Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a stone cutter. Growing up, he became expert in working stones. Now in the Kasi country there lived 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 lived over the treasure.

And one by one the whole family died, including the merchant himself. Likewise the village became deserted. At the time of our story the Bodhisatta was quarrving 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. She thought that 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 buy anything you wish and to buy meat for me, my son.” 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, one day, the mouse was caught by a cat.

“Don’t kill me,” said the mouse.

“Why not?” said the cat. “I’m very hungry, and I am going to kill you and eat.”

“First, tell me whether you’re always hungry, or only hungry today.”

“Oh, every day I am hungry.”

“Well then, I will find you always in meat; only let me go.”

“Do it now” 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, another day, the same mouse was caught 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 the mouse, reduced to such short food, grew so thin as to be nothing but skin and bone. The Bodhisatta asked the reason. Then the mouse told him all that had happened.

The Bodhisatta said, “Why didn’t you tell me all this before? Don’t worry. I will help you out of your troubles.” So he took a block of the purest crystal and scoped out a cavity in it and made the mouse get inside. He said, “Now stop there 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. The mouse said, “Go away Cat!; Why should I supply you? Go home and eat your kittens!” 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 cat died. All the other cats died like this. And from then onwards the grateful mouse brought the Bodhisatta two or three coins instead of one as before, and she thus gave him the whole of the treasure. In unbroken friendship the two lived together, till their lives ended and they passed away to fare according to their deserts.