A mouse used to live in a winery, and he would climb up on the rim of a vat and run around and around the edge. One day he finally slipped and fell into the vat full of wine. He couldn't get out again, so he swam around in the wine and shouted, "Help! Help!"

A cat heard the mouse's cries for help, climbed up onto the rim and sat looking down at him. The mouse cried, "Please, Mr. Cat, help me! I'm drowning!"

The cat said, "Well, if I save you, what do I get?"

The mouse said, "Anything! Help me!"

The cat said, "Well, if I save you, can I eat you?"

The mouse said, "Yes! Yes! Anything you want!" So the cat reached down with his paw and hooked the mouse back up to safety. The mouse immediately shook himself dry and then darted back into his hole.

The cat said, "Mr. Mouse, you're not keeping your word! You said I could eat you!"

The mouse said, "Well, Mr. Cat, what do you expect? I was drunk at the time!"