Explore "The League of the Rats" by Jean de La Fontaine on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
A mouse was once in mortal fear / Of a cat that watch'd her portal near. / What could be done in such a case? / With prudent care she left the catship, / And courted, with a humble grace, / A neighbour of a higher race, / Whose lordship -- I should say his ratship -- / Lay in a great hotel; / And who had boasted oft, 'tis said, / Of living wholly without dread. / 'Well,' said this braggart, 'well, / Dame Mouse, what should I do? / Alone I cannot rout / The foe that threatens you. / I'll rally all the rats about, / And then I'll play him such a trick! ' / The mouse her court'sy dropp'd, / And off the hero scamper'd quick, / Nor till he reach'd the buttery stopp'd, / Where scores of rats were clustered, / In riotous extravagance, / All feasting at the host's expense. / To him, arriving there much flustered, / Indeed, quite out of breath, / A rat among the feasters saith, / 'What news? what news? I pray you, speak. ' / The rat, recovering breath to squeak, / Replied, 'To tell the matter in a trice, / It is, that we must promptly aid the mice; / For old Raminagrab is making / Among their ranks a dreadful quaking. / This cat, of cats the very devil, / When mice are gone, will do us evil. ' / 'True, true,' said each and all; / 'To arms! to arms! ' they cry and call. / Some ratties by their fears / Were melted e'en to tears. / It matter'd not a whisk, / Nor check'd the valour brisk. / Each took upon his back / Some cheese in haversack, / And roundly swore to risk / His carcass in the cause. / They march'd as to a feast, / Not flinching in the least. -- / But quite too late, for in his jaws / The cat already held the mouse. / They rapidly approach'd the house -- / To save their friend, beyond a doubt. / Just then the cat came growling out, / The mouse beneath his whisker'd nose. / And march'd along before his foes. / At such a voice, our rats discreet, / Foreboding a defeat, / Effected, in a style most fleet, / A fortunate retreat. / Back hurried to his hole each rat, / And afterwards took care to shun the cat.