The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth

First published: 1930; illustrated

Type of work: Fantasy

Themes: Animals and religion

Time of work: Once upon a time

Recommended Ages: 10-13

Locale: Old Japan

Principal Characters:

• The Japanese Artist, a poor but talented artist given the honor of painting the death of the Buddha
• Good Fortune, the cat brought into the artist’s house by the housekeeper
• The Housekeeper, who cared for the artist and sang poetic songs

The Story

When a poor young Japanese artist’s housekeeper spends their meager funds to purchase a cat, rather than food for the day, the artist is dismayed. He soon succumbs to the gentleness and good manners of the new arrival, however, naming her Good Fortune. The housekeeper notices Good Fortune sitting before the image of the Buddha as if praying to the Enlightened One.

Shortly thereafter, a Buddhist priest offers the artist a commission to create for the Temple a sacred painting depicting the death of Buddha. The artist struggles for three days to understand the nature and life of Buddha, beginning with Siddhartha from his princely youth, through his rejection of worldly riches, and finally to his time of peaceful death. Only after quiet meditation is he ready to paint Buddha at his death, blessing each animal. This includes the snail, the first creature to sacrifice himself for Buddha; the elephant, which shows sagacity, dignity, and kindness; the horse, with courage and nobility; the dreamlike beauty of swans; the honesty and self-respect of the buffalo; the fidelity of dogs; the timidity and gentle courage of the deer; the compassion of the monkey; and the greatness of the tiger.

Good Fortune does not interfere but watches the progress of the painting with an apparent show of approval as each animal is completed. As the last of the animals is painted, Good Fortune grows sorrowful because she apparently is to be excluded from the painting. The artist explains that, according to legend, the cat is the one animal that refused to come to the Buddha for his blessing; as a cat, Good Fortune will not be admitted to heaven.

As the artist watches Good Fortune refuse food in her sorrow, he resolves to include her in the painting. Seeing her image embraced with the images of the other animals, Good Fortune gazes at the artist with heartfelt gratitude before falling dead with joy. When the priest returns for the painting, it is rejected for containing the image of a cat and taken to the temple for burning. It appears that the artist’s career is ruined.

The artist’s sacrifice for his cat is rewarded with a miracle the next morning. Before the priests could burn the painting, they saw that where the cat had been at the end of the line of animals, only white silk remained, as if nothing had ever been painted there. The cat appears under the Buddha’s outstretched hand, receiving her blessing.

Context

The 1931 Newbery Medal winner, The Cat Who Went to Heaven, was Coatsworth’s fourth children’s book. One of her earlier books, The Cat and the Captain (1927), although successful, gave little indication of the full range of her potential as a writer. The use of the cat did carry over from one story to another and was a favorite subject for her stories and poems, but the setting changed completely. Having traveled extensively in the Orient as a young woman, she called upon her remembrance of the Oriental culture to frame the setting and theme for this book.

Coatsworth’s poetry is an integral part of her writing—from her books of poetry to poems interspersed with prose. The songs of the housekeeper form the poems in The Cat Who Went to Heaven, but the entire story is written in a poetic style. The strength of the story lies in its economy and its mythic power. Coatsworth is one of few writers of that period who wrote for children rather than down to them and is considered a forerunner of the authors who, in the late 1950’s, encouraged more radical changes in books for children.

The author shows a detailed understanding of pre-World War II traditional Japanese life-styles. She enables her readers to experience traditional Japanese foods, customs, and clothing styles of the period. Japanese artists attempt to understand the full nature of their subjects before attempting to re-create them artistically. It is from this understanding that the art is said to flow rather than from the practiced technical skills of the artist. This is shown by the many days spent by the artist in meditation before he draws the painting. The author exhibits a sensitive and thorough understanding of this process.

While providing children and young adults a glimpse into Oriental culture and philosophy, the ideas and lessons of the story are applicable to Western culture as well. Both cultures encourage love and acceptance of all people. This book is easy for children to identify with and enjoy; beyond being entertained, they may also receive a meaningful, educational message.