Completing Story: Who will Bell the Cat for JSC, SSC & HSC

 Who will Bell the Cat

Once there was a rich man who had a big house. One day, many rats came and made the house their home. Soon, the house became like the town of Hamelin. Rats were everywhere—on the floor, in the kitchen, and even on the beds. They were having fun, but the people in the house were in great trouble. They could not sleep at night because the rats made noise and ran here and there. Even the small babies were bitten by them.

Moreover, the rats stole food, cut clothes, and made holes in the walls and furniture. As a result, everyone in the house was very worried and sad. At last, the owner of the house got an idea. He thought, “Rats are afraid of cats. If I bring a cat, it will kill the rats and the problem will be solved.” So, he brought a big cat into the house.

Soon after, the rats found out that a cat was now living there. They became very scared. Their lives were in danger. Therefore, all the rats came together and held a meeting to find a way to stay safe. One young rat gave a clever idea. He said, “Let us tie a bell around the cat’s neck. Then, when the cat moves, the bell will ring. That way, we will know the cat is coming and we can run away.”

All the rats clapped and liked the idea. It sounded perfect. However, one old rat asked, “Who will go and tie the bell on the cat’s neck?”

At once, everyone became quiet. No one wanted to go near the cat. They knew the rat who tried to bell the cat would be caught and eaten. So, even though the plan was smart, no rat was brave enough to do the job.

In the end, no one could bell the cat. The plan failed. The rats got more scared day by day. Finally, they all left the house to find a safer place to live.

Moral of the story: Easy to say but difficult to do.