The Decay of the Angel - Yukio Mishima

on the guise ‘mouse,’ nothing more. It believes in the
concept and not the flesh. The idea is enough, the
body doesn’t matter. The happiness from the
contempt is all the greater.
“But then one day”—Furusawa shoved his glasses
up and drew a persuasive line beside his nose—“but
then one day the mouse meets a real cat.
“‘I’m going to eat you,’ says the cat.
“‘You can’t,’ replies the mouse.
“‘And why not?’
“‘Cats don’t eat cats. It’s impossible as a matter of
instinct and as a matter of principle. I’m a cat myself,
whatever else I may look like.’
“The cat rolls over laughing. It laughs so hard it’s
clawing the air and its white furry belly is heaving.
Then it gets up and starts to eat the mouse. The
mouse protests.
“‘What are you eating me for?’
“‘Because you’re a mouse.’
“‘I’m a cat. Cats don’t eat cats.’
“‘You’re a mouse.’
“‘I’m a cat.’
“‘Prove it.’
“So the mouse jumps into the laundry tub, all white
with suds, and drowns itself. The cat wets a forepaw
and has a lick. The suds taste horrible. So it leaves