THE KITE, THE SOW, AND THE CAT.
A kite had built her nest at the top of an old oak, and in a hole half way up the tree, a wild cat had found a home; while the foot of the tree made a sty for a sow and her young pigs. For some time they all went on in peace, and might have done so to this day, but for the spite of the cat. For, first of all, she crept up to the kite, and said, “Good friend, I have news to tell you, which will plunge us both in grief. The old sow does naught else than grub at the foot of the tree, and we all know what that will come to. It is clear that she means to root it up, that she may kill your young ones. For my part, I will take care of my own, and you can do as you please; but you may be sure I shall watch her well, though I were to stay at home for a month for it.” When she had said this to the kite, she went down and made a call on the sow at the foot of the tree. She put on a grave face, and said, “I hope you do not mean to go out?” “Why not?” said the sow. “Nay,” said she, “you may do as you please; but I heard the kite say to her brood that she would treat them with a pig the first time she saw you go out; and I do not feel sure that she may not take one of my young ones at the same time. So good day to you, for I must look at home, you see.” With these words she went back to her hole.
The scheme that puss had in her head was to steal out at night for her prey, and peep all day at her hole, that the sow and the kite might think she was in great dread. This plan put them both in such a fright, that the kite did not dare to stir out in search of food, for fear of the sow, nor the sow for fear of the kite; and the end of it was that they and their young ones were all kept in their homes to starve, and so were made a prey of by the cat.