Why the Cat Always Lands on Its Feet

The Cat was a great acrobat, but she was also boastful. She bragged to the other animals that she could survive any fall. The other animals, tired of her boasting, decided to test her. They coaxed her to the top of a very tall silk-cotton tree. "If you are as great as you say," they challenged, "jump from here." The Cat, full of pride, accepted the challenge and leaped from the highest branch. As she fell, she realized her pride had doomed her. She twisted and turned but could not slow her descent. She closed her eyes and prayed to Nyame, the Sky God. "Great Nyame," she prayed, "I have been foolish and proud. If you save me this one time, I will serve mankind forever, keeping their houses free from pests." Nyame heard her prayer. He gently turned her in the air so that she would land squarely on her four paws. She landed softly on the ground, completely unharmed. The other animals were amazed. True to her word, the Cat left the wild and went to the village of Man, becoming a domestic animal. And Nyame's blessing remains with her children to this day, which is why a cat, when it falls, almost always lands safely on its feet.