Once upon a time there lived a mouse. It occurred to her to get married. She was very proud, and therefore all the mouse girls seemed unworthy to her. She was looking for a wife for the daughter of someone stronger than anyone in the world.
Therefore, she went to the month about which they said that there was no one stronger than him in the world.
- Month! - she told him. “I’m looking for the daughter of the strongest man in the world as my wife.” They say on earth that no one is stronger than you, and I would like to become related to you.
“Yes,” the month answered her, “I am strong, there are no words, and there is no such place, such a nook on earth, where my light would not penetrate when I walk across the sky at night.” But in the morning the sun rises, and my light begins to gradually dim and finally disappears completely. Only in the evening, when the sun sets and its light stops pouring onto the earth, does the power return to me again and I again illuminate the vast earth. No, mouse, the sun will be stronger than me: go to it!
The mouse went to the sun.
“Sun,” she turned to him, “I am looking for the daughter of the strongest in the world as my wife.” There are rumors that you are the strongest in the world. Won't you give your daughter to me?
“It is true that I am strong and powerful,” answered the sun, “and when I rise in the morning, the darkness of the night dissipates without a trace.” The stars and the month itself do not dare to shine in front of me; their light on earth fades before my light, and at that time they are not visible from the earth. But there is someone stronger than me. This is the cloud that obscures my light, blocks the earth from me. So go to the cloud.
The mouse went to the cloud and made his proposal. The cloud thought and said:
“The sun says rightly: its light is strong, and the stars and the month fade before it, but it cannot shine on the earth when I cover the sky with a large carpet, and then it cannot be seen.” But I can’t resist the wind either. When it blows and gets going, it tears me to shreds and scatters me across the sky... No, the wind is stronger than me!
The mouse went to the wind. But the wind did not recognize itself as the strongest.
“It’s true,” he said, “I am strong and with one breath I destroy the cloud.” But there will be someone stronger than me. Here are the bulls in the arable land: even if there are only a couple of them, I can’t do anything to them. They walk calmly and calmly along the strip, as if they don’t feel me. They will be stronger than me.
The mouse turned to the bulls. The bulls told her:
“We are strong, there are no words, but sometimes the plow overpowers us when it suddenly gets caught on something in the ground.” And even when the owner harnesses four more pairs to us, even then we cannot do anything. The plow is stronger than us.
The mouse went to the plow. The plow told her:
“It’s true, I’m strong and I cut damp earth without any difficulty.” But there is one root that often stops me; I can’t cut it. Therefore, mouse, go to him, he is much stronger than me.
The mouse had to turn to the root.
“Yes, I am strong,” answered the root, “and the plow cannot cut me off again.” But a mouse, even the smallest one, gnaws at me very easily. So the mice will be stronger than me.
- Yeah! - the mouse then exclaimed. - So, that means there is no one stronger than us mice!
And she married a simple mouse.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru