A person of the state of Yue was deeply troubled by the mice loved in a pitcher and let the opening uncovered. Purposely he allowed the mice to eat the grains in it as possible, and would not intervene them at all.

After getting the benefit, the mice came in gangs to climb in the pitcher and feasted themselves with the grains inside, and then went back to their holes happily. Thinking that it is the right time, the Yue person replaced the grains with water, and placed some chaff on the surface of the water. During the night, the mice came in groups again excitedly and were not alert at all. They entered the pitcher orderly and none of them came out alive.

一個越國人被家中的老鼠弄得苦不堪言，便把老鼠最喜歡的谷子放在瓦罐里面。罐口也不蓋嚴，故意讓老鼠盡情地吃，一點兒也不干涉它們。

老鼠嘗到了甜頭，便呼朋招友成群結隊地趕來。鉆進去大吃特吃，吃飽后高高興興地回洞。越國人估計時機已到，便將瓦罐里的谷子換成水，在上面淺淺覆蓋一層谷糠，興沖沖跑來的老鼠一點兒也沒有一個提防，在夜里成群結隊地再次光臨，它們次序井然地進入瓦罐里面，結果一只也沒有活著出來。