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The Cat and The Mice

Townsend version

A certain house was overrun with Mice. A Cat, discovering this, made her way into it and began to catch and eat them one by one. Fearing for their lives, the Mice kept themselves close in their holes. The Cat was no longer able to get at them and perceived that she must tempt them forth by some device. For this purpose she jumped upon a peg, and suspending herself from it, pretended to be dead. One of the Mice, peeping stealthily out, saw her and said, "Ah, my good madam, even though you should turn into a meal-bag, we will not come near you."

L'Estrange version

There was a house mightily troubled with mice, and a notable cat there was, that time after time had pick'd up so many of 'em, that they agreed among themselves to keep above in the cieling; for they found that upon the plain floor there was no living for 'em. This spoil'd pusses sport, unless she could find a way to trepan them down again. So she leapt up to a pin that was driven into the wall, and there hung like a polcat in a warren, to amuse them. The mice took notice of it, and one wiser then the rest stretched out his neck to learn the truth of the matter, and so soon as ever he found how 'twas, Ah, says he, you may hang there 'till your heart akes; for if you were but a dish-clout, as you are a counterfeiting devil of a cat, here's not a creature will come near ye.

Moral

Let no man lay himself at the mercy of a known enemy, under any shew, or pretence whatsoever; for he forfeits his discretion, even though he should happen to save his carcass, and his fortune.

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