A Foolish Fight
by Lakshmi Menon
(Bangalore, Karnataka,India)
There were two cats lived happily in a house. One was called Jincy, and the other one was Rosie. Jincy was brown in colour and Rosie was white with a few black spots on the body.
One day they found a big cheese in the kitchen when the lady of the house was busy feeding her child. They took the cheese and ran away to the garden to sit and eat comfortably.
"I must get the bigger piece," demanded Jincy.
"Why should you get a bigger piece?" asked Rosie.
"Because I found it first, so I deserve a bigger piece," explained Jincy.
But Rosie was not easy to give up.
"I brought it here to eat comfortably, so I need a bigger piece, not you," said Rosie.
A black cat was passing that way. His name was Tommy. He heard their arguments. He observed them for a while, and his mouth was filling with saliva seeing the cheese. "What a nice cheese! I haven't tasted cheese for quite some time. Let me help these cats to solve their problem so that I would also get a share," thought Tommy. He walked towards them.
"Hello friends, why are you both fighting here? I can solve your problem easily," said Tomy.
Jincy and Rosie were glad to get Tomy's help. Both of them explained why they deserved a larger piece than the other.
Tomy listened to both of them patiently.
"I feel that since one of you found it first and the other one brought it here, both of you have equal rights on this cheese, and you both must get an equal share. So I am going to divide it equally for you," suggested Tomy.
Both Rosie and Jincy welcomed Tomy's suggestion. Seeing their happy faces, Tomy cut the cheese, but one became a bigger piece which he gave to Jincy.
"No, they are not equal, you gave a bigger piece to Jincy," cried Rosie looking at the other piece.
"Don't worry. I can solve it easily," said Tomy. He took the larger piece from Jincy and biting it made it smaller and gave it to Jincy.
Taking this cheese, Jincy complained, "No, look at my piece. This is a smaller piece. Rosie has a bigger piece."
Tomy took the piece from Rosie and checked it. "Yes, you're right. She has a bigger piece of cheese. Don’t worry. I can solve it."
After a bite, he made it still smaller and looked at Jincy, and then gave it to Rosie. Now Jincy was happy.
Rosie looked at both the sides and then said,
"Now I know I have a tiny piece. She has a bigger piece. You're cheating me by giving a smaller piece."
Tommy took the piece from Jincy, and after a bite, he made it still smaller.
By then both Rosie and Jincy realised that they were fighting unnecessarily and regretted taking Tommy's help which was a big mistake. They should have solved their problem among themselves.
They had no choice now, but to be satisfied with the tiny pieces they got. They chased away Tomy.
He walked away smiling, after enjoying the major part of the cheese because of the fight between two foolish cats.
***