Walk into a store in East Asia, and you may see a cute little cat sitting there （greet） you. It's not a real cat. It's made ceramic （陶瓷）, wood, plastic, etc. The cat is called the maneki—neko. It's also known the "welcoming cat". "lucky cat" or "money cat". Whatever its shape, size, or color. It （believe） to bring good luck to the owner.
It's said that the tradition of making the maneki—neko started from Japan and （spread） to nearby countries. There are many traditional folk stories about the cat. Here's the most popular one. A rich man was sitting under a tree on a rainy day. He saw a cat in a temple （庙）greeting him. He felt it was funny and went to see the cat up close. he left the tree, it got struck by lightning （被闪电击中）. The cat saved his life. The rich man1 felt lucky and gave the temple lots of money. The cat then became connected wealth.
The maneki—neko comes in different colors. The most popular maneki—neko is white with dark spots because this is thought to be the （luck）. The color white is a symbol of（happy） and purity （纯洁）, while black scares away evil spirits （幽灵）. Other colors are used to help make wishes （come true）. For example, if you're looking for good luck in your love life, you should get a pink maneki—neko.
It's clear that the maneki—neko is more than just a cute toy. Many people believe that it's necessary to have one for their business and their personal lives.
