How the Cat was Belled
The Cat Was Belléd by Carolyn Wells is a children's book published in 1923. The story follows a mischievous cat named Whiskers who gets into trouble after ringing a bell belonging to a nearby church. The bell is replaced with a new one, but Whiskers continues to ring it, leading the congregation to believe that the cat has been blessed by God. The book explores themes of mischief, trickery, and the power of belief.
By Carolyn Wells · First published 1924 · Genre: Short stories, Comedy, Satire · 1,199 words
First lines
A fable told by La Fontaine, Two centuries or more ago, Describes some rats who would arraign A cat, their direst foe, Who killed so many rats And caused the deepest woe, This Catiline of cats.
The poor rats were at their wits' end Their homes and families to defend; And as a last resort They took the case to court.
What this Textopian page supports
How the Cat was Belled is listed on Textopian as a short story by Carolyn Wells, dated 1924 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Carolyn Wells
- Date: 1924 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Short stories, Comedy, Satire
- Length: 1,199 words
- Structure: 1 section, 15 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for How the Cat was Belled by Carolyn Wells
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Short stories — The book is a short classic story, indicating it belongs to the Short stories genre
- Comedy — The narrative includes situations that are designed to amuse the reader, indicating it belongs to the Comedy genre
- Satire — The book provides social commentary and mocks human weaknesses, indicating it belongs to the Satire genre
Tags
mystery · detective · crime · whodunit · suspense · fiction · literature · novel · plot twist · investigation · clues · characters