The Bat And The Weasels |
An Aesop Fable |
"Set your sails with the wind"
A Bat blundered into the nest of a Weasel, who ran up to catch and eat him. The Bat begged for his life, but the Weasel would not listen.
"You are a Mouse," he said, "and I am a sworn enemy of Mice. Every Mouse I catch, I am going to eat!"
"But I am not a Mouse!" cried the Bat. "Look at my wings. Can Mice fly? Why, I am only a Bird! Please let me go!"
The Weasel had to admit that the Bat was not a Mouse, so he let him go. But a few days later, the foolish Bat went blindly into the nest of another Weasel. This Weasel happened to be a bitter enemy of Birds, and he soon had the Bat under his claws, ready to eat him.
"You are a Bird," he said, "and I am going to eat you!"
"What," cried the Bat, "I, a Bird! Why, all Birds have feathers! I am nothing but a Mouse. 'Down with all Cats,' is my motto!"
And so the Bat escaped with his life a second time.
The Moral Of This Tale |
"Set your sails with the wind"
Sources And Further Reading |
Aesop for Children (translator not identified), 1919. Illustrations by Milo Winter (1886-1956) (Project Gutenberg)
About Aesop And His Fables A short article we have written about what is known about Aesop and his stories.
Aesop (Wikipedia)
Aesop's Fables (Wikipedia)
Milo Winter In Other Illustrators Some information we have found out about Milo Winter.
Milo Winter (1886-1956) (Wikipedia)