A COUNTRY MOUSE invited a Town Mouse, an intimate friend, to pay him a visit and partake of his country fare. As they were on the bare plowlands, eating there wheat-stocks and roots pulled up from the hedgerow, the Town Mouse said to his friend, “You live here the life of the ants, while in my house is the horn of plenty. I am surrounded by every luxury, and if you will come with me, as I wish you would, you shall have an ample share of my dainties.” The Country Mouse was easily persuaded, and returned to town with his friend. On his arrival, the Town Mouse placed before him bread, barley, beans, dried figs, honey, raisins, and, last of all, brought a dainty piece of cheese from a basket. The Country Mouse, being much delighted at the sight of such good cheer, expressed his satisfaction in warm terms and lamented his own hard fate. Just as they were beginning to eat, someone opened the door, and they both ran off squeaking, as fast as they could, to a hole so narrow that two could only find room in it by squeezing. They had scarcely begun their repast again when someone else entered to take something out of a cupboard, whereupon the two Mice, more frightened than before, ran away and hid themselves. At last the Country Mouse, almost famished, said to his friend: “Although you have prepared for me so dainty a feast, I must leave you to enjoy it by yourself. It is surrounded by too many dangers to please me. I prefer my bare plowlands and roots from the hedgerow, where I can live in safety, and without fear.”
田舎のネズミが、親友の町のネズミを招いて、田舎のごちそうをふるまうことにした。二匹がむき出しの畑で、麦の茎や生け垣から引き抜いた根っこを食べていると、町のネズミが友だちに言った。「きみはここで、まるでアリのような暮らしをしているんだね。ぼくの家には、なんでもあふれるほどあるよ。ありとあらゆるぜいたくな物に囲まれているんだ。もしぼくといっしょに来てくれたら――ぜひそうしてほしいんだが――ごちそうをたっぷり分けてあげるよ。」田舎のネズミはすぐにその気になり、友だちといっしょに町へ行った。着くと、町のネズミは、パン、大麦、豆、干しイチジク、はちみつ、干しブドウを並べ、最後にかごからおいしそうなチーズをひと切れ持ってきた。田舎のネズミは、こんなごちそうを見て大喜びし、心から満足を伝えて、自分のみじめな暮らしを嘆いた。ところが、二匹が食べ始めたちょうどそのとき、だれかが戸を開けたので、二匹はチューチュー鳴きながら、全速力で穴へ逃げこんだ。その穴はとても狭くて、二匹がぎゅうぎゅうに体を押しこんで、やっと入れるほどだった。また食事を始めたかと思うと、今度は別のだれかが戸棚から何かを取り出しに入ってきた。二匹のネズミは前よりもっとおびえて、逃げて身を隠した。とうとう、腹ぺこで死にそうになった田舎のネズミは、友だちに言った。「こんなにおいしいごちそうを用意してくれたけれど、悪いが、きみひとりで楽しんでくれたまえ。危険が多すぎて、ぼくにはとても楽しめないよ。ぼくは、むき出しの畑と生け垣の根っこのほうがいい。あそこなら、安全に、こわい思いもしないで暮らせるからね。」