The Clever Cat and the Dog

Once upon a time, in a small cottage in the woods, there was a group of mice living within the wall. These mice lived in harmony with the house. The mice took the crumbs and scraps from the nightly dinner of the owners and feasted. The lives of the mice were simple and enjoyable.

As winter came on that year, the cottage became deserted. The owners had left and moved south for the winter. This meant no more food for the mice. What were they to do?!

Then along comes the cat. This cat had been around the block a time or two. He knew the woods like the back of his paw and always had an appetite. Knowing every year certain cottages become abandoned, the cat began his tactic to get his daily meal.

The cat approached the mice’s hole and said,“Good day to you, my little furry creatures, what will become of you now that this cottage is abandoned?”

“We will likely starve and perish,” said the mice.

“Allow me to help you. There is a nice warm cottage on the edge of the woods with plenty of crumbs for all. I will gladly take you there,” replied the cat.

The mice became puzzled. They knew that cats had a history of eating mice and they were not sure if this cat was trustworthy. After all, they did not want to be eaten.

The mice then retaliated by saying “How do we know that you will not devour us on the way to the new cottage?”

The cat thought for a moment, trying to figure out how he could still con the mice into his evil plan. After a moment, he said in a calming voice, “How about I take one of you to see the cottage, and then I will return you so that you may tell your friends how great it is. Sound like a plan?”

The mice huddled up, similar to a football team, and discussed the cat’s idea. After a few moments, the mice agreed to send the oldest and wisest mouse to see the new cottage.

Off into the forest the mouse and cat went. The mouse rode in the cat's mouth to stay warm in the frigid temperatures. Upon arrival at the cottage, the cat allowed the elderly mouse to explore the cottage before returning to tell the others.

When the cat and mouse returned, the eldest mouse sang nothing but praises of the new cottage.

He exclaimed, “The new cottage is stupendous! There is enough cheese for a lifetime!”

This convinced the other mice and the cat's plan sprung into motion.

The cat began to take two mice at a time. He would walk into the woods towards the cottage and suddenly eat the mice as they sat in his mouth. He did this for hours. Over and over. Every time he would return for more mice he would reassure the mice that the cottage is splendid and that their friends are having a great time.

The cat's plan was going well until one of the mice noticed some blood along the cat's mouth. Shocked by what he saw, he scurried over to the dog the owners had left behind who was lying in the corner of the cottage.

The mouse pleaded with the dog and said, “Rufus, we need your help. This cat is slowly killing all of us. Is there anything you can do?”

Rufus rose up and in a Clint Eastwood type of voice he said, “Of course there is.”

When the cat returned next, the dog crept up behind the cat and in the blink of an eye killed the cat like a human kills a fly.

The remaining mice rejoiced and praised Rufus for saving them. Rufus then took the remaining mice and himself to the new cottage and they all had all the cheese in the world. The dog and mice lived happily in the cottage after deceiving the clever cat.

Author's note: This is a rewrite of "The Cunning Crane and the Crab." There are some fish stranded in a pond that does not provide proper living conditions for fish. The crane explains to the fish that he can take them to a nice lake that is not far away. The crane's plan is to eat the fish, obviously. The crane goes through all the fish, after tricking them to get in his mouth, and eats them. Then the crane comes up to a crab that is in the same little pond. The crane tries to trick the crab into the same thing, but the crab outwits the crane and kills him. The crab lived happily in the lake.

I changed up the characters from the fish, crane, and crab to mice, a cat, and a dog. I felt that it was more relatable and would strike people's emotions more. I changed the plot a little bit to make it where not all the mice die so it was not as depressing. Even though some of the mice were lost, some of the mice were still able to enjoy the new cottage thanks to the dog. I feel that it is important to not let all the innocent mice die because that is dark and could be really depressing. I strive to make people happy, not sad.

Bibliography: "The Cunning Crane and the Crab" from The Giant Crab, and Others Tales from Old India by W.H.D. Rouse. Web Source.