English Short Story “Belling the Cat” for School, College Students, Moral Story for Class 7, 8, 9, 10, Class 12, College and Competitive Exams.

Belling the Cat

Once upon a time there lived many rats in an old house. There were hundreds of them. Being an old house it was very difficult for the people living there to control them. The rats were very happy and the people very much worried. One day the master of the house got a big wild cat and tamed her. The cat started eating the rats and the rats were in a great difficulty. Their lives were always in danger as they did not know when the cat would make prey of any of them. There was no way out of this devilish cat. They wanted to get rid of the cat anyhow.

One day the rats called an urgent meeting to think about the problem. Each of them gave some suggestion. Some suggested to leave the place while others said that the cat be attacked collectively. Nothing concrete seemed to come out of the meeting. All of a sudden a youthful rat said, “Let us bell the cat, as and when she comes, the bell will ring and every one of us will be alarmed and hide in the holes”. It was a very nice suggestion and everyone was impressed by the suggestion. But at last an old rat said, “It is a good suggestion, no doubt, but who will catch the cat and tie the bell to her?” This was something serious. None was prepared to do this difficult job, so the way found out in the meeting was also not practicable. When the rats Were all in the meeting considering the problem once more, the cat got a clue, felt something fishy. She came running and pounced on all of them. She killed many of them and went away.

Moral: Who will bell the cat ?

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