【The Mouse, the Snake, and the Cat】 Classic Japanese Folktale

This story tells of mice feasting on hibernating snakes, their clever escape tactics, and the challenge of outsmarting a new predator, a cat.

Japanese Title: Nezumi to Hebi to Neko / ネズミと蛇と猫
Translation: The Mouse, the Snake, and the Cat
Location: Saitama Prefecture / 埼玉県

Contents

The Story of 【The Mouse, the Snake, and the Cat】

Once upon a time, there was a house where a mouse made its home.

One winter day, while scurrying under the floorboards, the mouse suddenly fell into a hole when the ground collapsed beneath it. “Ouch!” it exclaimed and looked around. The hole led deeper underground.

“Wonder what this hole is for?” the mouse thought curiously and followed it. It ended in a large chamber filled with soft things. When the mouse bit into one, it was delicious, much like eel. There was more than enough to feed all its friends. So, the mouse went to call them.

The mice feasted on these soft things all winter without any food shortage. When spring came, the ‘food’ woke up. Trying to move, they found it odd — they had no bodies below their heads! There were many just heads around, confused and startled, flicking their long tongues in and out.

The ‘food’ was actually snakes. The hole was their hibernation burrow. A mouse ran past a snake, which then realized its body was eaten during hibernation. “You ate my body,” the snake said and swallowed the mouse. However, the snake immediately spat it out, and the mouse escaped. The snake, now just a head, was furious but couldn’t chase after it.

Some snakes that weren’t bitten by the mice sought help from their neighbors. “We woke from hibernation to find ourselves just heads, thanks to the mice. We want revenge.” The neighbor snakes agreed, “That’s terrible. Let’s swallow all those cunning mice.”

The mice, in trouble, gathered to discuss. “We’ll become extinct at this rate. Any ideas?” One suggested, “Snakes move in a slithering manner. If we jump in the opposite direction of their movement, we can escape.” And so, they did, successfully avoiding being eaten.

Just when they thought they were safe, a new threat arose. Because of their noise, the house owner got a cat. One by one, the mice were caught by the cat. The mice gathered again, “How can we avoid the cat?” They discussed the cat’s ability to see in the dark and the paralyzing fear they felt when they saw its glowing golden eyes. “If only we knew where the cat was hiding,” they pondered.

An idea emerged, “Let’s put a bell on the cat’s neck.” All agreed it was a good idea. But when asked who would bell the cat,

everyone fell silent, looking down. No one volunteered to bell the cat.

As a result, to this day, while the mice can escape snakes by running in the opposite direction of their slithering, they remain helpless against the cat.

And that’s the end of the tale. The end.

Notes

Cultural Background

Interplay of Nature and Animals

The story reflects the natural world’s dynamics, emphasizing the food chain and survival instincts in animals.

Problem-Solving and Moral Lessons

The mice’s strategies for dealing with threats showcase themes of problem-solving and the limits of these solutions, reflecting moral and practical lessons.

Traditional Storytelling

This folktale is an example of traditional Japanese storytelling, where animals are often given human-like qualities and behaviors to convey broader life lessons.

Glossary

TERM

Hibernation Burrow

A place where snakes hibernate during winter, playing a crucial role in the story as the unsuspecting source of food for the mice.

TERM

Slithering of Snakes

Refers to the movement of snakes, integral to the story as it provides the mice with a clue on how to escape being eaten.

TERM

Bell the Cat

A metaphor for undertaking a dangerous or impossible task, reflecting the mice’s dilemma in finding a way to outsmart the cat.

TERM

Food Chain

The sequence of who eats whom in the natural world, a central theme in the story, illustrating the balance of power and survival among different animals.