The Bat and the Weasels by Aesop for ESL students with a podcast and vocabulary practice in real context
The Bat and the Weasels is now in the public domain available on Gutenberg Project
Podcast of The Bat and the Weasels
The Bat and the Weasels
A bat fell to the ground and was caught by a weasel, and was just going to be killed and eaten when it begged to be let go.
- weasel: a small furry animal that feeds on rats and birds
The weasel said he couldn’t do that because he was an enemy of all birds on principle.
- on principle: because of adhering to a particular belief or principle
“Oh, but,” said the bat, “I’m not a bird at all: I’m a mouse.” “So you are,” said the weasel, “now I come to look at you”; and he let it go.
Some time after this, the bat was caught in just the same way by another weasel, and, as before, begged for its life. “No,” said the weasel, “I never let a mouse go by any chance.”
“But I’m not a mouse,” said the bat; “I’m a bird.” “Why, so you are,” said the weasel; and he too let the bat go.
Look and see which way the wind blows before you commit yourself.
