Folk Tale

The Cat and the Rooster

Translated From

Αἴλουρος καὶ ἀλεκτρυών

AuthorΑἴσωπος
LanguageAncient Greek
AuthorLaura Gibbs
LanguageEnglish
OriginGreece

A cat had seized a rooster and wanted to find a reasonable pretext for devouring him. He began by accusing the rooster of bothering people by crowing at night, making it impossible for them to sleep. The rooster said that this was actually an act of kindness on his part, since the people needed to be woken up in order to begin their day's work. The cat then made a second accusation, 'But you are also a sinner who violates nature's own laws when you mount your sisters and your mother.' The rooster said that this also was something he did for his masters' benefit, since this resulted in a large supply of eggs. The cat found himself at a loss and said, 'Well, even if you have an endless supply of arguments, I am still going to eat you anyway!'


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