help us stay away from the cat.” The other mice say, “What is your idea? What is your plan?” The mouse says, “We will put a bell on the cat. The bell makes a noise when the cat moves. So, we will hear the cat. We will know where the cat is in the house.” The other mice say, “That’s a great idea!” But then an old grandma mouse speaks. All the mice become quiet. They listen to the grandma. She says, “My dear, thank you for your idea. But I have one question: Who will put the bell on the cat?” No one says anything. The end.

In this story, the mice want to solve a problem. They have an idea that sounds great. But can the idea be put into practice? The mice are too afraid to put the bell on the cat. It is one thing to say something should be done, and another thing to do it.