The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

It’s a clear fable with a calm rhythm and an important safety lesson. Best for bedtime when you want a gentle conversation about choosing trustworthy friends.

Story Synopsis

A smooth-talking cat meets a little mouse and speaks with sugary sweetness. The cat suggests they live together like friends and keep house as partners. The mouse is flattered. A friend sounds comforting. The cat adds one wise-sounding idea: they should store food for winter, so they won’t go hungry later. They buy a pot of fat and hide it away. But soon the cat starts making excuses to leave. Each time, the cat returns looking satisfied—and each time, the pot becomes a little emptier. The mouse notices, asks questions, and finally sees what is happening. The partnership was never equal. The story ends as a cautionary fable: choose friends who share fairly, and be careful of kindness that is only a costume.

Story Excerpt

A cat met a little mouse and spoke very sweetly to her. “ I like you so much, ” purred the cat. “ Let’s live together and keep house together, like good friends. ” The mouse felt pleased. She liked the idea of a friend. “ But, ” said the cat, lifting one paw as if she were very wise, “ we must save food for winter, or we will feel hungry. And you, little mouse, must not run everywhere. Traps can be dangerous. ” The mouse nodded. “ Yes, yes. We will be careful. ” So they bought a pot of fat to save. But then they stood in their little home and wondered where to put it. “ Where can we store it safely? ” the mouse asked. The cat thought and thought. At last she said, “ I know a place no one dares steal from — the church. We will set it beneath the altar, and we won’t touch it until we truly need it. ” So they carried the pot to the church and placed it beneath the altar. It felt very safe there. For a while, everything went along quietly. The mouse swept and tidied. The cat stretched and washed her face. But it was not long before the cat began to think about that pot. One morning she said, very politely, “ Little mouse, I want to tell you something. My cousin has had a little baby, and she has asked me to be godmother. The baby is white with brown spots, and I…

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