The Cunning Mediator (The Partridge and the Hare)
A partridge bird lived happily in a tree hollow. While the bird was away for several months feeding in distant fields, a hare discovered the empty hollow and moved into it.
When the partridge returned, an angry dispute broke out over who owned the home. The partridge claimed ancestral possession, while the hare argued possession by continuous residency. Unable to agree, they decided to consult an impartial judge.
Nearby lived an old wildcat named Dadhikarna who pretended to be an ascetic. He stood on the riverbank holding a rosary, chanting prayers, and looking holy and devout.
The partridge and hare approached cautiously: "O holy saint, please resolve our boundary dispute." The cat whispered weakly: "Alas, I am aged, blind, and hard of hearing. Please step closer to my ear so I may hear both arguments clearly."
Trusting his holy appearance, the partridge and hare leaned close. In a flash, the cat pounced, snapping the neck of one with his teeth and killing the other with his claws, devouring both for dinner.