1. Compare the Japanese and Western superstitions about cats.

2. In what ways is the artist well suited to paint the important work he is commissioned to do?

3. What characteristics does the housekeeper share with Good Fortune?

4. The housekeeper's poems express great pride in her master. Of what is she proud?

5. What Buddhist qualities does Good Fortune reveal in her actions? In what ways does she exhibit human attributes?

6. What important step does the artist take in order to choose the best idea for the painting?

7. What motivates the artist to defy the priests and include the cat in his painting? How does this relate to the process he uses in the creation of the painting itself?

8. Why is the conclusion called "miraculous" by the priest?

9. Why does the artist chose the snail as the first animal to bid farewell to Buddha?

10. Which episodes convince the...