Once there was a pretty little at. She could jump and climb with great skill. She was a great mouser. The other cats called her kitty. But they didn’t like her because she was very vain.
`I am he prettiest cat in this town,’ she would often say.’ And I can jump the highest too. See how I can jump right up to the top of the wall!’
And up he went n one jump!
One day kitty met two other cats in the street. They were Trappe ad Tabby. Tabby was a gentle cat, but Trappe was a naughty one.
Last night I caught six mice,’ kitty told the two cats. `My mistress says she has never seen such a good mouser as I am.
Trappe smiled. `Kitty,’ she said, `you are certainly very clever, but there is something you can’t do! I once saw a cat do it, but I am sure you can’t do it.’
`Well, if any cat has done it, I can also do it certainly,’ said kitty at once.
`Do you see that flag post?’ said Trappe. `It goes almost up to the sky. I once saw a cat go to the top of it. You can’t do that, kitty!’
`Oh yes, I can!’ said kitty and at once ran to the flag post, saying: `I can climb anything.’
Tabby ran after her to stop her.
`Kitty, don’t be silly,’ she said. `You will never get down.’
`Let her go,’ said Trappe.’ It will end all her vanity’.
Kitty climbed up the flag post. What a long way it was! She slipped down two or three times but she went up again. At last she was there on the top!
Now kitty wanted to show the other cats clever she was. She opened her mouth to mew. But when she saw to the ground, she was frightened. Her head began to reel! How far she was from the ground! The other cats looked like little balls only!
Oh! I can’t even look to the ground,’ said kitty to her. `I will fall if do so. How stupid I have been! I wanted to show off and now I am in trouble. I shall have to say here all my life.
Luckily a boy saw her. ’poor little cat’ he thought. `I must tell the policeman so that can save her.’
But the policeman said that he couldn’t go to the top of the flag post. So the boy went to the fire station. The firemen came there with their ire –escape. They made it as high s the flag post. But kitty wouldn’t jump on to it. She was too much frightened. So a fireman had to go up. He lifted her on his shoulder and brought her down.
`That will teach kitty a lesson,’ said Trappe. `She won’t be vain now’.
The next morning kitty met her friends.
`I am the cat they told the policeman about!’ she said proudly. `And I am the cat they brought the fire –escape for! Am I not the most wonderful cat in the world?’
What is your answer to that?
Those who are vain are silly, and those who are silly can answer learn anything.