The Cat and the Mouse

It is said that in ancient times, the cat and the mouse were the best of friends. They lived carefree on one of the islands. There were many birds there, which the cat fed on, while the mouse ate nuts and chestnuts. One day, the mouse said to the cat:

- I’m tired of staying on this island. What do you think, should we move to the shore?
- But how will we cross the sea? - asked the cat.
- It’s not difficult, - replied the mouse. - We’ll make a boat out of wood.

She dragged a large piece of wood, put her teeth to work, and gnawed out a hollow where she and the cat could fit. Then the friends got into this little boat and set off on their journey.

Along the way, they suddenly felt hungry. But they had no food. Each of them curled up in their corner, trying to fall asleep. Finally, the cat dozed off. But the mouse stayed awake. To satisfy her hunger, she began gnawing at the bottom of the boat. Every time the cat opened her eyes, the mouse pretended to be asleep. She kept gnawing until she made a hole in the bottom. Water started seeping in, and the boat began to sink slowly.

Soon, the friends found themselves in the water. And since the cat really disliked water, she became furious with her companion and shouted:

- I’ll eat you!
- Wait until we get out of the water, or it will drag you into its depths. You’ll have time to eat me later, - replied the mouse.

When they reached the shore, the cat said:
- Now I’ll definitely eat you.
- Wait, let me dry off: you won’t be able to digest my meat while I’m so wet.

At that moment, the mouse took advantage of the cat’s carelessness and disappeared into a small hole.

The cat tried in vain to follow her.
- I’ll wait until you come out, you deceiver! - the cat shouted to the mouse.
- You’ll have to wait a long time, - the mouse replied. - I’ll never come out.

The cat sat by the entrance to the hole, waiting for the mouse to appear, while the mouse started digging through the earth. She made a long tunnel underground, emerged from the other end, and was gone.

Since then, the cat has forgotten how to sleep deeply. At night, she listens for the scratching of the mouse and spends hours guarding the entrance. And the mouse never comes out of her hole if she notices the cat lying in wait.

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The Cat and the Mouse

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