Aesop once told a fable about a group of mice who lived in a barn. Life was wonderful, except for a sneaky cat. Hardly a day went by without a poor mouse being chased or even eaten by the cat. Finally, the head mouse called a meeting.

“Ladies and gentlemen, youngsters and baby mice,” he stated. “The time is now come to resolve our problems with the cat. Does anyone have any solutions?” The mice were abuzz with ideas and suggestions, but none seemed to solve the problem.

Then a young mouse got up, took the floor, and said boldly, “Let’s hang a bell around the cat’s neck. That way, whenever the cat is near, we’ll hear the ringing and safely hide.” The crowd applauded loudly as the young mouse took his seat.

Once the applause died down, an elderly mouse rose to his feet and said, “Our youn…