Clever cat and foolish dog
Solomon Abreha
Salim Kasamba

Long ago, there was a clever cat and a foolish dog.

The clever cat lived well in a wealthy family's house. The foolish dog starved on the street.

1

"How is it that a wealthy family allows you to live in their house?" the foolish dog angrily asked the clever cat.

2

The clever cat replied, "I live with people because I'm neat and I bury my waste. I ask for food saying, meow."

3

"If I do the same, will they allow me to live in a house?" asked the dog.

The cat replied, "Yes, do what I have told you and they will allow you. They will give you food."

4

The foolish dog said, "Today, I will not hurt you."

"He almost got me this time. I don't want to meet him again," said the cat, jumping away.

5

Based on the cat's advice, the foolish dog barked loudly at the door of a house.

6

The owners of the house beat him with a stick.

"The cat fooled me. I will eat her when I get her," shouted the foolish dog.

7

While the cat was playing outside her house, the dog grabbed her.

He said, "Last time you fooled me. You told me to bark at the gate of a house. The owners beat me. Now I will eat you."

8

"Listen dog, you can eat me, but let me play a little first. Just as I allow a rat to play before I eat her," replied the clever cat.

9

The dog asked, "How does the rat play?"

The cat replied, "I let it go a little, and I tell it to count to three. While the rat is counting, I grab it."

10

The foolish dog let the cat go free and told her to count to three.

The clever cat escaped and climbed up a tree.

"Come down from the tree and count to three," asked the dog.

11

The clever cat answered, "Listen dog, you will never get me again. I'm not a fool.

You can count to a hundred, a thousand or a million but you will never get me again!"

12
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Clever cat and foolish dog
Author - Solomon Abreha, Teki'a Gebrehiwot
Translation - Angesom Abadi
Illustration - Salim Kasamba
Language - English
Level - First paragraphs