THE SILVER MOUSE
A Tale of Honesty and Wisdom
Long ago, in the city of Shenzhen in China, there lived a highly respected mandarin—a senior government official. In those days, mandarins were powerful and often feared. Many accepted bribes, but this mandarin was known for his honesty. He had never taken a bribe in his entire career.
When the time came for him to retire, the people of Shenzhen wanted to show their gratitude by giving him a special gift. However, they were afraid to approach him directly, as he disliked receiving gifts. So, they went to his wife for advice.
“Madam,” they said respectfully, “what kind of gift would please your husband?”
“He is a simple man,” she replied. “Any curio would delight him.”
The people were pleased with this idea. Then one of them asked, “May we know in which year the great mandarin was born?”
In China, it is a tradition to name each year after an animal, and people often associate a person’s birth year with that animal.
“He was born in the Year of the Mouse,” the wife answered.
“Ah! Then we shall present him with a beautiful silver mouse,” the people said.
The mandarin’s wife accepted the gift without telling her husband. The silver mouse was large, finely made, and very valuable.
Years later, the family fell on hard times. With no other option, the wife broke the silver mouse into pieces and sold them one by one to manage their expenses.
One day, the mandarin noticed it was gone and asked his wife about it. Afraid, she told him the whole story.
The mandarin sighed gently and said, “My poor woman! You should have told them I was born in the Year of the Buffalo!”
And then, instead of showing anger or regret, he laughed to his heart’s content.
