The Country Mouse and the Town Mouse

Once upon a time there were two mice. One lived in the country. One lived in the town. They were cousins though they lived far away from each other.

One day the town mouse visited the country mouse. The country mouse was very happy. He made his cousin an extra room under the flowering hedge where the country mouse lived. He made the floor with the softest grass and they both slept comfortably for hours. Then they got up and had a drink in the stream that bubbled nearby. In the night they ate from the field that had ripe pumpkins and corn stalks. They ran around a cottage garden and picked up crumbs that had been thrown outside, under the light of the moon.

After a few days, the town mouse said that he will return to the town.

“Oh, stay a few more days,” said the country mouse.

“Thank you,” said the town mouse. “But I have to go home. Your country lifestyle is very nice and all, but I miss the food in the town. I miss the cheese and the biscuits and the cake. I miss the grand halls and the lights, even though your grass is very comfortable and the stars are very peaceful. Please come and visit me. You will see what I mean. I can show you how good life can be!”

When the town mouse went away, country mouse looked around him and saw how poor he was. He saw his house had no shiny floors and no lights. Hmm – so he packed his bags and went to meet town mouse.

Town mouse was very happy to see him. He welcomed his country cousin to his home. His home was inside a grand mansion. The house had magnificent lights and shiny floors. There were tall pillars and grand paintings hung on the walls. Country mouse could see how poor his house was in the country.

In the evening, town mouse took country mouse to the table in the great hall. Ohhhh, there was such delicious food on that table! Country mouse had never seen anything like this before! There was wine and cake and tarts and cheese – and the two mice scampered from one end of the table to the other taking their fill of everything.

“Isn’t this better than the crumbs you get in the countryside?” asked town mouse proudly.

“Yes, indeed,” said the country mouse, his mouth full of cheese. “I have never had such tasty food in my life!”

Just then, a huge shadow loomed over them. Meow. It was a very large and angry cat.

“Jump!” shouted town mouse and they both leapt to the floor. They started running towards the hole in the wall, with the cat growling behind them. Just as they neared the hole, a screaming woman with a broom ran up to them. Oi! She hit them with the broom and since they were quick, the broom thudded on the floor, shaking the earth. Thwack thwack! They tumbled inside the hole, panting.

“Wasn’t that exciting?” town mouse asked. “I hope you had your fill. Even if the maid goes away, the cat will spend the whole night trying to get his paw in here.”

So the country mouse shivered in fright all night on his soft mattress inside the grand house – listening to the cat and not getting a wink of sleep all night.

Early next morning, he packed his bags. “Are you going already?” asked the town mouse. “There are so many exciting things to do and to show you in the town.”

“Thank you,” said the country mouse. “I have seen enough of your good life. Thank you very much for your hospitality.”

And with that, the country mouse took his bag and set off once more for the countryside.