The Myth Blog (for class): Week 9, Reading A: Why Dog and Cat are Enemies

Every culture has an explanation story, and a popular one is why cats and dogs don't get along. China is no exception: this translation of "Why Dog and Cat are Enemies" comes from The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm.

Reading Notes

A man and his wife sold a lucky gold ring for cheap, not knowing its true value or that keeping it meant they would always do well.

After selling it, they start to grow poorer and poorer, until they run low on food.
Consequently, their cat and dog also go hungry.

The dog realizes the only recourse is getting their owners back the ring.
The cat responds that the ring has been locked up in a chest.
The dog develops a plan: the cat must catch a mouse and threaten it to naw its way into the chest and pull the ring out.

And so they proceed: the cat catches a mouse, and with it and the dog set off for the house that holds the ring.
On their way they come to a river, and the dog carries the cat across on his back, since the cat can't swim.
Everything goes as planned: the cat takes the mouse to the chest, the mouse chews its way in and pulls out the ring, and the cat takes the ring and goes back to the dog.
The dog swims across the river again with the cat on his back, and then they set off for home.
The dog is stuck running on the ground, since he can't climb, and has to run around houses.

But the cat can climb the houses and run over the roofs, so she makes it home before the dog does.

When she arrives home and presents the ring to the couple, they praise her and declare they will treat her just like their child.
However, when the dog makes it home, he's punished for not helping to get the ring home.

The cat just sits by the fireplace and doesn't do anything to correct the couple.

When the dog realizes the cat is going to allow him to be cheated from his reward, he tries to fight her.
And that's why the dog and cat are enemies.

(Source: Wikipedia)

The Myth Blog (for class)