The Town Mouse and The Country Mouse
The town mouse and the country mouse
were cousins. They often wrote to each other. One day, the country mouse got
this letter from his cousin.
Kitchen
Cupboard,
Mouse Town,
11 March 2012.
Dear Cousin,
I
have been ill with a cough and my doctor feels I need a holiday. He has asked
me to spend a week in the countryside. May I stay with you? Please give me an
early reply.
With
warm regards,
Yours
affectionately,
Town
Mouse
To
Country Mouse,
The Mouse Hole,
Receiving the invitation from the country mouse, the
town mouse packed his bags and caught the next train to the countryside. The
day was bright and sunny and soon the town mouse began to feel hot in the train.
“I wish there was an air-conditioned coach” he said to
himself. I feel very uncomfortable here”.
However, there was nothing he could do about it. So,
he grumbled to himself while the train chugged slowly into the country. The
country mouse was waiting at the station.
“Oh, cousin,” the town mouse said as he got off the
train. “The train was dreadful, I feel terribly hot and thirsty. I hope you
have something ice-cold for me to drink at home.
“Well, I have some water, “said the country
mouse. “But I can look around for some
coconut water if you like.”
“Coconut water? Asked the town mouse in horror. “Don’t
you have any orange juice or lemonade?”
“I am afraid not,” replied his cousin, “But I found a
very nice piece of root today and a tender bit of sugar-cane. I’m sure you will
enjoy that.”
“Root? Sugar-cane?” the town mouse exclaimed. “But I
don’t eat raw food like that.”
The country mouse said, “This is what we eat in the
country. So I’m afraid you too have to eat this. Try it. It’s not bad.
The town mouse did not enjoy his dinner at all. He
nibbled at the root and the sugar cane and then said he wanted to sleep. The
country mouse showed a corner in the mouse hole and said,” There you are; you
can sleep there.”
“On the ground?” asked the town mouse, “Do I have to
sleet on the ground?”
“Yes, this is how we sleep in the country,” his cousin
answered.
As the town mouse lay down on the hard, cold ground,
he suddenly thought of something, “Cousin, “he called out.
‘Yes, what is it?” the country mouse asked.
“Why is it so quiet here? Where are all the cars and
Lorries? Where are the radios and the televisions? Where are the lights?”
“This is how it is in the country,” his cousin
replied. “It’s always quiet in the country, Sometimes it is quieter than today.
My grandfather says that our village is quietest among all the villages in our
district.” “Oh! Is it? The country is a strange place, “said the town mouse.
But he said to himself. “I don’t think I like this place.”
Next morning, the town mouse found that there was no
breakfast ready, His cousin told him that they had to go to the nearby farm to
search for food.
“We are sure to find something there. “he said.” A
nice piece of root or a tender bit of sugar-cane.”
But the town mouse had enough, “Thank you cousin,” he
said. “But I think I’ll catch the next train home. I have suddenly remembered
that I have forgotten something.”
A few days later, the country mouse wrote to his
cousin, the town mouse, here is the letter.
Mouse
Hole,
Mouse
Country,
22
March 2012.
My dear Cousin,
I
hope you are well. I am worried about you. I would like to visit you and make
sure you are alright.
With
love,
Your
cousin,
Country
Mouse.
To
Town Mouse,
Kitchen Cupboard,
The town mouse received the letter and read it. Since
he was in a hurry, he sent a telegram to the country mouse. Here is his
telegram.
OVERJOYED(.)COME SOON(.)
TOWN MOUSE
A few days later, the country mouse arrived in the
town. He was surprised by the noise and the lights.
“Why are there lights even in the middle of the night?
“ he asked.
“This is the town,” his cousin replied. “Here there
are lights even in the middle of the day.”
“And what is this dreadful noise that never stops?”
asked the country mouse.
“That is the traffic, “the Town Mouse replied. “That
is the noise made by Buses, Lorries, Cars and Aeroplanes.”
But the country mouse did not like it at all. “All
this noise has made head ache, “he said. “ Could I have some water to drink?”
“Why only water?” said the town mouse, “Look at what
there is for you – ice cold lemonade, orange juice… which one do you want?”
‘Just some water,” answered the country mouse. “Some
water and a little bit of food.”
“I have plenty of food, cousin,” said the town mouse
proudly. “You can eat as much as you like.”
Sure enough, the house of the town mouse at the back
of a kitchen cupboard was full of the most delicious food.
There was bread and jam, different kinds of fruits, slabs
of chocolate and a huge piece of lovely cheese.
“Eat, cousin, eat,” said the town mouse. But just
then, there was a sound like a thunder and the town mouse shouted.” Run,
cousin, run, run.”
The town mouse pushed the country mouse out through a
hole in the back of the cupboard. The town mouse felt his heart beating very
fast, “ But what is it?” he asked.
“Sssh….” Whispered the town mouse. “Wait.”
When everything was silent again, the town mouse crept
out of the hole. He was quite cheerful again.
“Come out now, cousin,” he said. That was only
somebody opening the cupboard door. We are safe now.”
But they were not safe for very long. Twice more, they
had to run for safety when somebody opened the cupboard door.
The country mouse got quite tired of running and
hiding. “ I want to go back to the country,” he said. “We may not get much food
there, but at least we can eat in peace.”
So, the next day, the country mouse went back to his
house in the country and the town mouse
stayed on in his cupboard in the town. And as far as I know, they did
not visit each other again.
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