The Cat as Judge
Once upon a time, at the edge of an ancient forest where cool waters flowed gently, there lived a cat with huge whiskers and a proud bearing. Known for his soft fur and his dignified steps, this cat had presented himself as an impartial dispenser of justice. Every morning the tiny inhabitants of the forest gathered beneath his majestic oak so that he might settle the disputes among them. Yet beneath the cap of this learned looking judge lay hidden the mind of a hungry and cunning hunter. This cat, whose name was Kadife, would narrow his eyes and deliver speeches about justice, and he loved to win the trust of the little mice. One day two crafty mice who were quarrelling over the wheat of the barn rushed breathlessly before the Judge Cat. The old cat smoothed his long fur, which resembled a robe, and settled onto his bench with a solemn air.
"Come closer, my little friends, giving the righteous his due is my most sacred duty," he said in a sweet voice. Without noticing the cat's smile beneath his whiskers, the mice excitedly began to list their claims. While the Judge Cat closed his eyes and pretended to sink into deep thought, he was in fact trying to stifle the rumblings coming from his stomach. "Your case is most tangled, so for me to announce the verdict both of you must close your eyes and wait," he ordered. Just then a young mouse named Clever Silver, standing at the back of the crowd, grew suspicious of the situation and sprang forward. Silver had noticed that the cat's sharp claws were slipping slightly out and that he had taken up a hunting stance. "Stop, do not close your eyes!" cried the brave young mouse.
Roused by Silver's warning, the parties to the case saw at the last moment that the cat was lunging towards them. Losing his calm, the false judge flung the mask of justice aside and hurled himself forward with a furious roar. But the mice, who were on the alert, managed with a nimble movement to escape into the deep cracks of the nearby rocks. With his paws left empty and his trick exposed, the Judge Cat was left utterly alone and disgraced in the middle of the forest. The people of the forest had finally understood the true face of this cunning hunter who wore the mask of mercy and justice. Not being taken in by ornate words and false postures allows a person to protect himself from possible disasters. The sermon of the fox is the death of the hens.