The Annotated Antoinette...: August 2016

Saturday, August 27, 2016

The Legend Of The Beckoning Cat, - [In Oriental Restaurants]...

In many Oriental restaurants you will see a cat statue with a raised paw, put there for good luck in the business. Here's the story behind that:

There was once a restaurant owner whose restaurant was doing poorly. In fact, business was so bad that the owner was in grave danger of going bankrupt. Very sadly, one day he locked his door, he felt, for the last time, for tomorrow he was going to the bank to make arrangements to sell his restaurant.

Upon looking down at his feet he saw, huddled in the doorway's corner, a poor, starving and cold little cat. The cat looked up at him pleadingly, and raised a trembling paw. Moved with pity for the little creature, the kind man opened the door to his restaurant again and took the cat inside. He gave her a good meal, the last of his food, figuring that it really didn't matter; tomorrow he'd surely be out of business. The cat ate gratefully. The man took the cat outside again and set her down.

But, the cat didn't go away. Instead she sat in the doorway with her paw raised, beckoning to passersby. People smiled when they saw the cat, saying, - "How cute!", they said. "Let's eat here!"

The man's business picked up alarmingly. He didn't go out of business, thanks to the adorable beckoning cat! The man adopted the cat. And, from then on, to today, you will see a beckoning cat image in many oriental restaurants, for good luck in business! Kindness pays!