The Story of the Cat Named "Xiaoyu" from the Echuoya Family

During the Edo period in Japan, there was a well-known family business called "Echuoya," which specialized in dyeing fabrics. The young master of the family, who was fond of both gambling and spending time with his cat named Xiaoyu, caused the family's wealth to slowly fade away.

The housekeeper, seeing the situation, was deeply concerned and often advised the young master to focus on his family business and stop gambling. But the young master dismissed these worries and replied, “If there is a story about a crane repaying kindness, then when we run out of money, Xiaoyu will go out and bring back some gold coins. There’s nothing to worry about.” Each time the housekeeper tried to give advice, the young master would simply play with Xiaoyu and ignore him.

Eventually, Echuoya fell into financial ruin. The housekeeper, worried about the young master's emotional state, tried to encourage him to stay hopeful. To his surprise, the young master, holding Xiaoyu in his arms, said, “Xiaoyu, don’t forget our agreement. Go and bring back some gold coins.” The next day, Xiaoyu did return, carrying a gold coin in her mouth. Both the housekeeper and the family were overjoyed.

The housekeeper advised the young master, “Use this coin wisely and start a business.” But the young master went straight to the casino instead, hoping to win back his fortune. Unfortunately, he lost everything again.

The young master then repeated his plea, “Xiaoyu, please bring me another gold coin! This time, I promise I will use it for a real business.” Xiaoyu hesitated but eventually walked away.

The next day, Xiaoyu returned again with another gold coin, but the young master, overjoyed, immediately ran off to the casino once more. Again, he returned home defeated, having lost everything. When he walked in, he found the housekeeper hurriedly saying, "Xiaoyu might be sick. She looks very weak and tired."

The young master rushed to Xiaoyu and, seeing her open her eyes and lick him, he sighed with relief. The housekeeper, however, remarked, "She seems to be getting thinner. It’s strange." But the young master, still focused on the money, didn’t listen.

Xiaoyu, feeling weak, left again. The young master, wondering where Xiaoyu had been getting the coins, decided to follow her. The next morning, he secretly followed her from a distance.

Xiaoyu walked far outside the town, crossed several rivers, and eventually entered a forest. She stopped in front of a shrine, where she raised her paws in prayer and began chanting, "Take my paws, take my legs, give me gold coins. Take my belly, take my fur, give me gold coins..." As Xiaoyu chanted, she grew thinner and smaller.

The young master, watching in horror, finally realized what was happening. He rushed out from behind the trees, crying out, "Xiaoyu, stop!" But Xiaoyu continued, chanting, "Take my paws, take my legs, give me gold coins..."

Finally, Xiaoyu disappeared, leaving only three gold coins behind. The young master fell to his knees in sorrow, holding the coins and crying in regret. He realized that all the wealth he had received from Xiaoyu had come at the cost of her sacrifice.

From that moment on, the young master changed. He worked tirelessly to restore the family’s business, vowing never to squander money again. He often said, “If Xiaoyu could sacrifice herself to teach me, I must work hard.”

Through his efforts, Echuoya gradually regained its prosperity. People in the neighborhood, seeing the young master’s transformation, started to place statues of cats holding gold coins outside their homes and businesses, following his example.