A Parable of Cats

The Son of The Farmer paid a high price to purchase three cats which he brought to his father's farm. Shortly thereafter he was killed. And these three cats were all in the same family, lived on the same farm, were fed the same food, at the same time, in the same place, by the same person--every day of the week.

Now one might assume that since these cats were so costly and had so much in common between them that they would be the best of friends and happy comrades, but sadly this was not the case. Cats tend to be a rather self-respecting species. Each one feels him or herself to be slightly better than present company except on the rarest of occasions. Their demeanor is less often pure charity or selfless affection and more often a kind of condescending tolerance.

So instead of enjoying their many meals together in the comfort of easy fellowship, more often than not their conversations went rather like this:

 "Dear Ones", said Black And White Cat, "Excuse me, but while you do nobly in your hunting endeavors, you are quite mistaken in your form of eating. Allow me to show you the proper way, so you may be as acceptable to The Farmer as I am. You must not bite, like a dog, but rather use the hair-covered tongue bestowed on you, and lap up each piece of food delicately to demonstrate the superiority of our species.
This is, after all, the way approved of by The Farmer."

 "Well," declared Black Cat with a hint of righteous indignation, "you may hunch down and lap all you like, but The Farmer cares little about whether you lap or bite. Apart from your offerings of vermin, He cares only that your posture demonstrate respect for His esteemed position. Therefore, you must stand, as much as possible, like this, tail held high, and eat quickly to show your appreciation and humility. This is why I am most pleasing to The Farmer."

 "Really. You are both ridiculous,"sneered Gray And White Cat through a mouthful of kibble. "The Farmer cares not how we eat or how we stand, only that we catch his mice and make a great show of loving him. That is why, and you would do well to follow my example, I am careful to purr very loudly in his presence, kneading with my claws and circling this way and that, to demonstrate the magnitude of my affection for Him. It is, after all, the only sure way to garner His most generous kindnesses, and why he obviously favors me."

Meanwhile The Farmer loved each one and remembered his Son whenever he looked upon them, which is why they were still a part of The Farm. And He admired them for their beauty and their individual qualities. It made him glad that they were satisfied with the food He sacrificed to give them, and also that they were growing strong and healthy. He graciously overlooked their faults and accepted their occasional gifts of chewed shrew or ravaged robin, knowing that these were the only offerings one could truly expect from a feline who could little comprehend the mind of The Farmer. And it was good enough for Him. And it was fortunate for them.

And the three cats carried on day after day, in the same way, in the same family, on the same farm, being fed the same food, at the same time, in the same place, by the same person--every day of the week.