Aesop's Fables: Townsend (1867)
280. The Cat and Venus (Perry 50)
A CAT fell in love with a handsome young man, and entreated Venus to
change her into the form of a woman. Venus consented to her request and
transformed her into a beautiful damsel, so that the youth saw her and
loved her, and took her home as his bride. While the two were reclining
in their chamber, Venus wishing to discover if the Cat in her change of
shape had also altered her habits of life, let down a mouse in the middle
of the room. The Cat, quite forgetting her present condition, started
up from the couch and pursued the mouse, wishing to eat it. Venus was
much disappointed and again caused her to return to her former shape.
Nature exceeds nurture.
George Fyler Townsend's translation of the fables, first published in 1867, is
in the public domain and can be found at many websites, including Project
Illustrations come from: Aesop's Fables, by George Fyler Townsend, with
illustrations by Harrison Weir, 1867, at Google