The Greatest of All

Sometimes serendipity strikes: the following is a Japanese folk tale, recounted on the tag of a Folkmanis stuffed animal.

Once, long ago in Japan, a family of mice made their home in the Emperor's palace. Father Mouse was a proud creature with sleek white fur and long whiskers. One day his daughter, Chuko, asked permission to marry. "He is a handsome field mouse. May I, father?" she begged. "My daughter marry a humble field mouse?" he cried. "Never! Your husband must be the greatest of all." And so Father Mouse went to ask the Emperor to marry Chuko, for surely the Emperor was the greatest of all. "Oh, no," said the Emperor, "I am not the greatest, for when Sun beats down, even I must take shade. And when Cloud covers the sky, even Sun must hide his face. And when Wind blows, Cloud must run away. And when Wind hits Wall, Wind is stopped. Go ask Wall, friend mouse, for he must be the greatest." And so Father Mouse went to the ancient wall at the edge of the field. "There is someone even greater than I," said Wall, "who tunnels inside me and one day will bring me down. His name is Ko Nezumi, Field Mouse. You must ask him. He is the greatest of all." And that is just what Father Mouse did.