tales

Una vegada les rates es dolgueren de la gran persecució de què els gats els feien objecte, i es reuniren en assemblea per tal de trobar-hi remei. Una rata molt eloqüent féu un discurs, en el qual posà de manifest la impossibilitat d'encarar-se amb el gat, perquè és més fort i, per tant, sempre els tocaria el perdre; segons ella, el millor era defugir la seva presència, i pensà un estratagema; posar-li un cascavell; així, sempre sabrien on es trobaria, perquè en caminar faria soroll, i podrien fugir de la seva vora. La idea semblà genial i despertà gran entusiasme. Enmig de grans mostres d'alegria, s'alçà una rata vella i preguntà: - I qui li posarà el cascavell al gat?. Les paraules de la rata vella feren comprendre que l'empresa era més difícil que no semblava, i, una darrere l'altra, amb la cua entre cames, les assembleistes se'n van anar, i l'afer restà com abans. (Amades, 1982, I:1145).

'To put a little bell on the cat

Once the rates complained about the great persecution by the cats and had a meeting to find a solution. A very eloquent rat gave a speech, in which she explained that it is impossible for them to fight the cat, because it is stronger than them. Therefore, they will always lose. According to the rat the best would be to flee from the cat, and it developed a strategy: to put a bell on the cat. By this they always would know where the cat is, as the bell would sound when the cat moves, and they could flee from it. The idea was welcomed by the rats and caused enthusiasm among them. In-between of the happiness one old rat asked: and who is going to put the bell on the cat? The words of the old rat made the others understand that the plan was more difficult than it seemed and one after the other with the tail between the legs the rats left the meeting, and the matter still remains the same' (Amades, 1982, I:1145).