In a quiet village, two cat friends named Mittens and Snowy lived together. They were inseparable, sharing everything from sunny naps to their daily meals.
One afternoon, they found themselves very hungry. They had searched the whole village but found nothing to eat. Just as they were about to give up hope, they spotted a large, delicious biscuit lying near a garden gate. Instead of being happy, a conflict arose. "I saw it first!" cried Mittens. "But I am hungrier!" argued Snowy. They began to hiss and fight over who deserved the larger share.
Watching them from a nearby mango tree was a clever monkey named Monty. Monty saw an opportunity to have a feast without any hard work. He swung down and said with a fake smile, "My dear friends, why fight? I am very good at math. Let me divide this biscuit perfectly for you."
Mittens and Snowy, tired of fighting, agreed. Monty brought a small handheld scale. He broke the biscuit into two pieces and placed them on the scales. The left side was slightly heavier, so it sank down. "Oh dear, this piece is too big!" Monty said. He took a huge bite out of that piece.
Now, the right side was heavier. "Oops, now this one is too heavy!" Monty remarked, taking a large bite from the other side. He continued this process, biting larger and larger chunks every time the scale tipped. The cats watched in disbelief as their meal slowly disappeared into Monty's mouth.
Realizing they were being tricked, the cats cried out, "Stop, Monty! We don't care if it's perfectly equal anymore. Just give us the remaining crumbs, and we will share them ourselves!"
Monty chuckled and said, "I have worked very hard to balance these scales for you. This tiny bit left is my fee for my services!" With that, he swallowed the last bit of the biscuit and climbed back up his tree.
Mittens and Snowy sat in the dust, their stomachs rumbling. They realized that their foolish argument had only served to feed a stranger, and they promised to always share fairly from then on.
