Tale Of The Black Cat

Once there was an old priest who acquired a pet black cat. The cat was so fond of its master that it wouldn't stay a foot away from the priest all day. It would go around the legs of the priest rubbing its fur against the master's legs. Therein arose a problem. When the priest was in the midst of conducting the mass, the cat would still be circling around the master, causing the priest and the congregation to lose concentration on the progress of the mass.

The priest then ordered that the cat be caught and caged just before the start of the mass, and only released after the mass was over. This procedure was repeated like a ritual each time the mass was celebrated.

One day the priest died. A new priest was posted to the church. The cat was not particularly in favour of this new priest and hardly ever went close to him. But the ritual to get the cat caged before the mass continued as it had become a ritualistic tradition that must be done each time before the mass.

And then the cat died. The church went about to find a replacement black cat, so that the cat could again be caged just before each mass as it was a traditional thing to do.

And the tradition continued unstopped.


What is the moral of the story?

If something has been done long enough, it can become accepted as a good practice, or if you like it another way, it is that if you tell a lie often enough, it can become accepted as the truth.