The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
A house mouse once visited a relative living in the countryside. For lunch, the Field Mice served wheat stalks, tree roots and acorns, along with some cold water to drink. The House Mouse eats very sparingly, nibbling a little of this and a little of that, and by his behaviour, it is evident that he eats the food simply to be polite.
After the meal, the friends talked for a long time, or rather, the House Mouse spoke about his life in the city while the House Mouse listened. Then they went to bed in a cosy nest in the fence and slept in peace and comfort until morning. In her sleep, the Country Mouse dreamed that she was the House Mouse with all the luxuries and pleasures of city life that her friend had described to her. So the next day, when the House Mouse invited the Country Mouse to go home to the city, the House Mouse happily agreed.
When they arrived at the villa where the House Mouse lived, they found on the dining table the leftovers of a very luxurious party. There are candies and jellies, cakes, delicious cheeses, indeed the most delicious treats a Mouse can imagine. But just as the Country Mouse was about to sip a delicious cake, she heard the Cat meow loudly and scratch at the door. Too scared, the Rats rushed to the hiding place. They lay still for a long time, almost not daring to breathe. When they finally returned to the party, the door suddenly opened, and the servants entered to clear the table, followed by the House Dog.
The Country Mouse only stopped at the House Mouse’s hole momentarily to get his carpet bag and umbrella.
“You may have luxuries and luxuries that I don’t have,” she said as she hurriedly left, “but I like simple food and a simple life in the countryside with peace and security. Comes with it.”
