a certain house was overrun with mice. a cat, discovering this, made her way into it and began to catch and eat them one by one.

the mice being continually devoured, kept themselves close in their holes.

the cat, no longer able to get at them, perceived that she must tempt them forth by some device. for this purpose she jumped upon a peg, and, suspending herself from it, pretended to be dead.

one of the mice, peeping stealthily out, saw her, and said, "ah, my good madam, even though you should turn into a meal-bag, we would not come near you."