In “The Boy Who Drew Cats,” Lafcadio Hearn introduces the youngest child as “a little boy.” He is one of a large number of children in his family, which also includes an older brother and some little girls. While the older boy helps his father, the young boy seems unsuited to hard work. The narrator not only calls him “very clever” but also says he is the cleverest one of all the siblings. He is small for his age, as well as weak, and others comment that he is unlikely to grow into a large man. These attributes make his parents decide that farming would not be the best occupation for him. Instead, they conclude that he should study for the priesthood, and they take him to the temple in hopes that the priests will accept him as an acolyte.