# The Cat and the Cock explained — Aesop's Fables

> Chapter companion for Aesop's Fables by Aesop.

## What happens

A Cat captures a Cock and seeks a pretext to eat him, accusing him of disturbing people's sleep. The Cock defends himself by explaining his crowing helps people wake for work. The Cat dismisses the defense and eats him anyway, illustrating that a villain will not be deterred by a lack of excuse.

## Themes in this chapter

### Cunning and Deception

The Cat uses a false accusation to rationalize her predatory act.

### Justice and Consequence

The Cock's reasonable defense is ignored, showing the failure of justice when faced with determined villainy.

## Character check-ins

### The Cat

The predator who fabricates an excuse to justify eating the Cock.

### The Cock

The victim who offers a reasonable defense but is still killed.

## Key lines

> The want of a good excuse never kept a villain from crime.

A villain will commit a crime even without a valid excuse.

_The moral of the fable, emphasizing that evil acts are not restrained by the lack of justification._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se/chapters/the-cat-and-the-cock
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se/chapters