An antique dealer heard about a person up in the country who possessed a saucer decorated with an Imperial Crown.The dealer traveled by plane and jeep and finally for several miles on foot until he came to the village. The villagers directed him to the person’s hut where he was made welcome. His eyes immediately lit on a sleek black cat lapping up milk from a saucer. As the cat licked the last drops of milk the antique dealer could see the Imperial Crown marked upon the saucer and knew it to be valuable.
He sat talking to the dealer and after a while remarked upon what a fine cat the man owned. They chatted further and then the dealer said he thought the cat was so fine that he would like to purchase it. The owner demurred at first but after several minutes of haggling agreed to sell the cat. The dealer was delighted but concealed his pleasure and as he was about to depart said casually:
'I shall need something to give the cat its milk, so if you don't mind I'll take that old saucer as well'.
'You can have the cat' replied the dealer, 'but not the saucer. We need that saucer to sell cats'.
Source: John Steward, Biblical Holism (Burwood, Victoria: World Vision Australia, 1994), 122.
Image: “We need that saucer to sell cats.”
Image: “We need that saucer to sell cats.”