A city mouse and a country mouse were distant relatives. The country mouse wrote a letter to the city mouse. "How are you, my city cousin? Come visit us sometime." The city mouse in his best suit visited the country mouse.

"Welcome. Please help yourself before you leave." The country mouse prepared rice, beans and dried fruit. The city mouse laughed at the food and said,

"Gosh! You invited me over to give me this kind of food? You should come visit me. I will treat you to delicious food." The city mouse bragged¹ about the city where he was living to the country mouse.

"Thank you for inviting² me. I will come over for sure." Thinking about his trip to the city, the country mouse was too excited to sleep. 'At last, I'm going to the city tomorrow.'

Delighted, the country mouse came to the city mouse's house. "Knock, knock." "Anybody home?" "Oh, welcome!" greeted the city mouse cheerfully³. The city mouse showed the country mouse all over his house.

The country mouse was surprised how grand the house was. "The house is really big. Magnificent⁴! I am so proud that you are my relative." "Don't mention it." The city mouse was pleased.

The city mouse led the country mouse to the kitchen. When they climbed up the table, there were a large piece of bread, fruit and cheese on it. "Well, help yourself. I have food like this everyday." "Wow! They look delicious. I envy you."

The country mouse began eating the tasty cheese. It was right then that the kitchen door opened with a bang⁵ and a man came in. The city mouse dragged the country mouse and ran away helter-skelter.

Breathing heavily after hiding in the mouse-hole, the city mouse said, "Hugh! That was close." The country mouse was unable to understand the city mouse's behavior. However, on the next day and the following day, the same thing happened.

After a few days, the country mouse said to the city mouse, "I should go back to my house in the country. Even if I eat nothing but beans, I can live peacefully. Why don't you come with me to the country? It would be better than living here nervously⁶ like this."

The city mouse was so embarrassed that he could not do anything. The country mouse came back home and never went back to the city.