The Mouse's Marriage - Japanese Folk Tale

The Story of The Mouse's Marriage

Once upon a time, there was a mouse who proclaimed himself to be the king of all mice. The king's daughter, a beautiful mouse princess, lived with her father and mother in a vast field. The king and queen were very proud of their daughter and did not allow her to play with anyone because they believed no one was worthy of befriending their daughter. When the princess came of age to marry, the king refused to choose a groom from among the princes of the mouse kingdom.

The king declared that he would only accept the strongest groom in the world. No one came forward to propose, and so the Mouse King sought the advice of his wise uncle, a learned mouse. The wise uncle informed him that the strongest creature in the world was the Sun, for without it, the crops would not ripen. The king set out to find the Sun.

The Story of The Mouse's Marriage

He climbed the tallest mountain, walked on the rainbow, and finally arrived at the western palace where the Sun rested. As soon as the Mouse King was seen, the Sun cheerfully asked:

- What brings you here to meet me?

With utmost respect, the Mouse King replied:

- I have come to ask for your hand in marriage for my daughter, the Mouse Princess, for you are the strongest creature in the world and the only one worthy of my daughter.

The Sun chuckled and squinted his eyes as he said:

- Ha! Ha! Thank you for your offer, but I am not the strongest creature in the world. The clouds are stronger than I am, for when they cover me, I instantly lose my luster.

- Oh! Is that so? Then you are not the person we are looking for.

The Mouse's Marriage - Japanese Folk Tale

Without saying goodbye, the Mouse King left. The sun smiled and blinked its eyes. The Mouse King kept climbing higher and higher until he reached the southern tower where the Clouds rested.

The Clouds sighed and asked:

- What brings you here looking for me?

- I have come here to ask for your hand in marriage for my daughter because you are the strongest in the world. The Sun told me so. Only you are worthy of my daughter. - Said the Mouse King.

The Clouds sighed again and replied:

- The Sun was mistaken. I am not the strongest. The Wind is stronger than me because wherever the Wind blows, I have to follow. I cannot resist it.

The Mouse King raised his voice and said:

- Then you are not worthy of becoming my son-in-law.

After speaking, the Mouse King left to find the Wind. He walked and walked, crossing the entire sky until he reached the north, where the Wind rested.

When the Wind saw the Mouse King, it laughed loudly, shaking the entire earth, and asked:

- Ho! Ho! What do you want to ask me?

After hearing that the Mouse King wanted to marry his daughter to the Wind because the Wind was the strongest in the world, the Wind blew a terrible gust of wind and said:

- No, no! I am not the strongest! That fortress over there is much stronger than me. I cannot even knock it down, although I am quite strong. Forget it, my friend, go find that fortress!

Feeling dejected, the Mouse King left the sky and traveled on and on until he reached a city. The city was located right next to the fields of the Mouse King.

The Mouse's Bride

The city walls boomed loudly and asked:

- What do you want from me?

- I have come to offer my daughter, Princess Mouse, to you, because you are the strongest in the world, and only you are worthy of my daughter - Said the Mouse King.

The city walls replied:

- Hmph! I am not the strongest.

- Then who is stronger? - Asked the Mouse King.

- The mouse in that cave is much stronger than me. With sharp teeth and claws, it keeps gnawing at me until my bones are crushed, and I eventually collapse. You should go find Gray Mouse. - Replied the city walls.

In the end, the Mouse King had no choice but to marry his daughter to a mouse. Princess Mouse was overjoyed, as she had always wanted to marry Gray Mouse.

The Story of The Mouse's Marriage
- Japanese Folk Tale -