Long ago, the mice had a general council to consider what

　　measures they could take to outwit their common enemy, the Cat.

　　Some said this, and some said that; but at last a young mouse got

　　up and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would meet

　　the case. "You will all agree," said he, "that our chief danger

　　consists in the sly and treacherous1 manner in which the enemy

　　approaches us. Now, if we could receive some signal of her

　　approach, we could easily escape from her. I venture, therefore,

　　to propose that a small bell be procured2, and attached by a ribbon

　　round the neck of the Cat. By this means we should always know

　　when she was about, and could easily retire while she was in the

　　neighbourhood."

　　This proposal met with general applause, until an old mouse

　　got up and said: "That is all very well, but who is to bell the

　　Cat?" The mice looked at one another and nobody spoke3. Then the

　　old mouse said:

　　"It is easy to propose impossible remedies."