Even More Aesop's Fables · chapter 2 of 6
Belling the Cat
给猫挂铃铛
The mice have a brilliant plan to hang a bell on the cat. Everybody cheers, until one old mouse asks a very small question.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Little Rabbit 爷爷，今天的猫大不大？我有点怕。
Yéye, jīntiān de māo dà bú dà? Wǒ yǒudiǎn pà.
Grandpa, is tonight's cat a big one? I'm a little scared.
- Little Squirrel 大猫我不怕！我在树上看着。
Dàmāo wǒ bú pà! Wǒ zài shùshàng kànzhe.
I'm not afraid of big cats! I'll watch from up in the tree.
- Grandpa Owl 咕咕！别怕，猫在故事里。
Gūgū! Bié pà, māo zài gùshi lǐ.
Hoo-hoo-hoo! Don't be afraid. The cat is in the story.
- Little Squirrel 我知道！大猫吃了所有的老鼠！
Wǒ zhīdào! Dàmāo chī le suǒyǒu de lǎoshǔ!
I know! The big cat ate all the mice!
- Little Rabbit 爷爷，是这样的吗？大猫吃了它们吗？
Yéye, shì zhèyàng de ma? Dàmāo chī le tāmen ma?
Grandpa, is that how it goes? Did the cat eat them?
- Grandpa Owl 不是。听着：有很多老鼠，住在一个大房子里。
Bú shì. Tīngzhe: yǒu hěn duō lǎoshǔ, zhù zài yí gè dà fángzi lǐ.
No. Listen: many mice lived in a big house.
- The Old Mouse 朋友们，不好了！大猫又来了！
Péngyoumen, bù hǎo le! Dàmāo yòu lái le!
Friends, oh no! The big cat is back!
- The Young Mouse 天天都这样！我们不能出去吃东西。
Tiān tiān dōu zhèyàng! Wǒmen bù néng chūqù chī dōngxi.
Every day it's the same! We can't go out to eat.
- The Old Mouse 我们要想一个办法。大家想一想，谁有好办法？
Wǒmen yào xiǎng yí gè bànfǎ. Dàjiā xiǎng yì xiǎng, shuí yǒu hǎo bànfǎ?
We must think of a plan. Everyone think: who has a good idea?
- The Young Mouse 我有！给大猫挂一个铃铛！
Wǒ yǒu! Gěi dàmāo guà yí gè língdāng!
I do! Hang a bell on the big cat!
- The Young Mouse 猫一走，铃铛就响。我们就知道了！
Māo yì zǒu, língdāng jiù xiǎng. Wǒmen jiù zhīdào le!
When the cat walks, the bell rings. Then we'll know!
- The Old Mouse 好办法！太好了！
Hǎo bànfǎ! Tài hǎo le!
Great idea! Wonderful!
- The Young Mouse 我们不用怕大猫了！这个办法太好了！
Wǒmen bú yòng pà dàmāo le! Zhège bànfǎ tài hǎo le!
We don't have to fear the cat anymore! This plan is great!
- The Old Mouse 等一下。我想问一个小问题。
Děng yí xià. Wǒ xiǎng wèn yí gè xiǎo wèntí.
Wait a moment. I have one small question.
- The Old Mouse 谁去给大猫挂铃铛呢？
Shuí qù gěi dàmāo guà língdāng ne?
Who will go hang the bell on the big cat?
- The Young Mouse 啊……我的腿有点疼。
A… wǒ de tuǐ yǒudiǎn téng.
Ah... my leg hurts a little.
- The Old Mouse 我老了。我的眼睛也不好。
Wǒ lǎo le. Wǒ de yǎnjing yě bù hǎo.
I'm old. And my eyes are bad too.
- The Big Cat 谁在说话？……我好累。再睡一会儿。
Shuí zài shuōhuà?… wǒ hǎo lèi. Zài shuì yíhuìr.
Who's talking?... I'm so tired. Just a little more sleep.
- The Young Mouse 小点儿！大猫要起来了！
Xiǎodiǎnr! Dàmāo yào qǐlái le!
Quiet! The big cat is getting up!
- The Old Mouse 大家回家吧。明天再想办法。
Dàjiā huíjiā ba. Míngtiān zài xiǎng bànfǎ.
Everyone go home. We'll think of a plan tomorrow.
- Grandpa Owl 大猫又睡了。老鼠们都回家了，没有铃铛。
Dàmāo yòu shuì le. Lǎoshǔmen dōu huíjiā le, méiyǒu língdāng.
The big cat fell back asleep. The mice all went home, and there was no bell.
- Little Squirrel 没有人去挂铃铛吗？
Méiyǒu rén qù guà língdāng ma?
Nobody hung the bell?
- Little Rabbit 没有！谁去啊？我不去！
Méiyǒu! Shuí qù a? Wǒ bú qù!
No! Who would go? Not me!
- Grandpa Owl 对。有好办法，还要有人去做。
Duì. Yǒu hǎo bànfǎ, hái yào yǒurén qù zuò.
Right. A good idea is not enough. Someone has to do it.
- Little Squirrel 我没有办法……小兔子，我的果子呢？
Wǒ méiyǒu bànfǎ… Xiǎo Tùzi, wǒ de guǒzi ne?
I have no idea... Rabbit, where's my acorn?
- Little Rabbit 在你的手上啊！
Zài nǐ de shǒushàng a!
It's in your hand!
- Grandpa Owl 明天讲冬天的故事：一个农夫，帮了一条蛇。
Míngtiān jiǎng dōngtiān de gùshi: yí gè nóngfū, bāng le yì tiáo shé.
Tomorrow, a winter story: a farmer helps a snake.
- Grandpa Owl 蛇会谢谢他吗？
Shé huì xièxie tā ma?
Will the snake thank him?
What changed in the story?
- What is the young mouse's idea?
“我有！给大猫挂一个铃铛！”
- Why would the bell help the mice?
“猫一走，铃铛就响。我们就知道了！”
- What does the old mouse ask after everyone cheers?
“谁去给大猫挂铃铛呢？”
- What does the young mouse do when asked?
“啊……我的腿有点疼。”
- What does Grandpa Owl say the story teaches?
“对。有好办法，还要有人去做。”