Once, a cat and a mouse were very good
friends and happily lived together in the same house. As winter was
approaching, they decided to stock some food items. So they went to the market
and bought a big pot of cheese.
Fearing
that other cats and mice might steal their cheese, they hid it behind the altar
in the church.
The
cat was very greedy. After a few days, he had a great yearning to taste the
cheese. He went to the mouse and told him that he was invited to baptize his
cousin’s child in the church. The mouse believed him and the cat set out for
his first steal.
He
ate a large chunk of the cheese and returned home happily. When the mouse asked
him what the child was named the cat replied, “Top-off.” The mouse was surprised
at the name.
After
a few days the greedy cat wanted to have some cheese again and told the mouse
that he had to baptize another child and rushed to the church. He finished half
the cheese and told the mouse that this time the child was named “Half-gone.”
After
a few days, the cat made the same excuse and went again and finished the
remaining cheese. This time he told the mouse that the child was named
“All-gone.” The mouse was puzzled by the cat’s behavior but did not say
anything.
When
winter came, the mouse went to the church to get the cheese but found that it
had vanished. At last he understood the trick played by the greedy cat.