The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
by John Gay
Adapted Version
Pip is a country mouse. He lives in a field. It is quiet. Leo is a city mouse. He lives in a big house. Leo came to see Pip. Pip gave his friend food. He gave him seeds and bread. The house was very quiet.
Leo did not like the food. "This food is boring," he said. He looked around the small house. "Your house is too quiet." Leo wanted fun. He wanted excitement. "This is not fun," said Leo. He was not happy.
"Come to the city," said Leo. "The city is big and fun! The food is yummy." Leo was excited. "There is cake. There are cookies. There is so much cheese! Please come with me, Pip." Pip thought about the yummy food.
So the two mice went. They went to the big city. They ran and they ran. Soon they saw a big, big house. It was Leo’s home. It was very late. All the people were asleep. The house was dark and quiet now.
Leo took Pip to a room. There was a big table. "Look!" said Leo. "Look at all the food!" There was cake. There were cookies. There was yellow cheese. "Yum, yum, yum," said Leo. The mice began to eat.
Suddenly, there was a big noise. A big shadow came. It was a big, fluffy cat. The cat had green eyes. It looked at the mice. "Meow!" said the cat loudly. It looked very scary to the mice.
The two mice were very scared. "Run!" yelled Pip. "Run!" yelled Leo. They ran away fast. They ran from the big cat. They hid in a small hole. The hole was dark. Their hearts beat fast, fast, fast.
Pip was scared. "The city is scary," he said. "I want to go home. My home is small but safe. Goodbye, Leo." Pip ran home. He ate a small seed. It was quiet. 'My home is safe,' he said. He was happy. The end.
Original Story
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse.
*Æsop, Babrius, Horace, Prior, and Pope.*
Our friend Dan Prior had, you know, A tale exactly *à propos*; Name a town life—and, in a trice, He had a story of two mice.
Once on a time (so runs the fable) A country mouse—right hospitable— Received a town mouse at his board, Just as a farmer might a lord. A frugal mouse upon the whole, Yet loved his friend, and had a soul; Know what was handsome, and would do 't. On just occasion *coute qui coute*. He brought him bacon nothing lean, Pudding that might have pleased a Dean; Cheese, such as men of Suffolk make, But wished it Stilton for his sake. Yet to his guest by no means sparing, He munched himself the rind and paring. Our courtier scarce could touch a bit, But showed his breeding and his wit, And did his best to seem to eat— And said: "I vow you're mighty neat; But, my dear friend, this savage scene!— I pray you come and live with men. Consider mice, like men, must die; Then crop the rosy hours that fly."
The veriest hermit in the nation May yield, all know, to strong temptation: Away they went, through thick and thin, To a tall house near Lincoln's Inn. The moonbeam fell upon the wall, And tipped with silver roof and all,— Palladian walls, Venetian doors, Grotesco roofs and stucco floors; And, let it in one word be said, The moon was up—the men abed— The guests withdrawn had left, though late, When down the mice sat *tête à tête*.
Our courtier walks from dish to dish, And tastes of flesh, and fowl, and fish; Tells all their names, lays down the law, "*Que ça est bon! Ah, goutez ça!* That jelly's rich, this malmsey's healing, Pray dip your whiskers and your tail in!" Was ever such a happy swain— He stuffs, and sips, and stuffs again!
"I'm quite ashamed—'tis mighty rude To eat so much—all is so good." But as he spoke, bounce from the hall Rushed chaplain, butler, dogs, and all. Oh! for the heart of Homer's mice Or gods, to save them in a trice; It was by miracle they think, For Roman stucco has no chink.
"But, please your honour," said the peasant, "This same dessert is not so pleasant: Give me again my hollow tree, A crust of bread, and liberty!"
Moral of the Story
It is better to live a simple life in peace and security than a luxurious one filled with fear and danger.
