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Once
there was a man named Qi Yan who had a pussy cat, and believing it to be rare, named
it "Tiger Cat."
One of his guests said, "Brave as a tiger is, it is not so vigorous as a
dragon. Why not name it Dragon Cat?"
Another one suggested, "No doubt a dragon is more vigorous than a lion, yet
a dragon needs the aid of floating clouds to soar up into the sky. Aren't clouds
more noble than a dragon? You'd better call it Cloud Cat."
A third reasoned, "It's true that clouds can cover the sky, but they
scatter the moment the wind appears. Wind is more powerful than clouds, so name
your cat Wind Cat."
A fourth argued, "However strong the wind is, it is blocked wherever there
is a wall, Wall Cat would be much better."
A fifth made his suggestion: "As solid as a wall is, a mouse can make a
hole in it. A wall will no longer be strong if there are holes. How can a wall
be a match for a mouse? My advice is to call it Mouse Cat."
An old man in the village overheard the men arguing and laughed. "Ah! It's
a cat that catches mice. A cat is a cat. Why bother naming it after something
else and making it lose its own identity?"