After telling the story of Shandili, Brihatsphika turned again to Tamrachuda. “No ordinary mouse could leap to the height of your alms bowl,” he said. “If my judgment is right, its burrow stands above hidden wealth. Let us find its dwelling.” At daybreak Tamrachuda brought a spade, and the two ascetics followed the marks that led away from the Shiva shrine. When they reached the entrance to my burrow, Brihatsphika pointed to the ground and said, “Dig here.”

Tamrachuda began removing the earth while Brihatsphika watched. Before long, the spade struck something hard beneath the soil. They cleared the place and uncovered the treasure that had lain hidden below my burrow for many years. Tamrachuda looked at the wealth in wonder. “You judged correctly,” he said. “Now I understand how the mouse reached the bowl, though I hung it so high.” Brihatsphika replied, “Unusual strength seldom appears without a cause.” They gathered the treasure and carried it away.

I knew nothing of what had happened. When night came, I left my burrow as usual and went with the other mice to the shrine. The alms bowl hung from the wall peg in the same place as before. I prepared to leap, certain that I would reach it as I had on every other night. But I rose only a little way and fell back to the floor. Thinking I had misjudged the leap, I tried again. The second attempt also failed. I moved back, gathered myself, and sprang once more, but the bowl remained beyond my reach. The mice who had followed me waited for the food I had always brought down, yet I could give them nothing.

Tamrachuda had been watching from his place in the shrine. He turned to Brihatsphika and said, “The mouse can no longer leap as before.” Brihatsphika answered, “The wealth beneath its dwelling has been removed. The strength that came from it has gone as well.” Hearing those words, I understood that they had found my treasure. Still unwilling to accept the change, I made several more attempts. Each time I fell short. At last I returned to my burrow with the other mice.

While the treasure remained beneath my dwelling, the mice gathered around me and accepted me as their chief. Once my strength was gone, they gradually left me and began to follow another mouse. Day by day their number grew smaller, until the burrow that had once been crowded became quiet. I looked upon the empty place where the treasure had been and knew that I could no longer remain there.

I left my old dwelling and sought another place to live. In time I came to the forest where I met Laghupatanaka. Through him I came to know Mandharaka, and afterwards Chitranga. Thus I came to live among you.”

While the treasure remained beneath Hiranyaka’s burrow, the other mice gathered around him and depended upon his strength. When the treasure was gone, they departed as well. Wealth may win followers for a time, but only adversity reveals who remains.