Belling the Cat

Belling the Cat

The mice assembled to consider measures to outwit the cruel and seemingly voracious cat. A number of ideas were put forth, but then a young mouse scurried forward and spoke. "What if we place a bell on a ribbon and slide it over the cat's neck so that whenever it tries to sneak up on us we will have advanced warning." The other mice considered this a first rate idea, until an old mouse spoke up. "That is all very well, but who is to bell the cat?" The mice looked at one another but none of them said a word. Then the old mouse continued. "I think we all know what I mean when I say "bell" the cat. The mice glanced at one another sheepishly. The old mouse lowered his voice and said, "I know a turtle down in New Jersey that can take care of this matter for us."

Moral: It always pays to hire a professional.