Once upon a time a Cat and a Monkey lived as pets in the same house. They were great friends and were constantly getting in all sorts of mischief together. One day they were sitting by the fire watching some chestnuts roasting in the hearth. How good they smelled, they both agreed. "I would gladly get them out of the fire for us," said the cunning Monkey, "but you are so much more nimble than I am. Pull them out and I'll divide them between us." The Cat stretched out her paw, pushed aside some cinders, and snatched her paw back when it began to burn, pulling some chestnuts out at the same time. The Money cracked them open and gobbled them up. "Do that again, I want to study your skills." As many chestnuts as the cat pulled out, the Monkey devoured. And when their owner came back into the room, the rascals scampered away, poor Kitty limping on her singed paw. From that day on, the Cat restricted her diet to mice.

Moral: a flatterer usually seeks benefit at your expense.