On an ancient peepal tree lived hundreds of tiny birds. On the highest branch dwelt an old vulture named Jarath. His eyes had grown weak, but his mind was still sharp. He advised the birds, and in return, they fed him. Everyone lived happily together.
One day, a cunning cat named Mayavi passed beneath the tree. She looked up and her mouth watered. “So many little birds in one place! If I play my cards right, I’ll feast for days.”
She tried climbing the tree, but every time she did, the birds screamed, and she slipped down. After many failures, she changed her plan. She clung to the trunk and began weeping loudly: “Alas! I am an orphan… I have no one… I will surely die!”
Old Jarath heard everything from above. “Why are you crying, cat?” Mayavi answered with tears, “I have given up violence forever. Now I eat only fruits and flowers. I have come seeking refuge. Please accept me as your sister.”
Some birds felt pity. They begged Jarath, “Grandfather, let her stay. She is a vegetarian now.” Jarath warned, “A cat’s nature never changes.” But the birds insisted. Finally, Jarath said, “Very well, but she will stay with me under my watch.”
From then on, Mayavi stayed beside Jarath day and night. She served him, massaged his back, and when the old vulture fell asleep, she quietly caught and ate one or two birds. By morning, she scattered the bones below. The birds grew terrified. “Someone is killing us, but who?”
Jarath became suspicious. One night, he pretended to sleep. The moment Mayavi leapt for a little sparrow, Jarath seized her tail in his powerful beak and shouted, “Thief caught!”
All the birds awoke. Mayavi screamed, “I’ve done nothing!” Jarath held her tail firmly and said, “Your mouth still smells of blood.” Together, the birds flung the cat down from the tree. Mayavi fled to save her life, but her tail remained crooked forever.
From that day on, the birds never again trusted a stranger too quickly.
Moral Lesson: No matter how sweetly an evil-natured creature speaks, never trust blindly. Test the truth before giving anyone a place among you.