The Cat and the Cock by Esopo (1602)
The story revolves around a cat and a cock who are bitter enemies. One day, they decide to settle their differences once and for all by engaging in a contest. The cat proposes that they compete in various skills such as singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments. The cock agrees but with one condition: the cat must be blindfolded during the competition. The cat is confident of winning due to its cunning nature. However, things take an unexpected turn when the cock uses his cunning to outsmart the cat at every turn. In the end, the cat emerges victorious not because of its skills but because it was able to cheat by peeking through the blindfold.
By Esopo · First published 1602 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Folklore · 159 words
First lines
A Cat pounced on a Cock, and cast about for some good excuse for making a meal off him, for Cats don't as a rule eat Cocks, and she knew she ought not to. At last she said, "You make a great nuisance of yourself at night by crowing and keeping people awake: so I am going to make an end of you. " But the Cock defended himself by saying that he crowed in order that men might wake up and set about the day's work in good time, and that they really couldn't very well do without him. "That may be," said the Cat, "but whether they can or not, I'm not going without my dinner"; and she killed and ate him.
The want of a good excuse never kept a villain from crime.
What this Textopian page supports
The Cat and the Cock is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1602 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Esopo
- Date: 1602 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Folklore, Fantasy, Classical Literature
- Length: 159 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Cat and the Cock by Esopo
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Cat and the Cock?
- How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fable first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Farmer And The Fox by Esopo
- The Hound And The Fox by Esopo
- The Wolf The Fox And The Ape by Esopo
- The Bat And The Weasels by Esopo
- Jupiter And The Monkey by Esopo
- The Eagle The Cat And The Wild Sow by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — Esopo is renowned for his fables, and a title involving animals suggests a storyline featuring animals with human-like attributes, implying moral lessons; hallmarks of the fable genre.
- Children's Literature — Fables are often read by or to children due to their moral lessons and straightforward narratives, which are instrumental in teaching values in early childhood education.
- Folklore — Esopo's fables are part of the larger folklore tradition, both contextual and temporal, embedding local customs, practices and moral lessons which are passed from generation to generation.
- Fantasy — The narrative concept of animals possessing human-like qualities and speaking human language falls into the realm of fantasy.
Tags
fable · animal · morality · friendship · deception · cunning · wisdom · betrayal · humor · adventure · conflict · nature