Two monks of the Eastern and the Western Hall were disputing about a cat. Nansen (-Fugan 南泉普願 748–835), holding up the cat, said, 'Monks, if you can say a word of Zen, I will spare the cat. If you cannot, I will kill it!' No monk could answer. Nansen finally killed the cat. Later, when Jōshū (-Jūshin 趙州從諗 778–897) came, Nansen told him of the incident. Jōshū took off his straw sandals, put it on his head, and walked off. Nansen said, "If you had been there, I could have spared the cat!'