You go find the man your father had chosen for you. "Will you marry me, Man?" you ask. The man [[says yes->manwedding]].You go ask your human parents who would be the strongest husband of all.
Your mother says, "We worship the sun. He is very strong." Your father agrees. "The sun might make a good husband!"
So you begin your journey with a [[visit to the sun->sunvisit]].So you start to plan your wedding to the sun. As you sit next to the sun, you realize he is very hot. So hot that it makes you feel uncomfortable.
"Are you always this hot?" you ask him.
"I am!" he says proudly.
You are so grateful when a cloud passes over the sun. It is cool in the shade. And the sun is just so hot!
You realize that this is not going to work out. Perhaps you should [[marry the mouse->mousenothuman]] that your mother had chosen for you. Or maybe you should [[go visit the cloud->cloudvisit]] after all.You go visit the cloud."O Cloud," you say, "I have heard you are very strong. I have even heard that you are stronger than the sun."
The cloud smiles and says, "I am."
"So will you marry me?" you ask.
"I will!" he replies. "But first, [[I have to tell you something->cloudconfesses]].So you start to plan your wedding to the cloud. You sit next to the cloud, but he won't stay still. You follow him here and there. The wind really does keep moving him around!
"Can't you stay still?" you ask him.
"Not while the wind is blowing," he says sadly.
You realize that this is not going to work out. Perhaps you should [[marry the mouse->mousenothuman]] that your mother had chosen for you. Or maybe you should [[go visit the wind->windvisit]] after all.You go visit the wall. "O Wall," you say, "I have heard you are very strong. "I have even heard that you are stronger than the wind, who is stronger than the cloud, who is stronger than the sun."
The wall smiles and says, "I am so strong!"
"And will you marry me?" you ask.
"I will!" he replies. "But you need to know that there is someone even stronger than I am: the mouse."
You cannot believe it. You [[ask the wall to explain->surprise]].Back home, you find the mouse that your mother had chosen for you. You explain that you want the strongest husband of all. The sun is strong; the cloud is stronger than the sun; the wind is stronger than the cloud; the wall is stronger than the wind. But the mouse is the strongest of all.
"Will you marry me, Mouse?" you ask.
"Gladly," says the mouse. "But first, [[I have to tell you something->confession]]."You agree that the cat is strong, but also dangerous. So, you are not going to go visit the cat. Instead, you want to marry the mouse.
"O Mouse," you say, "will you marry me?"
"I will," says the mouse.
So now it is time to [[plan your wedding->mousewedding]].You go to the cat and explain, "I'm looking for a husband. I met the sun and cloud and wind and wall and mouse, each stronger than the last. But now I hear that you are the strongest of them all. Is it true, O Cat?"
"It is true!" says the cat proudly. "I am the strongest of them all. And I will be glad to marry you."
Will you [[marry the cat->cathusband]] or [[return to the mouse->mouseaftercat]]?You decide to marry the cat because he is the strongest after all. You and the cat plan a big wedding. All the cats are going to come! And all the mice too!
The big day arrives. You have a big weding feast. But when the food runs out, the cats start eating the mice. All the mice. Including you.
Oh no! That did not end well: maybe [[in your next lifetime->mousenest2]] things will turn out differently.You go back to the mouse and explain. "The cat was very strong, but I was afraid of him. I want to marry you instead. O Mouse, will you marry me?"
"I will," says the mouse.
Now it is time to plan the wedding. You are going to invite all your animal friends. But what about the cat?
On the one hand, you do not feel safe around the cat.
On the other hand, you not want to make him angry by not inviting him.
So, will you [[invite the cat to the wedding->catinvite]] or [[leave him off the guest list->catnoinvite2]]?You are reborn as a mouse. A tiny girl-mouse. Your mouse-mother takes good care of you. You are growing up, getting bigger and bigger every day. It is time for you to go outside on your own. You scurry along when, all of a sudden ... a hawk swoops down. You scream as [[he picks you up and carries you away->hawks]].The cat comes to the wedding and eats all the mice. Including you. And your husband.
Oh no! That did not end well: maybe [[in your next lifetime->mousenest2]] things will turn out differently.Congratulations! The cat just sleeps through the wedding. You and all your friends have a wonderful time. And then you and your mouse-husband live happily ever after.
In your next lifetimes, you are both reborn as students at the University of Oklahoma. Maybe you will meet there again...The cat comes to the wedding anyway. He is very angry that you refused him! He eats all the mice. Including you. And your husband.
Oh no! That did not end well: maybe [[in your next lifetime->mousenest2]] things will turn out differently.The time comes to find you a husband.
"She should marry a mouse," says your mother.
"No," says your father. "She should marry a man."
