|| A Japanese folktale ||
Once near a lonely farmhouse surrounded by rice fields there lived a rat couple. They were highly regarded by their own kind and very prosperous.
One day, in addition to their many other children, a little daughter was born to them. She was so dainty with her shiny gray fur, her broad little upright ears, and her glistening eyes, that her parents became quite proud of their little daughter. Day in and day out their only thoughts were how they might prepare a magnificent future for her.
When the little rat came of age, both parents came to the conclusion that she should have the most powerful groom in the world.
Once they were discussing this matter with a well-wisher, and he said, “If you want to give your daughter in marriage to the most powerful being, you must choose the sun as your son-in-law, for without question, no one equals the sun in power.”
The rat couple saw that this was true, and without hesitation they made their way to the sun and presented to him their proposal that he should marry their daughter.
The sun replied, “I am much pleased that you have come so far, and that you have the kind intention to give me your daughter in marriage, but please tell me just why you have chosen me to be your son-in-law.”
The rats said, “We would like to our daughter to have the world’s most powerful groom, and without dispute you are that one. Therefore we have chosen you to be our son-in-law.”
Then the sun said, “You are not without reason, but there is a being more powerful than I, and it is he to whom you must give your daughter.”
The rats replied, “Can there in truth be someone more powerful than you?”
The sun said, “When I want to shine in full glory on the earth, the cloud comes by and covers me up, and my rays are unable either to penetrate it or to frighten it away. I am powerless against the cloud. Thus you must go to the cloud and make him your son-in-law.”
The rats saw that it was so, and they went to the cloud.
After they had presented their proposal to him, the cloud said, “You are in error if you think that I am the most powerful being. I do indeed have the power to cover the sun, but I am powerless against the wind. When he begins to blow, he drives me away and tears me to pieces. There is nothing I can do against him.”
So the rats went to the wind and made the proposal to him that he should marry their daughter, whom they wanted to give have the most powerful groom.
But the wind said, “I do indeed have the power to drive away the cloud, but I am powerless against the wall that people build to hold me back. I can neither blow through it nor do anything to it. The wall is much more powerful than I.”
So the rats again set forth and came to the wall, to whom, in a similar manner, they made their request.
The wall replied, “It is indeed true that I have the power to resist the wind, but there is a rat that is undermining me, boring into me and making holes throughout me, and there is nothing I can do to stop him. I am powerless against the rat. It would be better for you to take the rat for your son-in-law than to choose me!”
This pleased the rats, for they saw that the wall was right. They returned home and married their dear daughter to a handsome young rat.
They never regretted this, for their daughter lived happily and contentedly with a man of her own kind.
And the parents, who once had wanted to elevate her so high that they did not consult her earlier, were overjoyed in her happiness and satisfaction.
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