In his old age, it became difficult for the cat to catch mice.
“My business is bad,” the cat thought, “I need to come up with something.”
And I came up with it.
He wrapped a turban around his head as a sign that he had already become a haji, and ordered him to tell the mice that he had repented of his sins and wanted to make peace with the mice.
“I’ve already become old and I feel like I’m not going to die today,” the cat said to the mice. “And among you there are those whose father, mother or son I ate.” Gather everyone in a meeting, and I will ask the mice to forgive me.
Hearing about this, the mice were happy and rejoiced. But among them there were many who did not believe the cat’s repentance.
– There are no holy cats! - They said. “The one who ate us, and now says that he will not eat us, cannot be trusted!”
The two old mice who didn’t believe the cat the most were Asran and Aujej; They themselves did not believe it and warned other mice.
But most of the mice did not listen to their persuasion and went to the meeting appointed by the Haji cat. The old, experienced mice, Asran and Aujej, did not go to the meeting; they climbed onto the fence and watched what was happening from afar.
And so the mice gathered. The Haji cat also came.
“It’s very good that you’ve gathered, Allah make you healthy,” said the cat. “But this place is not suitable for a meeting.” I have become old and weak-eyed. You’d better go into the oven, I’ll sit by the door, and we’ll talk like that so we can see and hear each other better.
The cat spoke in a quiet and soft voice, and the mice obeyed him.
Encouraging each other and joking cheerfully, they entered the oven and sat down there. The Hadji cat sat down in Udvertsy.
And as soon as the mice expressed their complaints to the cat, he released his terrible claws and began to grab the mice and wring their necks.
And so he crushed all the mice gathered in the stove. Only one young mouse, Salim, survived.
“I’ll let you go so you can tell those two old mice, Asran and Aujej, what happened to the rest of the mice!” - said the cat and, having peeled off his ears, let him go.
Having escaped from the clutches of the cat, the mouse Salim began to run away from him as fast as he could.
- Oh, it seems that what we were afraid of happened! - two old mice, Asran and Aujej, said in fear when they saw the running mouse. - Look, this little mouse doesn’t have both ears! Salim! What's happened? - the old mice squeaked in great alarm when the little mouse caught up with them.
“There is no good news,” answered the mouse, trembling with fear. “Of all the mice that gathered in the stove, I was the only one who left alive, and even then I left my ears there.”
Hearing this, the old mice fell from the fence in fear, and at the same time Asran broke her rib, and Aujej broke her paw.
Seriously wounded, they were carried into the house; They lay there for a long time and did not allow either the mouse doctor or other mice to approach them.
For a long time they did not allow anyone to visit them. Only one old mouse was allowed in, out of respect for its old age.
- What happened to you, my children? - asked the old mouse, entering the house where they were lying, and put in front of them some warm hantups, which she had brought with her to treat the sick.
“Oh, such a tragedy has happened that now it’s not worth living in the world...” those two mice answered her.
“Well, it hasn’t come to that yet,” the old mouse began to console them. “Once upon a time something even worse happened to me: my nine little mice were pecked by an eagle, my ten little mice were strangled by millet husks.” And then I wanted to hang myself, but I didn’t have enough strength to raise my hands... Climbing onto the beam, I threw myself upside down to break, but fell into a basket of wool and remained unharmed. After that, I decided to break my teeth on hard cheese. I thought so. Left without teeth, I would rather die. I started gnawing on cheese - so what? – the teeth were not broken. I’ll drown in oil, I decided. But, sticking her head into the thick oil, she did not drown - she remained alive again.
And so I live and have fun, and I don’t regret at all that I didn’t manage to commit suicide then! - the old, wise mouse finished cheerfully - I advise you to throw gloomy thoughts out of your head. Your grief, in comparison with mine, is a small grief.
Leaving the sick, the old mouse advised them to allow a doctor to come to them and to eat the food that would be brought to them.
They listened to her and soon recovered. Then they bred little mice, and after that the mice multiplied again.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru