In a cozy old house, inside a big wooden cupboard, lived a family of tiny mice. They had a lovely home made of bits of paper and soft cloth. All day long, they played hide-and-seek, nibbled on crumbs, and squeaked with laughter.

But there was one big problem… A cat! 🐱

The cat had sharp claws, soft paws, and eyes that shone in the dark. Every night, she crept quietly through the house — tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe! — and pounced! on any mouse she could find.

The poor mice were terrified. They stayed hidden in their holes, too scared to come out even for food.

One day, the oldest mouse said, “My friends, we must do something! If this goes on, none of us will be safe.”

So, the mice gathered for a big meeting in the corner of the kitchen. There were big mice, little mice, fat mice, and tiny baby mice — all whispering and thinking hard.

Then, a young mouse jumped up and said, “I have an idea! Let’s put a bell around the cat’s neck! Then, whenever she walks, we’ll hear ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling! and run away before she catches us!”

All the mice cheered. “That’s a wonderful idea!” they squeaked. They clapped their tiny paws and danced with joy.

But soon, the wise old mouse stood up and said gently, “My dear friends, your idea is clever… but tell me — who will put the bell around the cat’s neck?”

The room went silent. The little mice looked at each other. Nobody spoke. Nobody wanted to go near the cat!

Finally, the old mouse nodded and said, “It’s easy to think of a plan. But it’s much harder to make it happen.”

And so, the mice stayed in their cupboard — a little wiser than before.