When intelligence of this reached the king of the mice, he addressed the fox, by way of learning his opinion; saying, “It cannot be anyways consistent with the institutes of dignity and com­mand to submit to these affronts; therefore, our wise resolve is taken to call together the commanders of our forces, and prepare in the best man­ner for this important undertaking. Having collected the requisites for warfare and defence, we will march to battle.” The vizier according in opinion with his majesty, an army so vast, that to count its numbers the most subtile arithmeticians confessed themselves incapable, soon surrounded the imperial throne. The whole plain of the country was covered with mice.

First of all, by direction of the vizier, it was resolved to undermine the treasury of the enemy, and carry off all his money. This was effected in a short time; so that nothing remained in the vaults of the prince of Geelaun, but torn bags and mouse-eaten chests; while the treasurers had not the least suspicion of the theft. This important object being happily attained, the king commanded his vizier to look out for some son of man graced with the jewels of ability, who might take upon him the further operations of the war, and raise an army of mortals for his majesty’s service.

By chance, a distressed soldier of for­tune, with his brethren and dependants, having left his home in search of employment, passed through the desart, where he beheld numbers of mice skip­ping about, and playing, with golden coins in their mouths. The officer, much distressed, and so poor that he would have let fly his arrow at the small morsel of a cat, longed by any means in his power to seize the money from the little ani­mals. Suddenly, a venerable mouse popping his head from his hole, addressed him, saying, “My lord, the spittle of ardent longing seems to flow from thy mouth. If thou desirest in spite of fortune to enjoy the goods of the world, and acquire much money, enter into our service, and at once be rich in silver and gold.”

The young captain, regarding the opportunity as most happy, now found his star fortunate. Through the medi­ation of the mouse, he was introduced to the whiskered monarch; who agreed to allow him a sum, far exceeding his hopes or deserts, for which he signed an immediate order on his secret treasures; and having conferred upon him the important station of generalissimo, recom­mended the utmost speed in levying forces, and collecting stores of war.

The officer immediately wrote to all his friends and comrades of his wonderful adventure, observing, that at a time when virtue and liberality had deserted from among mankind, encouragement and generous treatment were only to be found in the service of the king of mice, who possessed immense secret treasures and buried hoards of wealth. Basely-minded men, who are naturally the slaves of money, regarding the opportunity of acquiring it as most precious, now col­lected from all quarters; so that in a short time a great army was embodied, and all the requisites for offensive operations in readiness.

The king of the mice, attended by his motley host, turning the reins of expedition against the Prince of Geelaun, now marched from his subterraneous capital, and sounded the drums of valour in the field of war. The prince, whose ears till now were filled with the cotton of supineness, opened his eyes at the noise of the drums from the heavy, stupor of negligence, and having summoned his ministers and generals to an assembly of council, consulted with them on the extinction of the flames of disturbance, saying, “Though in this mansion of vicissitude strange events occur, yet such a ridiculous one as the present is very vexatious. To be engaged against a mouse is truly dishonouring. However, having considered well what is necessary to be done, let us form our plans.”

The council represented, that since the enemy had beaten the drums of war, there was no remedy but to light up the flames of battle. Upon which the prince, ordering out his troops, commanded his stores to be opened, and the sums necessary for warlike disbursements to be issued; but when the gates of his treasures were unfolded, the path of his hopes became obstructed, for, not a vestige of the stolen money remained. Remediless, having for the present satisfied his troops with promises, he marched from his capital, and planted the standard of war in opposition to his enemy’s on the field of battle.

When the golden mouse of heaven had descended into the cave of the west, the king of the mice commanded his body-guards to execute a secret expedition which he had committed to them. The army of mice, more numerous than swarms of pismires, or flights of locusts, having in the night entered the enemy’s camp, gnawed to pieces with their teeth the leathers of the stirrups, the reins of the bridles, the parchment of the drums, the bow-strings, and, in like manner, whatever they found made of leather or cloth. Having completely finished their designs, they returned triumphant to the camp of their sovereign; who, at this important crisis, drawing out his human allies in line of battle, marched at their head, and commanded them like heroes to display their valour.

The spies of the prince informed him of the motions of the enemy to surprise his camp; upon which he com­manded the heralds and generals to prepare the various divisions of the army, and make ready for battle. The troops, on hastening to form, were confounded at the damage done to their saddles and weapons, and panic-stricken at their forlorn condition. The bands of the sovereign mouse, regarding the confusion of the enemy as the forerunner of victory and success, charged with furious valour, and in an instant made whole squadrons a merciless sacrifice to their sharp sabres. The survivors regarding escape as most precious, measured the road of flight, and saved their lives by dishonour. The prince, with much difficulty and disgrace having escaped from the field, shut him­self up in his citadel; leaving all his effects, tents and royal equipage an offering to the plunder of the conquerors.

When the warrior of heaven, with golden scymetar, arose from the borders of the skies to subdue the world, the prince, out of humility having dispatched an ambassador, requested, that without the seizure of his country, he might be received under the shadow of protection: and the king of mice, notwithstanding his meanness of nature, agreeably to the axioms of the liberal, practising the laws of generosity and displaying magnanimity, sent back all the plunder, and said; “Our motive for kindling the flames of slaughter was not the conquest of your dominions, but restoration of our camel.”

The prince esteeming this demand as most auspicious, having caparisoned the camel in gorgeous housings, trap­pings set with jewels, and a silken mahar, dispatched him to the presence of the king of mice; and opening the doors of apology, made many excuses in order to obtain pardon of his faults, which was granted. The king of mice, hav­ing returned victorious and triumphant to his subterraneous capital, dismissed his human auxiliaries with satisfactory rewards; and the camel, as before the war, was allowed to forage at large in the wilderness, having the highest rank of nobility conferred upon him by his sovereign; who, from his unexpected success, exalted his head to the summit of the skies, and notwithstanding his short­ness of neck, from self opinion and pride, acted as if cats were not in existence.*

If the prince of Geelaun, at first not contemning the mouse, had prepared to eradicate the cause of quarrel and repel his enemy, by a very little attention, the blaze of disturbance might have been extinguished, and all this dis­grace and humiliation would not have happened to his fortunes. Had he chosen to quench the fire of enmity by the waters of conciliation, that depended only on a single camel; or if he had bent his attention properly to the destruction of his enemy, one cat would have effected the object. As he deviated from the maxims of the prudent, (who advise that an enemy should never be despised) and pursued the paths of negligence and self-conceit, he suffered the evil consequences of such conduct.

Thirdly, my prince, (continued the Sharok) never disclose thy secrets to a woman; that, like the merchant’s son, thou mayest not be involved in everlasting regret. The prince enquired the story of the merchant’s son, and the sharok related the following tale.