When the Cat was belled...

From our bed-time story, we all know what happened when the mice decided to bell the cat... but, shhhh i know a secret... i will tell you what happened after that...

"I will do it.", said Nero.

The defeaning silence was broken by the sudden gasps and murmurs of surprise. The stupefied crowd was too shocked to speak out the sudden cacophony in their minds! Some eyes were open wide, some battered, some of them held disbelief, some others pity, some others anger, some envy and some, admiration. But, cascade of tears flowed down one pair of little eyes.

"Have you gone insane, Nero?" Tabitha squeaked.

"No, mother. I will do it." Nero repeated solemnly. He looked around the stunned audience and puffing his chest and head high said, " I will... I will bell the cat."

Another round of gasps and sighs rippled through the crowd.

Mr. Barthole, the Elder of the clan raised his weak but firm hand to silence the crowd. The silence returned. He leaned forward squinting at Nero he asked, "Mr. Nero Longtail, are you sure that you want to embark on this dangerous mission?"

"Yessir." replied Nero.

"Are you aware that it could be fatal too?"

"Yessir"

"Are you aware that your failure will alert the enemy and that we won't get another chance and the only option will be to migrate from our home, this bakery?"

"I understand, Sir."

Mr. Barthole nodded in deep thought for a while.

"It is decided then. Tomorrow in the dark of the night,  Mr. Nero Longtail will carry out the mission decided upon previously in this gathering. Mr. Longtail will tie the bell onto our nemesis, Mrs. Bigglesworth - the cat. The tolling of the bell will warn us of her approach."

"And, Mr. Fritz Furball, who put forth such an ingenious and daring idea shall accompany Mr. Longtail in this noble adventure."

Mr. Barthole eyed Fritz with a wry smile.

"I... I... Sir, I have done enough service by... by... suggesting a way out I b-believe s-s-sir. What will be my purpose...", stammered Fritz.

"The decision is made and the gathering is dismissed." Mr. Barthole declared and walked away shakily with his stick in one hand and the cheese in the other.

The audience dispersed slowly. The mothers looked at Nero with pity and melancholy; the older men looked at him with a mournful pride, nodded their heads and left; the men patted him and wished luck; some of the guys enthusiastically wished him while others scoffed; the girls giggled away.

All left but one - Arianna; with apprehension, anger, pride and encouragement she stood.

Nero let out a little smile.

Her lips quivered and before Nero could see all these in her eyes washed down by tears, Arianna rushed away.

Nero stood alone letting it all sink. By tomorrow this time, either he will be a hero, a legend in the folklore, the brave warrior in the bedtime stories, the mouse who belled the cat; or he would becoming Mrs. Bigglesworth's midnight snack.

"Dude, what is the plan?" Fritz whispered under his breath.

"What plan?" Nero whispered back.

The world was preparing itself to go into its blissful death in the dark so that it can wake up the next day and be reborn in the eternal cycle of life.

The Baker had closed for the day. The aroma of cookies and bread still lingered. Mrs. Bigglesworth was prowling on her patrol. While their kin retreated into their niche, Nero and Fritz sat hidden behind the jars. They were out for their mission and they had inadvertently adapted hissing and whispering as their mode of communication.

"Are you nuts? What do you mean by 'What plan?' You know why we are here, don't you Mr. Hero!"

"I know Mr. Sidekick" Nero snickered.

"How can you even think of laughing! I have my tail in my mouth! Had you not just shown off in front of them all, I would not have been here without knowing whether I will ever have another morsel of cheese!"

"Had you not proposed that brilliant idea of yours, we would not have been here."

Fritz looked away and  busied himself looking intently at the ants.

Still looking at where the ants were, he asked, "Why? Why did you own up such a risk?"

"Immortality." Nero said with emphasis, "immortality, dude. I don't want to die another mouse which ran helter-smelter at the sight of that ugly scarred bag of fur; I don't want to be driven out of my home. The history will remember me as the mouse that belled the...."

"Its that white-fur isn't it?" Fritz cut in.

"uh?" Nero staggered.

"its that Arianna isn't it? You are doing all this for her, right?"

Nero didn't answer for a moment too long. Looking away, he said with a sigh, "yes."

Fritz put arm on Nero's shoulder and said, "Dude, you have her already! Are you blind? Have you not seen her cheeks turn red when she sees you? Have you not seen her tail curl in shy when the other furs tease her with you?"

"Yes, yes. I have seen all that." Nero mumbled. "Look here Fritz, I know she likes me and it makes me take this adventure all the more! I don't want to be just another husband who goes out to work and brings back enough peanuts for the day nor do I want to be a father who teaches his sons how to curl your tail and run to hide on the first scent of the foolish beast! I don't want to live in a sewer or in the broom-chambers. This is my home; this is our home, Fritz."

Nero held him by the shoulders and looked into his eyes.

"I want my little ones to run around this bakery, to play in the flour and dough, to taste the honey and caramel. I want them to grow up in my home. I don't want to flee from my home."