Characters
The Country Mouse ★ protagonist
A small, sturdy field mouse, slightly stockier than his town counterpart, with a coat of earthy brown fur, well-muscled from a life of foraging. His whiskers are a bit disheveled, and his paws show signs of honest toil.
Attire: None, as he is an animal, but his fur is often described as slightly dusty or earthy, reflecting his rural environment.
Wants: To live a peaceful, self-sufficient life, free from danger and excess. He wants to enjoy simple pleasures and maintain his independence.
Flaw: Easily swayed by the allure of a more luxurious life, even if it comes with hidden dangers. He is initially naive about the true cost of urban living.
He is tempted by the lavish lifestyle of the town but quickly learns that it comes at too high a price, ultimately reaffirming his preference for his simple, free country life.
Hospitable, frugal, content, practical, and honest. He values simplicity and freedom over luxury.
The Town Mouse ◆ supporting
A sleek, somewhat slender house mouse with a coat of sophisticated grey fur, well-groomed and perhaps a bit pampered. His movements are quick and refined, indicative of a life in more elegant surroundings.
Attire: None, as he is an animal, but his fur is always clean and well-maintained, reflecting his urban environment.
Wants: To live a life of comfort, abundance, and excitement, enjoying the finest things without effort. He wants to impress others and maintain his elevated status.
Flaw: Overly focused on superficial pleasures and status, blind to the inherent dangers and lack of true peace in his lavish lifestyle. He is easily frightened by real threats.
He attempts to convert his country friend to his luxurious but dangerous lifestyle, only to inadvertently prove the country mouse's point about the value of peace and freedom.
Sophisticated, witty, somewhat snobbish, persuasive, and pleasure-seeking. He values luxury and social standing.
Locations
Country Mouse's Humble Dwelling
A simple, rustic dwelling, likely a burrow or a small space within a natural setting, where the Country Mouse lives. It is clean and neat, but furnished with very basic, natural provisions.
Mood: Hospitable, humble, peaceful, secure, simple.
The Country Mouse hosts the Town Mouse, offering a frugal but heartfelt meal, and the Town Mouse expresses disdain for the 'savage scene'.
Grand House near Lincoln's Inn, London
A tall, imposing London townhouse with Palladian walls, Venetian doors, grotesco roofs, and stucco floors, indicative of 18th-century English aristocratic architecture. The interior is opulent, filled with the remnants of a grand feast.
Mood: Luxurious, initially exciting and abundant, then suddenly terrifying and chaotic.
The mice arrive and feast on the leftovers of a human dinner, only to be interrupted by the sudden return of the house's inhabitants and their dogs, leading to a terrifying escape.
Story DNA
Moral
It is better to live a simple life in peace and security than a luxurious one filled with fear and danger.
Plot Summary
A hospitable Country Mouse entertains his sophisticated Town Mouse friend with simple fare. Unimpressed, the Town Mouse persuades his friend to join him in the city for a life of luxury. They feast on rich leftovers in a grand house, but their meal is violently interrupted by humans and dogs, forcing them to flee in terror. Shaken by the experience, the Country Mouse declares his preference for his humble, safe country life and freedom over the dangerous allure of city luxury.
Themes
Emotional Arc
curiosity to fear to relief
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
John Gay's version is a poetic adaptation of an ancient fable, often attributed to Aesop, reflecting 18th-century English literary and social conventions.
Plot Beats (8)
- The Country Mouse hosts the Town Mouse, offering simple but hearty food.
- The Town Mouse finds the country food unappealing and the setting uncivilized.
- The Town Mouse convinces the Country Mouse to come live with him in the city, promising a better life.
- They journey to a grand house in the city after the human residents have gone to bed.
- The Town Mouse proudly shows off a lavish spread of food, and they begin to feast.
- Suddenly, the feast is interrupted by the arrival of humans, dogs, and servants, causing chaos.
- The mice barely escape with their lives, hiding in terror.
- The Country Mouse, shaken by the experience, expresses his desire to return to his peaceful, if humble, country home and freedom.
