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Literary
November 25, 1871
The Ouachita Telegraph
Monroe, Ouachita County, Louisiana
What is this article about?
A fable about rats devising ways to safely retrieve bait from a steel trap. A witty rat proposes holding down the spring with one paw, but a three-legged rat, who tried it and lost a leg, advises leaving the trap alone as a lesson in temperance.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Temperance Fable.
The rats once assembled in a large
cellar to devise some method of safely
getting the bait from a steel trap which
lay near, having seen a number of their
friends and relatives snatched from
them by its merciless jaws. After many
long speeches and the proposal of many
elaborate but fruitless plans, a happy
wit, standing erect, said:
'It is my opinion, that if with one
paw we can keep down the spring, we
can safely take the food from the trap
with the other.'
All the rats present loudly squealed
assent. Then they were startled by a
faint voice, and a poor rat, with only
three legs, limping into the ring, stood
up to speak:
'My friends, I have tried the method
you propose, and you see the result.'
Now let me suggest a plan to escape
the trap: Let it alone.'
The rats once assembled in a large
cellar to devise some method of safely
getting the bait from a steel trap which
lay near, having seen a number of their
friends and relatives snatched from
them by its merciless jaws. After many
long speeches and the proposal of many
elaborate but fruitless plans, a happy
wit, standing erect, said:
'It is my opinion, that if with one
paw we can keep down the spring, we
can safely take the food from the trap
with the other.'
All the rats present loudly squealed
assent. Then they were startled by a
faint voice, and a poor rat, with only
three legs, limping into the ring, stood
up to speak:
'My friends, I have tried the method
you propose, and you see the result.'
Now let me suggest a plan to escape
the trap: Let it alone.'
What sub-type of article is it?
Fable
What themes does it cover?
Temperance
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Temperance Fable
Rats Trap
Moral Lesson
Self Control
Avoid Temptation
Literary Details
Title
Temperance Fable.
Key Lines
'It Is My Opinion, That If With One Paw We Can Keep Down The Spring, We Can Safely Take The Food From The Trap With The Other.'
'My Friends, I Have Tried The Method You Propose, And You See The Result.'
Now Let Me Suggest A Plan To Escape The Trap: Let It Alone.'