In a small village, a cat and a mouse decided to live together and share their lives.
在一个小村庄里，一只猫和一只老鼠决定一起生活，共同合作。
One autumn, they stored a pot of fat to prepare for the harsh winter.
秋天，他们储存了一罐油脂，为寒冷的冬天做准备。
“We’ll keep the pot safe in the church,” the cat suggested, and the mouse agreed.
“我们把罐子放在教堂里保管吧，”猫建议道，老鼠同意了。
They promised not to touch the fat until they truly needed it.
他们约定只有在真正需要时才动用这些油脂。
As winter approached, the cat grew greedy and craved the stored fat.
随着冬天临近，猫变得贪婪，开始惦记储存的油脂。
One day, the cat said to the mouse, “I’ve been invited to a christening. I must go.”
一天，猫对老鼠说：“我被邀请参加一个洗礼，我得去一趟。”
The mouse wished the cat well, and the cat left, heading straight to the church.
老鼠祝猫一路顺风，猫离开后径直去了教堂。
There, the cat licked the top layer of fat from the pot and returned home.
在教堂里，猫舔掉了罐子上层的油脂，然后回家了。
When the mouse asked about the christening, the cat replied, “The child was named Top-Off.”
当老鼠问起洗礼时，猫回答说：“孩子被命名为‘舔净上层’。”
The mouse found the name odd but didn’t suspect anything.
老鼠觉得这个名字奇怪，但并没有怀疑什么。
A few days later, the cat claimed there was another christening to attend.
几天后，猫又说要去参加另一个洗礼。
This time, the cat ate the second layer of fat and returned, saying, “The child was named Half-Done.”
这次，猫吃掉了第二层油脂，回来说：“孩子被命名为‘吃掉一半’。”
The mouse thought the names were strange but didn’t question further.
老鼠觉得这些名字很奇怪，但没有再追问。
Soon, the cat invented a third christening and finished off the entire pot of fat.
不久后，猫又编了一个洗礼的借口，这次吃光了整罐油脂。
Upon returning, the cat declared, “The child was named All-Gone.”
回家后，猫宣布：“孩子被命名为‘全吃光’。”
The mouse grew suspicious but said nothing.
老鼠开始怀疑，但什么也没说。
When winter finally arrived, the mouse suggested they retrieve the fat.
当冬天终于来临时，老鼠提议取回油脂。
They went to the church and found the pot empty.
他们去了教堂，发现罐子已经空了。
The mouse confronted the cat, realizing the truth behind the strange names.
老鼠质问猫，终于明白了那些奇怪名字的真相。
“You’ve eaten everything! Top-Off, Half-Done, and All-Gone!” cried the mouse.
“你把所有东西都吃光了！‘舔净上层’、‘吃掉一半’和‘全吃光’！”老鼠喊道。
The cat, unbothered by the accusation, turned to the mouse and said,
猫对这些指责毫不在意，转身对老鼠说：
“If you say another word, I’ll eat you too.”
“如果你再多说一句，我就连你也一起吃了。”
But the mouse couldn’t stay silent and called the cat a thief.
但老鼠无法保持沉默，称猫是个小偷。
The cat pounced on the mouse and devoured it in a single bite.
猫扑向老鼠，一口吞下了它。
Thus, the partnership ended in betrayal and greed, showing that trust cannot survive deceit.
于是，这场合伙在背叛与贪婪中结束了，证明了信任无法在欺骗中存续。
