Once upon a time, there was a proud young pike. One day, it so happened that the foolish pike decided to leave his home in the water and live like the cat. He was either jealous of the cat’s easy, comfortable life or perhaps he was fed up of eating fish dinner every day. He called the cat one day, and said, “Take me along when you go to hunt mice in the warehouse.” The cat was shocked. She asked, “My friend, why on the earth do you want to catch mice? You know nothing about it. You will make a mess of it. One should do what one is best at. You cannot be a jack of all trades.” But the pike was steadfast in his decision and wanted to go. He replied, “Don’t worry about me.”
The Pike’s Bad Luck
The pike thought that catching mice was no big deal for the one who was used to catching minnows. “Oh, very well, we shall see! Come along,” said the cat. Now, both the cat and the pike went to the warehouse to catch the mice. They lay and waited for the mice. They sat in front of different mouse holes. The cat’s luck was good. She enjoyed a great mouse dinner. Then, she went to see what pike, her friend, had got. The cat was shocked! The poor pike lay flat on the ware-room floor. He was weakly gasping for breath. His tail was half nibbled away by the mice. The cat felt pity for him. She thought that the pike undertook a task that was beyond his strength. So, she dragged the half dead pike to the pond and flung him into the water.
