Reading Notes: Fables of Bidpai, Part B

(Found on Pixabay, represents the Fat Cat from the story)

Bibliography: "The Tortoise and The Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai" by Maude Barrows (1908)

In the second half of the stories from The Fables of Bidpai, the one I enjoyed the most was "The Lean Cat and The Fat Cat." This story illustrates the theme of being content with what you have, and tells it in a very unique way.

The story starts with us meeting the Lean Cat and learning about its lifestyle. It lives at home with an old woman that was also lean and poor, and they lived in a beaten up home. This cat then sees the Fat Cat, instantly becoming jealous of its plumpness and beaming happiness. The Lean Cat calls out to him, asking how he has achieved such health. The Fat Cat admits that he steals from the King's plate at the palace, eating roast beef and fried trout.

This idea of eating food such as that made the Lean Cat's mouth water and mind wander. The Lean Cat had only ever tasted broth, never getting close to any bread or any meat. The Fat Cat saw the desire in this poor cat's eyes to taste of real food, so he offered to sneak him into the palace the next day. The Lean Cat agreed, and they planned to steal from the king's plate together.

When the old woman heard news of this plan, she begged her cat to stay home and just continue to eat the broth. She was scared her cat would be killed if he was caught stealing, and she didn't understand why or how stealing was better than already being provided food at home. The Lean Cat ignored her wishes, and snuck off to the palace with the Fat Cat the next day.

Little did they know, though, that the king had issued a decree to immediately hang any cats that were caught sneaking around the palace. The Fat Cat was warned of this decree as they were trying to get in, but he refused to listen to them and continued to sneak the Lean Cat inside. Just as the Lean Cat ran through the halls of the palace to the king's table to grab meat off of his plate, he was grabbed by the neck and killed instantly.

The poor old woman noticed that her sweet cat never returned home, causing her heartache for she knew he was dead. She still couldn't understand why or how stealing was better than what she provided for the cat at home.

I think what makes this story so effective is the incorporation of the old woman. Her character just wants what's best for the cat, much like a mother would want for her children, and she becomes upset when her best isn't good enough for the cat. This nails in the idea that we can often become distracted by shiny, brand-new things, making us forget that what we already have is all that we need.