This is a tale from Vietnam, where a mandarin was an official appointed by the Emperor to collect taxes and settle disputes on his behalf.

There once lived a mandarin who was known to be very honest and upright. He never took bribes and was very popular with the people of his town. When he retired from service, the grateful townspeople wanted to honour him with a gift worthy of his great virtues.

Feeling bad to ask him directly, they approached his wife and asked her what she thought would please her husband.

She said, "I think a small curio would be the right thing."

"A wonderful idea!" they said and asked her in which year the mandarin was born.

"In the Year of the Mouse! Why?"

"We think we shall offer him a silver mouse, as large as life."

The mandarin's wife accepted the gift but did not tell her husband anything.

After a few years, the mandarin fell on difficult times. His wife broke the silver mouse in tiny bits which she sold to meet the family's needs. Discovering this, the mandarin asked his wife where the silver mouse came from.

Trembling, she told him the truth, expecting a righteous outburst of anger. But he simply sighed. "My poor darling, you should have told them I was born in the year of the Buffalo, as would any mandarin worthy of the name!"