(The following poem is based on an AESOP’S FABLE by the same name. I hope you enjoy it. Tim)
The Mice In Council
Once
upon a time, in a country far away,
There
lived a group of mice who loved to romp and play;
And
romp and play they did – for they were all alone,
Their
enemy, the cat, was still to them unknown.
One day,
however, things took a turn for the worse –
(It’s
a good thing, too, or we wouldn’t have this verse…),
For
the mice disappeared – one after the other,
Cousin
Jody, Aunt Peg, and Sam’s older brother.
They
had been eating and drinking and growing fat
Before
the day they first saw that nasty old cat!
But
when the cat arrived they had to change their ways –
Or they’d
face the prospect of the end of their days!
So a
council was called and all the mice were there,
They
addressed the problem with the greatest of care.
One
plan was put forth but it was soon voted down,
And
plan after plan was rejected all around.
Then
a young mouse stood and said, “I know what to do,
If you’ll
listen to me I’ll be glad to tell you.”
To this
they all replied that they gladly would hear
And
with his paw he beckoned them all to draw near.
“The
solution to the problem I’m here to tell,
We simply
place upon his neck a tinkling bell.
With
the bell on the cat, when he comes to draw near,
We’ll
scamper to safety for the bell we will hear.”
Now this
message the mice with one accord did cheer,
And
they thought themselves shortly to be free from fear.
A wise
old mouse stood up and he sought to be heard,
But
the others wished to hear from him not one word.
After
all he was old, and his prime was long past,
To the
back of the room the wise old mouse was cast.
The
mice were discussing the purchase of a bell,
They
were proud of themselves, thinking they had done well.
The old
mouse, all the while, tried to reason with them,
But
they were too busy to be bothered with him!
They
purchased a bell and then they purchased a chain,
But
the wise old mouse knew that their plans were in vain.
They
had a great feast their success to celebrate,
For
a chance to speak the wise old mouse had to wait.
As the
feast broke up the wise old mouse stood to speak,
Though
wise, he was withered, his voice “trembly” and meek.
He said,
“Now, friends, your plan may seem perfect to you,
But
I fear that you haven’t thought it fully through.
While
it’s true that we’d hear a cat wearing a bell,
And
that part of the plan would work out very well,
From
the fear of the cat we would surely be freed –
But
tell me: who is it that will perform this deed?
The
planning is one thing, it’s important enough,
But
“belling” a cat is gonna be mighty tough…”
The rashness
of youth sometimes refuses to see
What
the wisdom of years already knows to be…
So,
make sure when you plan, and then propose to do,
That
the task you have set is not too great for you.
H.
L. Gradowith
02-11-2002