The Cockerel, the Cat, and the Young Mouse

Name: The Cockerel, the Cat, and the Young Mouse
Author: Jean de La Fontaine

A youthful mouse ventures beyond the bounds of his home in search of strange and wonderful sights. He encounters two unfamiliar creatures: one appears violent and terrifying, with a harsh voice, a red fleshy growth on its head, beating wings, and a raised plumy tail; the other seems mild, beautiful, and kindly, dressed as if in velvet, with a graceful tail, soft face, fiery eyes, and ears resembling those of mice. Frightened by the loud creature’s cry, the mouse flees and regrets losing the chance to approach the gentle-looking one, whom he believes would be a natural friend to rats and mice. His mother identifies the frightening creature as a cock, whose food mice may even eat, and the lovely creature as a cat, the deadly enemy of mice and rats, who uses smooth deceit before devouring them. The tale warns that appearances deceive.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Moral Tale, Animal Fiction · 622 words

First lines

A youthful mouse, not up to trap, / Had almost met a sad mishap. / The story hear him thus relate, / With great importance, to his mother: -- / 'I pass'd the mountain bounds of this estate, / And off was trotting on another, / Like some young rat with nought to do / But see things wonderful and new, / When two strange creatures came in view. / The one was mild, benign, and gracious; / The other, turbulent, rapacious, / With voice terrific, shrill, and rough, / And on his head a bit of stuff / That look'd like raw and bloody meat, / Raised up a sort of arms, and beat / The air, as if he meant to fly, / And bore his plumy tail on high.'

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Genres

Fable — A brief animal-centered narrative that delivers an explicit moral lesson: appearances can deceive.
Moral Tale — The plot teaches caution and discernment, showing that what seems gentle may be dangerous and what seems frightening may be harmless.
Animal Fiction — Speaking mice, a cat, and a cockerel act as characters whose animal traits support the story's conflict and lesson.
Allegory — The animals and their misleading appearances represent a broader human truth about judging people by outward impressions.

What this Textopian page supports

The Cockerel, the Cat, and the Young Mouse is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, dated 1668 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Fable
Author: Jean de La Fontaine
Date: 1668 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fable, Moral Tale, Animal Fiction, Allegory, Didactic Literature
Length: 622 words
Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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