Cat and Mouse in Partnership

Author: A Brothers Grimm Tale · Retold as a Fable by DozyStories

Age5–9
Reading time6 min
LevelIntermediate

Introduction

This tale stands second in the whole Brothers Grimm collection, right after 'The Frog King.' In truth it is an ancient animal fable, told across Europe for centuries and kin to Aesop and to the sly tricks of Reynard the Fox. We retell it in the style of a Chinese fable because its bones are already fable-shaped. The characters are types: a greedy cat, a trusting mouse, each summed up in one line. The plot moves in a straight line—three excuses, three names, one pot of fat. Chinese readers will hear an old echo here. Our saying 'honey on the lips, a sword in the heart' fits this cat to the letter, and the mouse reminds us of the man who waits by a tree stump for another hare. Note, too, that the Grimms kept the cold ending on purpose: unlike many fairy tales that were softened for children, this one lets the mouse pay the price, and that is exactly what makes it a fable rather than a sweet dream. A fable, our elders say, does not dazzle with its plot; it stays with you for its lesson. So turn the three odd names into a guessing game, and count together the chances the mouse let slip. When the tale ends, your child will carry away more than the ending: a truth worth keeping for life—judge people by their deeds, not by their words.

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Cat and Mouse in Partnership - The cat and the mouse become partners and hide a pot of fat under a church altar. The cat pretends to be a godfather, licks off the top layer, and comes home with a strange name: Lid-Off. - Scene Illustration 1 — The cat and the mouse become partners and hide a pot of fat under a church altar. The cat pretends to be a godfather, licks off the top layer, and comes home with a strange name: Lid-Off.

Long ago, a cat met a little mouse on the road. He poured out sweet words by the basketful, saying how much he admired her and wished to keep her company. The mouse had a soft heart, so she believed his talk and agreed to live with him as partners.

One day the cat said, "We must store food for winter, or we shall go hungry when the cold wind blows. And you, little mouse, wander about too much. One day you will walk straight into a trap." The mouse nodded again and again, for every word sounded wise.

So the two of them bought a fine pot of fat. Then came the hard question: where to hide it? At last the cat clapped his paws and said, "The church is the safest place. Nobody would dare steal anything there. Let us push the pot under the altar and fetch it when winter comes."

Once the pot was hidden, the cat thought of it day and night. After a while he told the mouse that his cousin had a new baby and had asked him to be the godfather. He would be away for a day. "If they give you good things to eat," said the mouse, "do not forget to share with me."

But the cat had no cousin at all. He slipped into the church, lifted the lid, and licked the top layer of fat clean off. Then he lay on the roof in the sun, licking his whiskers and feeling very pleased with himself.

In the evening the cat came home, and the mouse asked the baby's name. "Lid-Off," said the cat slowly. The mouse frowned. "What a strange name," she said. "I have lived all my life and never heard such a name."

Cat and Mouse in Partnership - Some days later the cat plays the same trick, eats half of the fat, and names the second baby Half-Jar. - Scene Illustration 2 — Some days later the cat plays the same trick, eats half of the fat, and names the second baby Half-Jar.

After some days the cat felt hungry for the fat again. He begged the mouse, "They have asked me to be godfather once more. Please watch the house for me one more day." The baby has a white ring of fur around its neck, so I cannot say no. The mouse had a soft heart and agreed again.

The cat slipped into the church and ate half of the fat in the pot. He patted his round belly and said to himself, "Food that you keep all to yourself tastes best in the world." Then he went home, well pleased with his day.

As soon as he stepped in, the mouse asked the second baby's name. "Half-Jar," said the cat. The mouse's eyes grew wide. She had never heard such a strange name, she said, and it could not be found in any book of names.

Cat and Mouse in Partnership - The greedy cat tells a third lie, eats every bit of fat while the mouse cleans the house, mocks her doubts, and names the last baby Empty-Jar. - Scene Illustration 3 — The greedy cat tells a third lie, eats every bit of fat while the mouse cleans the house, mocks her doubts, and names the last baby Empty-Jar.

A few days later the cat set his mind on the pot again. He told the mouse, "Good things come in threes. They have asked me to be godfather once more. This baby is black all over, with only four white paws. Such a sight comes once in many years. You will let me go, won't you?"

The mouse rolled the names over in her mind: Lid-Off, and now Half-Jar. The more she thought, the less she liked them. "These names are so strange," she said, "that I cannot help wondering what lies behind them."

The cat laughed. "That comes of sitting at home all day in your grey coat. You never go out in the daylight, so your head fills with odd fancies." And away he went.

While the cat was gone, the mouse swept the house and made everything shine. The cat, though, crept into the church and scraped up the very last bit of fat. He did not come home until dark, with a belly round as a ball.

The mouse asked the name of the third baby. "Empty-Jar," said the cat. The mouse shook her head in surprise and said it was the most worrying name of all. But night had fallen, so she curled up and went to sleep.

Cat and Mouse in Partnership - Winter comes, and the mouse goes with the cat to fetch the fat. The pot is empty, the mouse finally sees the truth, and the cat bares his teeth to silence her. - Scene Illustration 4 — Winter comes, and the mouse goes with the cat to fetch the fat. The pot is empty, the mouse finally sees the truth, and the cat bares his teeth to silence her.

After that, no one asked the cat to be a godfather again. Winter came, and snow covered the roads. There was nothing left to find outside, and the mouse remembered the pot of fat. "Come, cat," she said, "let us fetch our fat. After waiting so long, it will taste wonderful."

The cat smiled a little. "You will enjoy it, just as you enjoy poking your thin tongue out of the window into the wind." The mouse did not understand him, but the two of them set off together.

