Once there was a man named Qi Yan who had a 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?"

Source: The China Experience