Section 119
The Cat and the Cock explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Cat pounced on a Cock, and cast about for some good excuse for making a meal off him, for Cats don't as a rule eat Cocks, and she knew she ought not to. At last she said, "You make a great nuisance of yourself at night by crowing and keeping people awake: so I am going to...
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Public-domain original
A Cat pounced on a Cock, and cast about for some good excuse for
making a meal off him, for Cats don't as a rule eat Cocks, and she
knew she ought not to. At last she said, "You make a great nuisance of
yourself at night by crowing and keeping people awake: so I am going
to make an end of you." But the Cock defended himself by saying that
he crowed in order that men might wake up and set about the day's work
in good time, and that they really couldn't very well do without him.
"That may be," said the Cat, "but whether they can or not, I'm not
going without my dinner"; and she killed and ate him.
The want of a good excuse never kept a villain from crime.
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A cat invents accusations against a cock because he already plans to eat him.
Why this scene matters
This fable shows that bad people can always invent reasons for what they wanted to do anyway.
Characters in this scene
- Cat: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Cock: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
The cat gives one excuse after another for killing the cock. When the excuses fail, he eats him regardless.