What a queer meeting that was down in the cellar! There were big
mice, little mice, old mice, young mice, gray mice, and brown
mice, all very sober and thoughtful.
At last an old mouse spoke up and said, "Shall we have Mr.
Graypate for our chairman? All those who wish Mr. Graypate to be
chairman will please hold up their right hands." Every mouse
raised a tiny paw.
Mr. Graypate walked out to the front and took charge of the
meeting. It was well that they chose him, for he was the wisest
mouse in the whole country. Gazing over the crowd, he said, "Will
Mr. Longtail tell us why we have met here? Mr. Longtail, come out
in front where we can hear you."
Mr. Longtail walked slowly to the front. Then he stood upon his
hind legs and said:
"My friends, I think you all know why we are here. Last night Mrs.
Whitenose, whom we all love, and all her family were killed by the
big white cat. The night before, while Mrs. Blackfoot was out
hunting, all her cunning little babies were killed by the same
cat. Early this week one of my finest boys was killed. You or I
may be next.
"Must we bear this and do nothing at all to save our loved ones
and ourselves? We have met here to make some plan for our
defense."
Having spoken, Mr. Longtail walked back into the crowd.
Mr. Graypate arose and said:
"You have heard why we are here. Anyone who has a good plan for
ridding us of the cat will please tell of it. The meeting is open
to all."
"Let us all run at him suddenly when he is not looking for us, and
each give him a bite. That would surely kill him," said one brave
mouse.
"But how many of us do you think he would kill?" said another
mouse. "I will not risk my life nor that of my family." "Nor I";
"nor I"; "nor I," said many other mice.
"Let us steal his food and starve him to death," suggested
another.
"That will only make him hungrier for mice," they replied. "That
will never do."
"I wish we might drown him," said another; "but I don't know how
we could get him into the water."
At last a little gray mouse with a squeaky voice went up to the
front and spoke:
"I have a plan that will surely work. If we could know when the
cat is coming, we could get out of his way. He steals in upon us
so quietly, that we can not escape. Let us find a little bell and
a string. Let us put the bell on the string and tie the string
around the cat's neck. As soon as we hear the bell, we can run and
get out of the cat's way."
"A very good plan," said Mr. Longtail. "We will ask our leader to
say which mouse shall put the bell on the cat's neck."
At this there was a great outcry. One said, "I am so little that I
can not reach high enough to bell the cat." Another said, "I have
been very sick and am too weak to lift the bell"; and so the
excuses came pouring in.
At last Mr. Graypate called to the crowd, "Silence! I shall choose
no one. Who will offer to bell the cat?"
It was very quiet in the meeting. One after another of the younger
mice went out. None but the older ones were left. At last they too
went sadly home. No one would bell the cat.