Cat and Mouse in Partnership
Introduction
The Brothers Grimm placed 'Cat and Mouse in Partnership' second in their entire collection—a prominent spot, right after 'The Frog King.' It is really an old animal fable (folklorists number it ATU 15), long told across Europe and akin to the sly tricks of the medieval Reynard the Fox tradition. The story's cleverest stroke is its three peculiar names: the cat pretends he has been asked to be a godfather, slips off to the church to lick the pot of fat, and comes back to name the nonexistent 'godchildren' Top-Off, Half-Gone, and All-Gone—names that exactly track how much of the fat has been eaten (in the German original, Obenab, Halbaus, Ganzaus). This trick of stealing food under the cover of godfather duties, then hinting at the theft through the names, is the hallmark of such fables. Unlike the many tales that end happily, the Grimms deliberately kept its cold ending: the trusting mouse is swallowed by her own partner, and the story closes with 'that is the way of the world.' This is not meant to frighten children but stands as a warning about judging others—the cat's nature (a predator) never changed because of the 'partnership,' and the doubts the mouse kept brushing aside were danger signals all along. As you read, ask your child: how many chances did the mouse have to see through this cat?
Vocabulary from "Cat and Mouse in Partnership"
12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.
Knowing someone slightly; also, a person you know a little.
相识；结识；泛泛之交。
A cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse.
一只猫认识了一只老鼠。
Careful thought about something before deciding.
考虑；斟酌；深思。
Finally, after much consideration, the cat said, "I know of no place where it will be better stored up than in the church."
最后，经过深思熟虑，猫说：'我知道没有什么地方比教堂更适合藏东西了。'
A table or raised place used for religious ceremonies in a church.
（教堂里的）祭坛；圣坛。
We will put it beneath the altar, and not touch it until we are need it.
我们把它放在祭坛底下，不到万不得已不去动它。
A strong feeling of wanting something very much.
渴望；热望；强烈的想望。
It was not long before the cat took a great longing for it.
没过多久，猫就对它馋涎欲滴了。
A man who promises, at a child's baptism, to help guide the child's life.
教父（在洗礼时承诺照顾、引导孩子的男性）。
My cousin has brought a little son into the world, and she has asked me to be his godfather.
我的表姐生了一个小儿子，她请我去做教父。
Relating to baptism, the ceremony in which a person is named and welcomed into the church.
洗礼的；与洗礼有关的。
He is white with brown spots, and I am to hold him over the baptismal font.
那孩子浑身雪白，带着褐色的斑点，我要抱着他去接受洗礼。
A slow, relaxed walk.
漫步；闲逛；散步。
Then he went for a stroll on the roofs of the town, looked out for opportunities.
然后他在城里的屋顶上散步，寻找其他的机会。
The long stiff hairs that grow near the mouth of a cat and some other animals.
（猫等动物的）胡须；触须。
Then stretched out in the sun, licking his whiskers whenever he thought of the pot of fat.
接着他在阳光下舒展身子，每当想起那罐猪油时，就舔舔自己的胡须。
Ate something quickly and hungrily.
狼吞虎咽地吃；吞食。
The cat crept behind the town wall to the church, and devoured half the pot of fat.
猫却溜到了城墙后面的教堂里，吃掉了一半的猪油。
To bet; to say you are sure something is true.
打赌；断定。
I have never heard that name in all my life. I'll wager it is not in the almanac.
我这辈子从没听过这种名字。我敢打赌历书上肯定没有。
Small, delicate, and pretty.
娇小精致的；娇嫩的。
You will enjoy it as much as you would enjoy sticking that dainty tongue of yours out of the window.
你会喜欢的，就像你把你那娇嫩的舌头伸出窗外喝西北风一样。
Gave a baby a name at a Christian baptism ceremony.
为（婴儿）行洗礼命名；给……取教名。
When he arrived home the mouse asked, "What name was this child christened with?"
当他回到家时，老鼠问道：'这个孩子取了什么名字？'
Reading Together & Learning More
The Moral
Trusting sweet words while ignoring warning signs that keep appearing can cost us dearly; a true friend is known by deeds, not by flattery.
Educational Value
Helps children tell the difference between 'friendly words' and 'real behavior' and see the danger of being too trusting; the wordplay in the three names is also fine practice in reasoning and language.
Tips for Parents
Pause at each odd name and let your child guess what it hints at; afterward discuss: which 'warning signs' did the mouse miss, and how can we watch for such signs in real life?
Talk About It
- The cat invents a 'godfather' excuse each time he goes out. The mouse had several chances to grow suspicious—why do you think she never did?
- Those three odd names—Top-Off, Half-Gone, All-Gone—what are they secretly telling us?
- The cat and mouse agreed to share food through the winter, but the cat never meant to keep the bargain. Was this 'partnership' fair from the start?
- The story ends with the mouse being eaten, which is far from happy. Why do you think the author chose not to give it a happy ending?
- In real life, if a 'friend' keeps taking advantage of you when you're not looking, how would you tell, and what would you do?
