Hello! Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon.
Today's story is a throwback episode.
Tune in to hear one of our classic stories from the archive that you might have missed the first time around.
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The Mouse Who Hung the Bell Once upon a time, in a cottage clean and shiny, an army planned for war against an enemy grown fat.
Gathered in their hundreds, all soft and gray and tiny, the wise mice shared their plans for how best to survive the cat.
The enemy had snow -white fur, a nose of velvet pink.
One eye was summer garden green, the other blue as winter.
Her green eye never slept, they said, not so much as a wink, but her blue eye had a killer gleam when hunting mice for dinner.
We should attack this brazen beast, the kernel mouse did cry.
A hundred hands with needle swords, and surely we will slay it.
Another mouse just shook his head, his body heaved a sigh.
If we kill the killer, we're no better.
I'm sorry, friend, to say it.
The mice all yelled and argued.
They pushed and shoved and fought.
It seemed likely to go on all night with no decision made.
made, till finally a voice rang out and said, I have a thought.
It was a young and wild mouse with one ear chewed and frayed.
Well, come here, boy, and tell it true, a kind old mouse, she said.
The boy pushed forward through the crowd and boldly took the floor.
A way to stop the beast, he said, lifting a bell big as his head.
We'll hang this on her collar and the beast will kill no more the mice all cheered out loudly we'll end the monster's reign she'll jingle jangle as she walks a warning and a tell an old mouse stood up frail and blind supported by a cane a goodly plan my fine young friend but who will hang the bell the mice they all fell silent the wind whipped from their sails not one of them was brave enough to try and do the deed one by one they sat down slow, all resting on their tails.
They knew the one who hung the bell'd be eaten, guaranteed.
The minutes passed and none spoke up.
No murmur, not a squeak.
To bell the cat, a daring plan, but risk being devoured?
When the silence grew too long to bear, they all began to speak, with each mouse making an excuse to not be thought a coward. Well, I would hang the bell, but you know my paw is sprained.
And I would hang the bell, but I'm getting awfully old.
Well, I would hang the bell, but I'm utterly untrained.
And I would hang the bell, but I'm fighting awful cold.
Well, I would hang the bell, but I doubt that I could lift it.
And I would hang the bell, but I have an allergy to cats.
Well, I would hang the bell, but I fear I'm just not gifted.
And I would hang the bell, but my fur is full of mats.
hats. On and on it went around with each mouse bowing out.
It seemed the plan to bell the cat was setting like the sun. The old mouse said, so now you see the value of a shout.
It's easy to propose a plan, but hard to see it done.
The moral thus imparted our story may have ended there, if not for the young wild boy who first brought forth the bell, who by the elder's wisdom was was so wisely made aware that the one who has the plan should be the one to lead as well.
I will go, I'll bell the cat, the young mouse roared out to the crowd, and wild went the mass of mice, all yelling, clapping, cheering.
I'll need a rope, I'll need a blade, and have them both be long and proud, and never shall we fear the beast as long as we have hearing.
Some mice brought forth a spool of twine and cut a piece to perfect length.
our hero looped it through the bell and round and round him like a pack and three small girls brought forth a blade held it high with all their strength it was a sword of twisted brass long as a line, sharp as a tack the young boy lifted up the sword with light it shone from wall to wall I go now to bell the cat to put our fears and frights to rest but if my friends it happens that it's I who takes the fall remember me, brave Benjamin and that I did my very best our hero walked back through the crowd and the mice all bowed down low giving their respect unto the boy who'd faced the beast that was the last
they saw him silhouetted by the glow from the light beyond the mouse hole where they'd always hid in peace and though they waited minutes hours days the boy never returned and what happened in the clash between cat and mouse, well, none can say.
All we know is young Brave Ben, for good the name of hero earned.
For you see, the beast now wears a bell and jingles loudly to this day.
Yes, once upon a time in a cottage clean and shiny, an army planned for war against an enemy grown fat.
But only one could see it done when life called for a hero tiny.
So remember long, brave Benjamin, And though no one can say for sure, and though no one can surely say, we hear that young, brave Benjamin may still be belling cats today.
The end. Today's story, The Mouse Who Hung the Bell, was an Aesop -inspired story written by Daniel Hines and performed by me, Amanda Weldon.
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