Once upon a time, in a cozy little animal community, there was a group of mice, who lived happily but were always a bit worried, about a sly and clever cat named Whiskers. Whiskers was known for sneaking up on unsuspecting mice, and pouncing, when they least expected it.
One day, the mice gathered for a big meeting, to discuss how they could keep themselves safe, from Whiskers. They chatted about building walls, or creating cat traps, but none of the ideas seemed quite right.
Then, a wise old mouse named Grandpa Whiskertail, had a lightbulb moment. "I've got it, my dear mice friends! We should put a bell around Whiskers' neck. That way, whenever he comes near, the bell will jingle, and we'll have plenty of time to scamper away to safety!"
All the mice thought this was the best idea ever, and they cheered for Grandpa Whiskertail's clever plan.
But then, another little mouse named Squeaky piped up, "Um, excuse me, but who's going to bell the cat? It's easy to talk about it, but who's brave enough to actually do it?"
Little Timmy Mouse, known for his adventurous spirit, stood up and said, "I'll do it! I'll sneak up to Whiskers, and put the bell on him when he's napping!"
The other mice were amazed at Timmy's bravery, but then they started giggling because, well, it's not every day a little mouse volunteers to bell a big, scary cat.
The next day, Timmy gathered all his courage, and tiptoed toward Whiskers, who was dozing under a tree. As he got closer, he carefully reached for the bell. But just as he was about to attach it, Whiskers opened one eye and yawned.
"Oh, dear," squeaked Timmy, frozen in place.
Whiskers blinked at him, a bit confused. "What are you doing, little mouse?"
Timmy, thinking on his tiny paws, replied, "Well, I thought it would be nice, if you had a little jingle, to announce your arrival. You know, so we can prepare a welcome party!"
Whiskers, amused by the unexpected proposal, chuckled. "A welcome party, you say? That sounds like fun!"
And just like that, instead of belling the cat, Timmy and Whiskers became friends. From that day on, whenever Whiskers approached, the mice didn't need a bell to warn them. They simply greeted him, with a friendly "Hello!" and enjoyed each other's company.
And the little mice lived happily ever after, with a bell-free but friendly cat named Whiskers in their midst.
Adapted from Aesop's Fables by Suresh Menon for a video
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