The War of the Mice and the Cats
Cats and mice lived together in a big old house. The cats were very strong and chased the mice every day. The mice were very afraid and always ran away. At last the mice held a big meeting about this war. An old mouse said they needed leaders to beat the cats. The mice quickly chose a few brave commanders.
The commanders tied big horns on their heads to look more important. "With these big horns everyone will see us easily," they said. The next day the mice and the cats met in a wide hall. The commander mice stood in front and gave orders. But the strong cats suddenly jumped on the mice. The mice turned around in fear and ran to their small holes.
The ordinary mice slipped into the narrow holes easily and escaped. But the commanders with big horns did not fit into the holes. The fancy commanders got stuck at the door and could not go in. The cats caught the proud commanders one by one. So the mice learned the hard way that useless show saves nobody. Pride and empty vanity only bring harm in a moment of danger. The emptiest ear of corn stands the tallest.