The Cat in Monk's Clothing
Once upon a time, on the edge of an old forest where cool waters ran, there lived an aged cat renowned for his cunning. Since he could no longer run as fast as before, he struggled to catch the mice in their burrows and desperately looked for new remedies. One day an unthinkable trick came into his mind, and he pulled a felt cap onto his head and hung a long rosary around his neck. Giving himself the air of a devout monk, he withdrew into the hollow of a huge tree, closed his eyes and began to say his prayers. When the tiny mice round about saw this wise and gentle looking cat, they were struck with great astonishment. The oldest of the mice gathered her courage and came a few steps closer to the hollow of the tree.
In the softest of voices the cat said, "I have repented of my past sins, I do no harm to anyone now." Going on with his speech, he explained sweetly that from now on he would feed only on grass and seek peace in prayer. The guileless mice believed these seemingly sincere words and slowly renewed their trust in the cat. Every evening they gathered around the cunning cat and listened to his counsel with the deepest respect. But as soon as the ceremony was over, the cat would silently hunt the hindmost mouse, the one left behind by the group. Within a few days the community was bleeding away, and the number of the mice was visibly dwindling.
A sharp young mouse who grew suspicious of all this decided one evening to watch the rite secretly from a high branch. Just as everyone was dispersing, he saw the cat seize a mouse with the sharp claw that reached out from under his robe. At once the young mouse cried out in horror, "This cat is no monk, he is only a hunter in disguise!" The mice, understanding the truth, scattered in great panic towards the depths of their burrows. So the lies that the cunning cat had uttered so sweetly, and his trick along with them, came to nothing at all. From that day on the mice were never again deceived by appearances and learned to live always on their guard. Those who are easily won over by fine words and outward show notice the hidden danger behind them far too late. The wolf changes his coat, but not his nature.