The Grateful Mouse

Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in
Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a stone-cutter, and grow-
ing up became expert in working stones. Now in the Kasi
country there dwelt a very rich merchant who had amassed
forty crores in gold. And when his wife died, so strong
was her love of money that she was re-born a mouse and
dwelt over the treasure. And one by one the whole family
died, including the merchant himself. Likewise the village
became deserted and forlorn. At the time of our story
the Bodhisatta was quarrying and shaping stones on the
site of this deserted village ; and the mouse used often to
see him as she ran about to find food. At last she fell in
love with him ; and, bethinking her how the secret of all
her vast wealth would die with her, she conceived the idea
of enjoying it with him. So one day she came to the
Bodhisatta with a coin in her mouth. Seeing this, he spoke
to her kindly, and said, " Mother, what has brought you
here with this coin ? " " It is for you to lay out for your-
self, and to buy meat with for me as well, my son." Nowise
loth, he took the money and spent a halfpenny of it on
meat which he brought to the mouse, who departed and
ate to her heart's content. And this went on, the mouse
giving the Bodhisatta a coin every day, and he in return
supplying her with meat. But it fell out one day that the
mouse was caught by a cat.

" Don't kill me," said the mouse.

" Why not ? ' said the cat. " I'm as hungry as can be,
and really must kill you to allay the pangs."

" First, tell me whether you're always hungry, or only
hungry to-day."

" Oh, every day finds me hungry again."

" Well then, if this be so, I will find you always in meat ;
only let me go."

" Mind you do then," said the cat, and let the mouse go.

As a consequence of this the mouse had to divide the
supplies of meat she got from the Bodhisatta into two
portions and gave one half to the cat, keeping the other
for herself.

Now, as luck would have it, the same mouse was caught
another day by a second cat and had to purchase her
release on the same terms. So now the daily food was
divided into three portions. And when a third cat caught
the mouse and a like arrangement had to be made, the
supply was divided into four portions. And later a fourth
cat caught her, and the food had to be divided among five,
so that the mouse, reduced to such short commons, grew
so thin as to be nothing but skin and bone. Remarking
how emaciated his friend was getting, the Bodhisatta
asked the reason. Then the mouse told him all that had
befallen her.

" Why didn't you tell me all this before ? " said the
Bodhisatta. " Cheer up, I'll help you out of your troubles."
So he took a block of the purest crystal and scooped out
a cavity in it and made the mouse get inside. " Now stop
there," said he, "and don't fail to fiercely threaten and
revile all who come near."

So the mouse crept into the crystal cell and waited.
Up came one of the cats and demanded his meat. "Away,
vile grimalkin," said the mouse; " why should I supply you?
go home and eat your kittens!" Infuriated at these words,
and never suspecting the mouse to be inside the crystal,
the cat sprang at the mouse to eat her up ; and so furious
was its spring that it broke the walls of its chest and its
eyes started from its head. So that cat died and its
carcass tumbled down out of sight. And the like fate in
turn befell all four cats. And ever after the grateful
mouse brought the Bodhisatta two or three coins instead
of one as before, and by degrees she thus gave him the
whole of the hoard. In unbroken friendship the two lived
together, till their lives ended and they passed away to
fare according to their deserts.