So, your father brings home a man for you to marry. And your mother has found a very nice mouse. You are not sure [[what to do->doubts]].A kindly man finds you. He has no children of his own. So, he decides to take you home. He is going to adopt you. He and his wife [[raise you as their own child->arranged]].You have been born as a mouse. A tiny girl-mouse. Your mouse-mother takes good care of you. You are growing up, getting bigger and bigger every day. Now it is time for you to go outside on your own. You scurry through the grass. Times goes by. Oh no! You are lost! You [[scurry left]]...A kindly woman finds you. She has no children of her own. So, she decides to take you home. The woman and her husband adopt you, and they [[raise you as their own child->arranged]].But then another hawk flies up. He is bigger than the first hawk.
"Drop that mouse!" he screams.
You recognize that voice: it is your mouse-husband, reborn as a hawk. He really did love you...
Afraid of the larger hawk, the first hawk drops you. Then both birds fly away. You are left [[all alone->alone]].And you [[scurry right]]...You go around and around. But you cannot find your way home. And then, just when [[you are about to give up hope->adoption1]]...On the one hand, this human husband seems very nice. And very strong.
On the other hand, you are a mouse. And this mouse husband seems very nice. But is he strong? Would a mouse be strong enough to take care of you?
But wait... maybe there is [[another option->doubts2]].You go find the mouse your mother had chosen for you.
"O Mouse," you say, "will you marry me?"
"I will," says the mouse.
So now it is time to [[plan your wedding->mousewedding]].You go visit the sun. "O Sun," you say, "I have heard you are very strong."
The sun smiles and says, "I am."
"Will you marry me?" you ask.
"I will!" he replies. "But first, I have to [[tell you something->sunconfesses]].You go visit the wind. "O Wind," you say, "I have heard you are very strong. I have even heard that you are stronger than the cloud, who is stronger than the sun."
The wind smiles and says, "I am very strong."
"So will you marry me?" you ask.
"I will!" he replies. "But first, [[I have to tell you something->windconfesses]]."You and the wind make your wedding plans. And then you begin to plan your honeymoon.
"Let's go to Italy!" you say.
"I can't," he says. "A wall will stop me before I get there."
"Then let's go to Jamaica!"
"I can't," he says. "A wall will stop me before I get there."
You realize that this is not going to work out. Perhaps you should [[marry the mouse->mousenothuman]] that your mother had chosen for you. Or maybe you should [[go visit the wall->wallvisit]] after all."The mouse is much stronger than I am," the wall explains."He gnaws and nibbles, and builds tunnels beneath me. Sooner or later I will fall, and it's all because of that mouse."
You never expected this. The mouse is the strongest of all! You are ready to go back home and [[marry that mouse->mousevisit]]."The cat is even stronger than I am!"
Now you are really confused. You know about the cat. The cat is ... dangerous. But you said you wanted the strongest husband of all.
Will you [[marry the mouse->mousenotcat]] or [[journey onwards to the cat->catvisit]]?You are definitely going to invite all your mouse friends, plus the other animals too. You make a long list of all the animals you want to invite. But what about the cat?
On the one hand, if you invite the cat, well, he might come. And the cat is dangerous.
On the other hand, if you do not invite the cat, he might come anyway, and he might be angry because you didn't invite him.
So, will you [[invite the cat to the wedding->catinvite]] or [[leave him off the guest list->catnoinvite]]?Maybe there is a husband who would be strongest of all! Stronger than a mouse! Stronger than a human!
You think about your options:
Will you [[marry the human husband->humanhusband]]?
Or will you [[marry the mouse husband->mousenothuman]]?
Or will you [[seek the strongest husband of all->journey]]?Then you start to plan the wedding. You want to invite all your mice friends, but the man refuses to let them come. "I like you," he says. "You're nice. Really. But as a general rule, well, I don't like mice."
You realize that this is not going to work out.
You could [[marry the mouse->mousenothuman]] instead.
Or perhaps you should [[go look for the strongest husband of all->journey]].You scurry left, and you scurry right. You cannot find your way home. And then, just when [[you are about to give up hope->adoption2]]..."I am strong, but there is someone who is stronger than I am: the cloud. When the cloud comes out, I disappear. The cloud is stronger than I am."
So, the sun is strong, but he is not the strongest of all.
Will you [[marry the sun->sunhusband]] anyway, or [[journey onwards to the cloud->cloudvisit]]?"I am very strong, but there is someone even stronger than I am: the wind. When the wind blows, I have to go where he tells me. The wind is stronger than I am."
So, the cloud is very strong, but he is not the strongest of all. Will you [[marry the cloud->cloudhusband]] anyway, or [[journey onwards to the wind->windvisit]]?"I am very, very strong, but there is someone even stronger than I am: the wall. When I run into the wall, I cannot go any farther. The wall is stronger than I am."
So, the wind is very, very strong, but he is not the strongest of all. Will you [[marry the wind->windhusband]] anyway, or [[journey onwards to the wall->wallvisit]]?
↶↷You have been born as a mouse. A tiny girl-mouse. Your mouse-mother takes good care of you. You are growing up, getting bigger and bigger every day. Now it is time for you to go outside on your own. You scurry through the grass. Times goes by. Oh no! You are lost! You scurry left...