Cat and Mouse in Partnership

Cat and Mouse in Partnership is an animal tale (ATU 15). It is in the Children's and Household Tales of the Brothers Grimm in second place ( KHM 2). Up to the 2nd edition of the title cat and mouse was in society.

Content

A cat and a mouse close acquaintance. The cat confesses mouse friendship and even love, so that the mouse agreeing to a common house. Together they decide to stockpile for the winter, so they do not go hungry during the cold season. Buy yourself a pot of fat which they hide under the altar of the church, as this seems to be the safest place. The cat gets after some time desire to feast on the reserve. She deceives the mouse, it would be invited to the baptism of the child to her cousin as a sponsor. Just arrived in the church, it get's to about fat storage and licks the fat off of the pot. The same story repeats the cat two more times until the pot is empty. When winter comes, will the mouse with the cat go to the church in order to feast on the fat. However, they must find that the pot is already empty, and immediately suspected the cat. Then the cat grabs her companion and devours them.

Origin

The tale is in the Children's and Household Tales of the Brothers Grimm from the first edition of 1812, and already in the handwritten original version of 1810 as No. 2 It probably dates from Gretchen game. The note also reported a Hessian variant of chicken and chicken that find a gem in the manure and it Buy a grease pot, which gradually empty eats the chicken. Chicken chop it dead and bury it in repentance as in KHM 80 The death of the chicken. Furthermore, in Pomerania from chicken and chicken where the children Schlichtaf, Halsut, Stülpum mean by Firmenich's peoples voices. From Fuchs and Hahn, who find a honey pot, the children are baptized Randaus, Half-Gone, Ganzaus. In Müllenhoff # 28 of fox and bear, norwegian at Asbjörnsen # 17 of Bear and Fuchs ( name: Ranging Halbverzehrt, On the Licks ) and the Negro tale of the chicken and the cat ( No. 2).

The first edition was based solely on Wilhelm Grimm transcript by Gretchen game, but is about twice as long by molding and double talk. Until the last hand edition the text has been made ​​even more lively.

To deceived housemate also KHM 6a compare From the nightingale and the slow-worm. Hans -Jörg Uther suggests that parts of the plot already encounter in later additions to the animal epic Roman de Renart. The fable is 19-20. Century often spread worldwide with wolf and fox as a farce with abgemildertem conclusion.

An Internet search yields a parody under the title Janosch explains Grimm's fairy tales.