Long ago, in the city of Kyoto in Japan, there lived the Mouse King and his daughter. The Mouse King’s daughter was beautiful and talented. When she grew old enough to be married, the Mouse King called all his ministers together and said to them, ‘My daughter is old enough to marry. She is no ordinary mouse, but the loveliest, the cleverest, the noblest maiden in the world. I have decided that she must marry the most powerful being in the universe. So tell me, who shall it be?

The ministers nodded their heads, and shuffled their feet and waved their tails and thought very very hard. Who was the most powerful being in the universe?

At last, a bright young mouse stepped forward and said, ‘Sire, the Sun is the most powerful being in the Universe. The Sun gives us life and light and warmth. Even the Emperor of Japan wears him as his sign.’

The Mouse King nodded. ‘Very well, I shall marry my daughter to the Sun.’

At that, another mouse stepped forward and bowing respectfully said, ‘Sire, a cloud can hide the Sun. So the cloud must be the most powerful being in the universe.’

‘Why then, I will marry her to the Cloud,’ cried the Mouse King.

‘But,’ said a third mouse, hopping up and down in his excitement, ‘the rain can burst through the clouds and wash them away!’

‘In that case, my daughter must marry the Rain!’

‘But, Sire,’ objected a fourth mouse, ‘no matter how hard the rain falls, it cannot wash away the big tall trees.’

‘Alright then! My daughter must marry tallest Tree!’

‘But Sire,’ said a fifth mouse, frowning thoughtfully. ‘A strong wind can blow down the tallest tree.’

‘Yes! You are right! It is decided then, my daughter shall marry the Wind.’

‘Sire, think carefully,’ said a sixth mouse, washing his whiskers rapidly, ‘even the strongest wind cannot blow away the earth.’

‘True! I did not think of that! In which case, my daughter shall marry the Earth.’

‘But,’ said a seventh mouse, ‘the wooden floors of men’s houses pin down the earth and keep it prisoner.’

‘My decision is taken – my daughter must marry the wooden floor at once!’ declared the Mouse King.

All this while the oldest mouse had been listening quietly to the discussion, an amused smile on his face. He cleared his throat and stepped up to the Mouse King.

‘Sire,’ he said, ‘no matter how strong the wooden floor, a mouse can gnaw through it.’

The Mouse King stared at the oldest mouse in delight. ‘You are absolutely right, my trusted friend,’ he declared, clapping him on the back. ‘This leaves no doubt in my mind – a mouse must be the most powerful being in the universe!’

And so, with much ceremony and great rejoicing, the Mouse King’s daughter was married to a mouse.