Once there was a kind old man who loved all sorts of animals and even most of the people he met. One day while he was working in his storehouse he stopped to lunch on some rice balls he had brought out. As he ate he noticed a mousehole. He broke off a big chunk of rice ball and tossed it down the hole. Then he finished the rest of the rice and went back to work.

After a bit the old man heard someone call. He looked around and saw a mouse waving from the hole.

"Thank you very much for the rice ball. We are all very grateful."

"It was nothing, really."

"My master has sent me to tell you how much we appreciate your kindness."

"Please don't mention it. It was nothing."

"My master wishes to thank you personally. Please join us for a meal this evening."

Of course the old man didn't know the mouse at all and was embarrassed at the thought of imposing on his hospitality. But the messenger insisted and insisted, so finally the old man agreed.

"How shall I get there? I can hardly join you in the hole."

"Please cover your eyes and grab my tail. There will be no problem. But don't open your eyes-- that is very important."

The old man did as he was told, and was soon walking through a cool, dark tunnel. In a few minutes, after many twists and turns on the way, the man felt the sunshine on his back just as the mouse told him to open his eyes. They were standing in a sunny meadow filled with flowers.

The young mouse led the old man across the meadow to a mansion where the entire household and servants were waiting to greet him. A prosperous looking old mouse bowed and thanked the old man, then led him into a large hall where a banquet was set. The food was not the coarse grains he had expected mice to eat, but a large variety of fresh and pickled vegetables, and even a few fish and meat dishes. The old man was ashamed to keep saying "it was nothing" now that he realized how nearly true that was.

After the meal, the mice sang and danced for the old man. He clapped and sang along with one dance, even though he liked cats himself. Here are the words of the song.

Yoi, yoi, yoi yoi.
Hyaku ni nattemo, ni hyaku ni nattemo,
Neko no koe wa, kikitakunai ja.(*)

Finally the mice gave the old man a finely woven basket to remember them by, and he was led back to the storehouse with his eyes closed.

Now, the kind old man had a greedy neighbor. Once the greedy old man saw the basket, he wouldn't rest until he had heard the whole story.

And so, the next day the greedy neighbor was in the store- house, tossing grains of millet down the mousehole.

After a while, a young mouse came out to offer his thanks. He agreed to lead the greedy old man down to the mouse kingdom, warning him first to keep his eyes closed till they reached the meadow.

After dinner the old man listened to a few songs, including the one about cats. That gave him an idea on how to get more than one basket.

When the mice showed him the baskets, the greedy old man covered his mouth and made a loud "Niaao."

All the mice immediately stopped whatever they were doing.

"Niaaoo."

As the old man had hoped, all the mice turned and ran. But he had not expected them to blow out all the lights to help hide from the cat. The man was now free to take as many baskets as he could carry, but he was lost and alone in the kingdom of the mice, with no one to lead him back to his own country.

---

Note: In modern translation, the meaning of this folk song is roughly along the lines of

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
If I live to be a hundred,
If I live to be two hundred,
I'll never want to hear
The voice of a cat."

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