Fritz continued to stare at him.

"Dude, let's kick some filthy old feline hind!"

"Now don't even let your whiskers make a noise" Nero said almost inaudible.

Fritz placed a finger on his mouth and nodded consenting as they tip toed towards where the cat was sleeping.

"But, this damn thing is going to kill us!" Fritz grumbled in between his heavings, putting in all his effort in keeping the huge bell from chiming.

With the mice too afraid to come out for their nocturnal pillaging, Mrs. Bigglesworth slept soundly.

"Dude.... Dude"

"What?" retorted Nero irritated.

"My old guy once told me a proverb. I think now is the time for us to ponder on that!"

"and what would be that wise word, Fritz?"

"A sleeping cat is as half as dangerous as a one that isn't. And also one more, whenever your ears tremble like hell, just curl your pathetic tail and run."

"Just bloody shut up." Nero hissed through grit teeth.

"He also told to avoid two things - the food at the end of the metal how much ever it tempts and the mice who speak heroic stuff how much ever they inspire!" Fritz mumbled.

"Now, where is that damn tail?" Nero asked himself.

"Tail? Dude, why are you looking for the tail?" Fritz had to close his mouth to stop his uncontrolled snigger from being heard.

When Nero didn't seem amused at all, Fritz said still muffling his laugh, "okay... Okay... You are not kidding. But, dude! Why that pathetic tail?"

"Bravery is not  muscles; bravery is brain."

"Huh? What the foop!"

"Look. Our mission is to bell the cat so that the tolling of the bell warns us of her approach. Isn't it?"

"Well, yes. But..."

"Who said the neck is the only place to tie it? We will tie this bell on her tail. Can a cat ever walk its tail stiff? Tie it in the neck she will pull it out; but how come when it's on your shrubby pathetic tail?"

"Dude, you have too much of brain for a mouse! Why didn't this part not strike me?"

"Oh, that i know why. You are not me. That's why."

"Just stop bragging and find that tail."

Mrs. Bigglesworth was sleeping snug in the corner with her tail cozily tucked in. 

"We are two dead mice!" Fritz exclaimed. "Where is that wretched tail, damn it! I almost thought we did it! One more step and we are dead, dude. This is the part where we go back home."

"This is the part where we become legends."

"You are nuts! Rotten nuts!"

"We go in. Tie the bell on that cat's tail and make our way back."

"That is an one way ticket to death, dude!"

"I am going in." Nero said with a finality and snatched the bell and made his way with caution avoiding contact; skirting close to the cat.

Fritz stood dumbfounded perspiring hard and praying that his heart was not beating as loud as fast it was!

With surgical precision Nero secured the final knot. He sighed and allowed himself a smile. He had secured his home for his love and his kin.

Just then, may be a bad dream made Mrs. Bigglesworth toss a little and this little shuffle sealed Nero's fate!

The only passage through which Nero had come was blocked. He had no way of making his way out. There was only certain death between the cat and the wall.

Fritz let out a scream of panic.

Mrs. Bigglesworth didn't pride herself being the best huntress of the locality for nothing. One little squeal she woke up and realized a mouse. She could sense it wriggling close to her. In fact, right next to her. How daring these mice get nowadays! Anyways it had been a while since she had one and your snack doesn't come right to your mouth very often. Nonchalantly she closed in the gaps. But, moved her head a bit do as to lure the fool with a hope of escape. No animal with brains would dare it. But, rats; you just can't tell how foolish they get by everyday.

Nero saw an avenue of hope open up. Impossible though it was, it was a risk he had to take if he had to survive. He had to walk right past the mouth of death!

Trembling, Nero very quietly moved micrometers clinging to the wall. He didn't know whether the time moved. It seemed to take him forever.

He could feel the cat's breath, torrents of air gushing in and out; the tinge of those devilish green eyes through the slits of the nearly-closed eyes; the bristle of the whiskers. Nero held his breath, shut his eyes tight, clenched fist and trudged on those steps on the edge of death.

When he gingerly opened his eyes, he didn't still see the demon's face that seemed to be ominously grinning, Nero let out a little sigh of life knowing that he had survived the worst nightmare a mouse can ever have! He wanted to scuttle away as fast as his legs would allow. But, he seemed not to be moving. He was running, but he was not moving.

It took a moment before he realized what had happened. It was only then that he felt the paw pining down his tail.

"Gotcha, bravo!" sniggered Mrs. Bigglesworth, "thought you could slip past, eh? What brought you here? That was insanely brave, darling! Anyway, I was just beginning to get hungry..."

Mrs. Bigglesworth smacked her tongue and in a moment of triumph swung her tail...

Hell broke loose the next moment. In the pandemonium of tolling bell, scarred cat, loud frantic meows and flying fur, Nero and Fritz earned back their lives and a glorious name in history; all by the last bell, literally!

 Facts and Fiction:

• This was written for a small competition in the office on the topic "Saved by the Last Bell"
• ok, my first attempt at the Fable genre!