Adam was walking in the garden of Eden and cried out to God, “You used to walk with me every day. Now I do not see you anymore. I’m lonely here, and it is difficult for me to remember how much you love me.”
And God said, “I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever. He will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourself.”
And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and he wagged his tail.
And Adam said, “Lord, I have already named all the animals in the garden and I cannot think of a name for this new animal.”
And God said, “Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him Dog.”
And Dog lived with Adam and was a companion to him and loved him. And Adam was comforted. And God was pleased. And the Dog wagged his tail.
After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, “Lord, Adam has become filled with pride. He struts about like a peacock thinking that he deserves Dog’s adoration. Dog has taught him that he is loved, but perhaps too well.”
And the Lord said, “I will create for him a companion who will be with him forever and who will see him as he is. The companion will remind him of his limitations, so he will know that he is not always worthy of adoration.”
And God created Cat to be a companion to Adam. And Cat would not obey Adam and he would not come when he was called. And when Adam looked into Cat’s eyes, he remembered that he was not the supreme being. And Adam learned humility. God was pleased. The Dog wagged his tail. And the Cat couldn’t have cared less.