The Mouse and the Bull

From Aesop's Fables🏛️ Ancient Greece
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The Mouse and the Bull
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Story Summary

In this creative moral story, a Bull, enraged after being bitten by a Mouse, attempts to capture the tiny creature but ultimately fails, ending up perplexed and exhausted outside the Mouse's hole. Seizing the moment, the Mouse nibbles the Bull again, demonstrating that in animal stories with moral lessons, the small can indeed inflict harm on the seemingly mighty. This tale illustrates that strength does not always guarantee success, a valuable lesson for childhood stories with moral teachings.

Click to reveal the moral of the story

The moral of the story is that even the small and seemingly insignificant can outsmart and cause trouble for the powerful.

Historical Context

This fable, attributed to Aesop, a storyteller from ancient Greece, reflects themes of strength, cunning, and the unpredictability of power dynamics. Originating in the 6th century BCE, Aesop's fables often feature animals with human traits to convey moral lessons, and this particular story underscores the idea that even the weak can outsmart the strong, a motif that has been echoed in various cultures and retellings throughout history.

Our Editors Opinion

This fable highlights that in modern life, perceived power and size do not guarantee success; sometimes, the underestimated can turn the tables on the mighty. For instance, in a corporate setting, a small startup can disrupt an industry and outmaneuver a large corporation by leveraging innovation and agility, demonstrating that strategic thinking often trumps brute strength.

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Other names for this story

"Small Triumphs, Mighty Falls, The Clever Mouse and the Angry Bull, Tiny Victor, The Bull's Humbling Lesson, Strength in Smallness, The Mouse's Revenge, The Unexpected Underdog"

Did You Know?

This fable illustrates the theme that might does not always equate to right, emphasizing that even the smallest creatures can outsmart and evade larger adversaries, showcasing the power of cunning over brute strength.

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Story Details

Age Group
kids
children
story for class 2
story for class 3
story for class 4
Theme
Perseverance
strength in vulnerability
irony of power
Characters
bull
mouse
Setting
hole
outside
flank

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