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Belling the Cat – Learn English with Fairy Tales

Last updated on July 22, 2022 by in English Short Stories Category with No Comments on Belling the Cat – Learn English with Fairy Tales, 50 Views and Reading Time: 2 minutes

Belling the cat

Belling the cat to learn English with fairy tales based on Aesop’s Fables with a podcast, list of new words and expressions for young English learners or beginners

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Aesop’s Fables, by Aesop at www.gutenberg.net

Long ago, the mice had a general council to consider what measures they could take to outwit their common enemy, the cat.

Some said this, and some said that; but at last a young mouse got up and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would meet the case.

“You will all agree,” said he, “that our chief danger consists in the sly and treacherous manner in which the enemy approaches us.

Now, if we could receive some signal of her approach, we could easily escape from her. I venture, therefore, to propose that a small bell be procured, and attached by a ribbon round the neck of the cat.

By this means, we should always know when she was about, and could easily retire while she was in the neighbourhood.”

This proposal met with general applause, until an old mouse got up and said: “That is all very well, but who is to bell the cat?”

The mice looked at one another and nobody spoke. Then the old mouse said:

“It is easy to propose impossible remedies.”

New words and expressions

  1. Council: assembly, meeting
  2. Outwit: outsmart, use trickery to get an advantage over someone, outfox
  3. Proposal: suggestion, plan
  4. Consist: contain, entail, involve
  5. Sly: crafty, cunning, furtive
  6. Procured: obtained, acquired
  7. Ribbon: band, tie, strip
  8. Retire: go to bed and relax
  9. Applause: clapping to show praise and appreciation
  10. Remedy: solution

About Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl

Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl is an English and Persian instructor, researcher, inventor, author, blogger, SEO expert, website developer, and the creator of LELB Society. He's got a PhD in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). Study our guest posting guidelines for authors.

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