THE CAT AND THE MICE There was once a house that was overrun with Mice. A Cat heard of this, and said to herself,”That’s the place for me,” and off she went and took up her quarters in the house, and caught the Mice one by one and ate them. At last the Mice could stand it no longer, and they determined to take to their holes and stay there. “That’s awkward,” said the Cat to herself: “the only thing to do is to coax them out by a trick.”
So she considered a while, and then climbed up the wall and let herself hang down by her hind legs from a peg, and pretended to be dead. By and by a Mouse peeped out and saw the Cat hanging there. “Aha!” it cried, “you’re very clever, madam, no doubt: but you may turn yourself into a bag of meal hanging there, if you like, yet you won’t catch us coming anywhere near you.” If you are wise you won’t be deceived by the innocent airs of those whom you have once found to be dangerous.
THE CHARCOAL-BURNER AND THE FULLER There was once a Charcoal-burner who lived and worked by himself. A Fuller,however, happened to come and settle in the same neighborhood ; and the Charcoal -burner, having made his acquaintance and finding he was an agreeable sort of fellow, asked him if he would come and share his house:
“We shall get to know one another better that way,” he said, “and,beside, our household expenses will be diminished.” The Fuller thanked him, but replied, “I couldn’t think of it, sir: why, everything I take such pains to whiten would be blackened in no time by your charcoal.”
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