The Revolt of the Mice
The war of the Mice against the Cats in East Asia
The tale of the war of the mice against the cat has a history of several thousands of years. First known from ancient
Egypt, it was wide-spread in Classical antiquity, would remain popular in the Near East until modern times, and also was widely known in
Europe in medieval and early modern times in paintings, prints, songs, and mock-epics. In China the most popular tale on the antagonism of
mice and cats was the tale of their underworld court case. Starting from the first half of the nineteenth century, some versions of that
tale also include an account of the war between the two species. Only one stand-alone treatment of the theme is known from an edition of the
1920s. In Japan the theme of the war of the mice against the cats also makes its first appearance in print in the first half of the
nineteenth century. No direct foreign influence can be discerned in the emergence of this theme in either country.