At the foot of a tall peepul tree lived a little partridge. One day, she flew off in search of food. While she was gone, a rabbit spotted her empty nest and made it his home.
When the partridge returned, she was shocked. “This is my nest!” she cried.
“No,” argued the rabbit, “I found it empty, so now it belongs to me!”
They quarreled until finally they agreed, “Let’s ask someone wise to judge who is right.”
Not far away, they saw a tomcat pretending to be old and holy. With eyes closed, he sat chanting, “Peace… peace…”
The partridge and rabbit bowed and told their story. The cat pretended to listen kindly, then said, “My ears are weak, children. Please come closer so I may hear you better.”
The two innocent animals stepped forward, believing his gentle words. In an instant—pounce! The cat leapt on them and gobbled them up.
Moral: Be careful who you trust—not everyone who looks kind has good intentions.