A passage from a fantasy novel cannot technically qualify as a bona-fide quote--can it?

"See the cat? See the cradle?"
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/catscradle/section1.rhtml

Isn't there an old fear/myth/superstition that a cat might be capable of "stealing" an infant's breath if allowed in his/her cradle?

Or does the term "cat's cradle" refer to the children's "game" involving string and fingers?

Since that is one Vonnegut novel that I've never gotten around to reading, I don't understand the significance of the title.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The origin of the name "cat's cradle" may have come from a corruption of cratch-cradle, or manger cradle[1][2] (though this derivation is disputed by the OED). The French word for manger is crèche, and cattle feed racks are still known as cratches. The "manger cradle" is significant in the nativity: Jesus was born in a barn and laid in a manger because no other lodgings were available.

In an 1858 Punch Cartoon it is referred to as "Scratch Cradle", a name supported by Brewer's 1898 Dictionary. Different cultures have different names for the game, and often different names for the individual figures. (For instance, in Russia the whole game is simply called "the game of string" and the "diamonds" pattern a "carpet", with names like "field", "fish" and "sawhorse" for all other figures. The cat isn't ever mentioned, but the cradle is, though it's the initial figure that is called so.)

Cat's cradle is probably one of humanity's oldest games, and is spread among an astonishing variety of cultures, even ones as unrelated as Europeans and the Dyaks of Indonesia; Alfred Wallace who, while traveling in Borneo, thought of amusing the Dyak youths with a novel game with string, was in turn very surprised when they proved to be familiar with it, and showed him some figures and transitions that he hadn’t previously seen. In China Cat's Cradle is called Catch Cradle. The anthropologist Louis Leakey has also described his use of this game to obtain the cooperation of Sub-Saharan African tribes otherwise unfamiliar with, and suspicious of, Europeans. A character in Joanna Russ's 1975 novel The Female Man calls cat's cradle "the universal symbol of peace".

Concerning the title of Kurt Vonnegut’s book, Felix Hoenikker, his fictional co-inventor of the A-bomb, was playing cat’s cradle when the bomb was dropped.

Stealing a baby’s breath I believe comes from the fear that a cat will curl up next to the baby’s face and smother the child - at least that was what my parents (both 1st generation Americans) believed.

Wow, Kat--that's quite enlightening! Thanks. I wasn't even certain that it was considered a game, just a wild guess on my part. I've seen people fooling around with a piece of string all my life, and never once felt inclined to ask them what the hell they were doing. I assumed they were just easily amused, trying to come up with as many patterns as they could, or something of that nature.

At any rate, am I alone in enjoying a chuckle from the literary reference to the insurance con game as a more lucrative evil enterprise than unqualified banditry?

Not at all. You know the insurance lobby was all for Obama's health reform until congress dropped the provision that mandated every adult to carry medical coverage. That was a con! Being penalized and fined because you can't afford health coverage! The insurance boys were licking their chops over the prospect of a windfall of 40 or so million policies. As soon as that provision was cut, the insurance lobby started whining, I mean warning about health reform raising the cost medical care and insurance.

It is more than banditry, I think it is fraud and racketeering.

Indeed. I wonder if I would've been expected to buy health insurance even though I'm covered by Veteran's medical benefits?

I prefer the "Death Panel", personally.

All I know is the present health care system dictates the quality and extent of that care. I know I have been screwed by an insurance shill MD. My back has gotten so bad that I can barely walk 25 yards or stand for 5 minutes. The MD referred me to a Orthopedic Surgeon, but when the Ortho requested a MIR, the insurance co. jumped on the MD, and he denied making the referral! Needless to say, I still have not gotten the MIR.

Oh, Man! I had no idea, my brother. This really stinks! All this from a rear-end auto collision? Too many people remain unaware of what a scam health insurance remains even well into the Twenty-First century! As you well know, I've never had an ounce of trust in the insurance industry, and to see the desperate fight they've waged against the current threat to their status quo does nothing but confirm my attitude against them. John Dillinger, "Dutch" Schulz, and Al Capone were just amateurs in the practice of organized crime when compared to the insurance industry, and the legal brief has replaced the tommy-gun as the weapon of choice of today's racketeers, the "torpedo" or hitman has been replaced by an army of attorneys.
I'm very sorry about what you've been going through, Kat.

Actually, this is the result of an on the job accident offloading a submarine at the navy yard. The non-profit organization I worked for had a private workers comp insurer. That insurer's parent company just happens to be AIG!
And it is AIG who basically screwed me.

In that case, not to worry--I am confident that the massive bonuses given to their execs will "insure" that you are treated fairly. Doesn't that make sense to you? Having insurance gives us all one less thing to worry about!

Just exactly what is meant by "non-profit"? Does that imply that the persons doing the actual work are in no danger of making any money?

I seriously doubt that "non-profit" has anything to do with the company "insuring" the well-being of the laborers.

You are right, may fair treatment pays those bonuses! The real irony here is the mission of the "non-profit" is to help employ the handicapped and disabled. They sure don't give much of a damn about those who become disabled working for them.

Do you ever get the idea that "honesty" is a thing of the past, or never existed in the first place? Any pretence to integrity, it would seem, should be relegated to "mythology". So much for "higher" ideals!

Frankly, I think there is more truth and honesty in mythology. I had no idea that a hospital would refer you to a doctor who was a shill for the insurance industry. Especially since it was the same office the attorney sent Chris and I to when we had the auto accident. Apparently, it was no longer the same office, or each physician in the office has their own agenda.

Mythology contains FAR more truth than the legal system. Medical insurance comes under the "Hypocritical Oath", I believe. Ever wonder about the similarity between the pronunciation of "Lawyer" and "Liar"? They are homonyms, aren't they?

Homonyms hell, aren't they synonyms.

Indeed. My mistake.

Oh, I see now--"shill" is the ostensibly "non-interrested" party standing in the crowd listening to the carnival pitchman, who is there to lend creedence to the claims of said pitchman in order to dupe the crowd. Now I understand the reference. I assumed as much.

exactly, he works for the pitchman.