BELLING THE CAT
Characters—Old Mouse,Three Young Mice
Characters—Old Mouse,Three Young Mice
Characters—Old Mouse,Three Young Mice
Old Mouse.Oh dear, dear, dear! That old cat ate Squeak Nibble to-day. What can we do?Second Mouse.Well, we must do something! She’ll eat us all, one by one!Third Mouse.How can we keep her from catching all the rest of us?Fourth Mouse.Yes, how can we? If we could only know when she is coming. Her paws are so soft that we cannot hear her.Second Mouse.I have it! One of us will watch her all the time. Whenthe cat is coming he must squeak as loud as he can.Old Mouse.Watch her, indeed! She’d soon catch that little mouse.Fourth Mouse.No, that will never do.Third Mouse.Let’s stay in our holes. Then she’ll starve to death.All the Mice.Ha-ha-ha! A fine plan.Old Mouse.A fine plan, indeed! Do you think the cat eats nothing but mice? And how should we get anything to eat if we stayed in our holes?Fourth Mouse.My friends, listen to me. Let us hang a bell round her neck. That will tell us when she is coming. Then we can run and hide.Second Mouse.Good, good!Third Mouse.The very thing!Fourth Mouse.Nothing could be better.Old Mouse.[Thoughtfully.] But who will hang the bell on the cat’s neck?[Silence.]Second Mouse.I will not.Third Mouse.Notthislittle mouse.Old Mouse.But some one must do it. Who will?All.Sure enough, who?
Old Mouse.Oh dear, dear, dear! That old cat ate Squeak Nibble to-day. What can we do?
Second Mouse.Well, we must do something! She’ll eat us all, one by one!
Third Mouse.How can we keep her from catching all the rest of us?
Fourth Mouse.Yes, how can we? If we could only know when she is coming. Her paws are so soft that we cannot hear her.
Second Mouse.I have it! One of us will watch her all the time. Whenthe cat is coming he must squeak as loud as he can.
Old Mouse.Watch her, indeed! She’d soon catch that little mouse.
Fourth Mouse.No, that will never do.
Third Mouse.Let’s stay in our holes. Then she’ll starve to death.
All the Mice.Ha-ha-ha! A fine plan.
Old Mouse.A fine plan, indeed! Do you think the cat eats nothing but mice? And how should we get anything to eat if we stayed in our holes?
Fourth Mouse.My friends, listen to me. Let us hang a bell round her neck. That will tell us when she is coming. Then we can run and hide.
Second Mouse.Good, good!
Third Mouse.The very thing!
Fourth Mouse.Nothing could be better.
Old Mouse.[Thoughtfully.] But who will hang the bell on the cat’s neck?
[Silence.]
[Silence.]
[Silence.]
Second Mouse.I will not.
Third Mouse.Notthislittle mouse.
Old Mouse.But some one must do it. Who will?
All.Sure enough, who?