The Country Mouse and the City Mouse

In the Country

The Country Mouse lives in the country. One day her friend comes to see her. Her friend lives in the city.

The Country Mouse is glad to see the City Mouse and says, "Let us have dinner together."

"Thank you," says the City Mouse.

And she takes off her hat and coat and helps to put the dinner things on the table.

When dinner is ready, the City Mouse looks at the corn and says to herself, "What a funny dinner!" "Not a bit of cake or cheese."

"Come to my house," says the City Mouse. "I have cheese every day for dinner."

"Thank you very much," says the Country Mouse. "I can come with you."

So the two mice go to the city.

In the City

When the mice get to the city house, they are very hungry.

"Come to the kitchen," says the City Mouse. "There are many good things to eat there."

So the two mice run to the kitchen.

"There is a cake here," says the City Mouse. "I must find it."

She looks around until she finds the cake.

"Here it is," says the City Mouse. "It is a very good cake."

They are just going to eat it when they hear a noise in the kitchen.

"What is that?" asks the Country Mouse.

"That is the Cat," says the City Mouse. "We must run." When they are safe,

The Country Mouse asks, "Why must we run from the Cat?"

"Never stay in the kitchen when the Cat comes," says the City Mouse. "She likes to eat mice, and she may eat you up. Let us go to the pantry and find some apples. I like apples very much."

I Want to Go Home

The two mice go to the pantry.

"What a lot of apples!" says the Country Mouse. "And here is a big pot of soup. Do you smell cheese?"

"Yes, I do," says the City Mouse, "but we must not eat it. It is in a trap."

"What is a trap?" asks the Country Mouse.

The City Mouse shows her the trap.

"Do you see the cheese in it?" says the City Mouse. "But if you eat the cheese, something comes down on your head and kills you."

The Country Mouse looks at the trap.

"I want to go home," she says. "I don't like your house. There is a Cat in the kitchen, and there is a trap in the pantry. I like my corn, and I do not like your cake and apples."