The pot was still standing under the altar, just where they had left it. But it was empty, empty as a shell, scraped clean to the bottom.

The mouse looked for a long while, and then it all came to her. "Now I see you clearly, my true and faithful friend! You went out to be a godfather and ate the whole pot by yourself. First Lid-Off, then Half-Jar, and now —"

"Be quiet!" cried the cat, baring his sharp teeth. "Say one more word, and I shall eat you too."

Cat and Mouse in Partnership - The name slips out, and the cat swallows the mouse whole. That is the way of the world: judge a friend by his deeds, not by his words. - Scene Illustration 5 — The name slips out, and the cat swallows the mouse whole. That is the way of the world: judge a friend by his deeds, not by his words.

But "Empty-Jar" was already on the mouse's lips, and out it slipped before she could stop it.

Before the sound had died away, the cat sprang on her, caught her in one bite, and swallowed her whole.

To this day mice run for their lives when they see a cat, and some say it all began with this tale. And that, you see, is the way of the world: judge a friend by his deeds, not by his words.

Vocabulary from "Cat and Mouse in Partnership"

12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.

admired(admire)B2

/ədˈmaɪəd/v.

To like and respect someone very much.

钦佩；欣赏。

He poured out sweet words by the basketful, saying how much he admired her and wished to keep her company.
他把甜话说了一箩筐，说自己最敬重她，最想同她做伴。

whiskers(whisker)B2

/ˈwɪskəz/n.

The long stiff hairs that grow near a cat's mouth.

（猫、鼠等的）胡须。

Then he lay on the roof in the sun, licking his whiskers and feeling very pleased with himself.
然后躺在屋顶上晒太阳，一边晒一边舔胡子，心里好不得意。

begged(beg)B2

/beɡd/v.

Asked for something very strongly, like pleading.

恳求；央求。

He begged the mouse, "They have asked me to be godfather once more. Please watch the house for me one more day."
他央求老鼠：「人家又请我去当教父，这回的娃娃脖子上有一圈白毛，我推辞不得。你再看一天家吧。」

fetchB1

/fetʃ/v.

To go and bring something back.

去取；去拿。

Let us push the pot under the altar and fetch it when winter comes.
我们把罐子塞在祭坛底下，等冬天来了再取。

fancies(fancy)B2

/ˈfænsiz/n.

Strange ideas or imaginary thoughts.

奇思怪想；胡思乱想。

You never go out in the daylight, so your head fills with odd fancies.
你白日不出门，脑子里自然尽装些胡思乱想。

crept(creep)B2

/krept/v.

Moved slowly and quietly so nobody would notice.

悄悄爬行；蹑手蹑脚地走。

The cat, though, crept into the church and scraped up the very last bit of fat.
猫却钻进教堂，把罐底最后一点油也刮了个精光，直到天黑才挺着肚子回家。

worryingB1

/ˈwʌriɪŋ/adj.

Making you feel afraid or uneasy.

令人不安的；叫人心慌的。

The mouse shook her head in surprise and said it was the most worrying name of all.
老鼠惊得直摇头，说这名字听着最叫人心慌。

faithfulB2

/ˈfeɪθfl/adj.

Loyal and true, always keeping promises.

忠实的；忠诚的。

Now I see you clearly, my true and faithful friend!
我如今才算看清，你真是个知心知意的『好朋友』！

poking(poke)B1

/ˈpəʊkɪŋ/v.

Pushing something out or into a place.

伸出；戳。

You will enjoy it, just as you enjoy poking your thin tongue out of the window into the wind.
你自然会喜欢，就像你喜欢把那条细舌头伸到窗外吹风一样。

baring(bare)C1

/ˈbeərɪŋ/v.

Showing something that is usually hidden, such as teeth.

露出；使显露（如露出牙齿）。

"Be quiet!" cried the cat, baring his sharp teeth.
「住口！」猫龇出尖牙，喝道，「你再多说一个字，我连你也一起吃了。」

swallowed(swallow)B2

/ˈswɒləʊd/v.

Made food go down the throat into the stomach.

吞下；咽下。

Before the sound had died away, the cat sprang on her, caught her in one bite, and swallowed her whole.
话音未落，猫猛地扑上前，一口叼住她，整个吞了下去。

empty as a shellB2

/ˈempti əz ə ʃel/phr.

Having nothing inside at all, like an empty egg or nut.

空空如也；像空壳一样什么都没有。

But it was empty, empty as a shell, scraped clean to the bottom.
可里面空空如也，连底都被刮得干干净净。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

Sweet words can hide a greedy heart. When warning signs keep appearing, watch what a friend does, not what he says.

Educational Value

Helps children tell pretty words from real deeds and stay alert when warning signs appear; guessing the three odd names is also a fine game of logic and language.

Tips for Parents

Pause at each odd name and let your child guess what it hides. After reading, ask: how many chances did the mouse have to grow suspicious, and how can we watch for such signs in real life?

Talk About It

The cat makes up a 'godfather' excuse every time he goes out. The mouse had several chances to grow suspicious—why do you think she never looked on the dark side?
Lid-Off, Half-Jar, Empty-Jar: what are these three names secretly telling us?
The cat and mouse agreed to share food through the winter, but the cat never meant to keep his word. Was this 'partnership' fair from the very start?
If the mouse had doubted the cat when she first heard 'Lid-Off,' how might the story have gone? What should she have done?
If a 'friend' in real life keeps taking advantage of you when you are not looking, how would you find out, and what would you do?

Cat and Mouse in Partnership

Introduction

Vocabulary from "Cat and Mouse in Partnership"

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

Educational Value

Tips for Parents

Talk About It

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