PEDRO DE SALAS
by Unknown · from Fábulas y cuentos en verso: Selección
Adapted Version
One day, City Mouse visited Country Mouse. Country Mouse smiled with joy. He welcomed his cousin inside. His home was small and warm. He shared seeds, crumbs, and green herbs. Country Mouse felt happy. He had little, but enough.
City Mouse looked at the plain meal. He spoke in a soft voice. "Dear cousin, you live simply." "Come with me tonight." "My palace has fine food." "It has big rooms too." Country Mouse listened with wide eyes.
Country Mouse felt curious and hopeful. He went with City Mouse. They walked by walls and floors. Soon they reached the great palace. "Stay close," said City Mouse. "Be quiet now." Country Mouse looked around in wonder. Everything seemed big and bright.
They came to a pantry room. Good smells filled the air. There was cheese on a shelf. There was bread and sweet fruit. Country Mouse ate and smiled. The food was rich and good. For a moment, he felt glad.
Then City Mouse showed more things. He found jars of red jam. He found cakes and sweet bits. "My home is big and rich," he said. Country Mouse looked and looked again. Still, the rooms did not feel calm.
Then a loud meow filled the house. Both mice froze at once. Their hearts jumped with fear. City Mouse shook. Country Mouse shook too. No one smiled then. The big palace felt scary now.
They ran fast across the floor. They looked for a safe hole. City Mouse hid first. Country Mouse hid too. Their small paws shook hard. They stayed still in the dark.
At last, Country Mouse found a way out. He stopped and looked back. "Sweet food is not worth fear," he said. "I want my quiet life," he said. He was safe now. His heart liked peace more. He did not want the palace.
So Country Mouse went back home. He ate seeds and green herbs. His small house felt quiet. His small meal felt good. He had a happy heart. A quiet home is best.
Original Story
PEDRO DE SALAS
Siglo XVII.
EL RATÓN DEL CAMPO Y EL CORTESANO[10]
A un ratón cortesano otro salvaje
dió rústico hospedaje. En parca mesa
su pobreza profesa; aunque arrastrados,
sus más ricos bocados le franquea:
desechos de la aldea, cualque orujo
y mijo allí le trujo. El mejor plato
fué un zatico mulato. El estadista
ratón, con grave vista, al campesino
dice: —¡Triste, mezquino, miserable!
¿Cómo te es tolerable aquesta vida?
Si tan lauta comida hay en la aldea,
a quien tal la desea bien le cuadre.
¡No más campo, compadre! Ven conmigo
y verás cuánto va de amigo a amigo.
Paso a paso por una y otra cueva
al palacio le lleva, y muy sin ruido
le previene al descuido que esté alerta
a todo són de puerta. Por estrados
ricamente alfombrados, cañas juegan,
saltan, retozan, bregan y ya hambrientos
entran con pasos lentos la despensa,
adonde, sin ofensa de enemigos,
en dos quesos amigos le sepulta.
De aquí por senda oculta le endereza
a su mayor riqueza, que atesora
una alacena. Agora entre conservas
le dice: —¿Vuestras hierbas, ermitaño,
daros han todo un año tan buen día?
Mirad la gloria mía. ¡Este es banquete
y no el vuestro, pobrete! Al mejor plato
oyen que maulla un gato, habla una puerta.
—¡Ay! ¡Nuestra muerte es cierta! —el cortesano
al ratón aldeano triste exclama.
Turbado se derrama cada uno
por su hueco oportuno. El ratoncillo
agreste halló un portillo a dicha rara,
y volviendo la cara hacia el palacio,
respirando despacio, dice: —¡Oh fuego
en tal desasosiego! Tus manjares
más dulces, rejalgares son. ¿Tus gustos
compras con tales sustos? ¿Muerte al ojo?
¡No más corte! Yo escojo en paz mis hierbas,
no en guerra tus conservas, con tal costa,
que tu ancha puerta angosta al temor viene,
y tu regalo mil venenos tiene.
(Afectos divinos. Valladolid, 1638.)
Story DNA
Moral
It is better to live a simple life in peace and safety than a luxurious one filled with constant fear and danger.
Plot Summary
A city mouse, visiting his country cousin, finds the rustic life miserable and invites the country mouse to experience the lavishness of the palace. The country mouse agrees and is led through the palace to a pantry and larder filled with abundant food, where the city mouse boasts of his superior life. Their feast is abruptly interrupted by the terrifying sounds of a cat and a creaking door, forcing both mice to flee in panic. The country mouse, having narrowly escaped, reflects on the experience and firmly chooses his simple, peaceful life over the dangerous, fear-filled luxuries of the city.
Themes
Emotional Arc
curiosity to fear to contentment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The 17th century in Spain was a period of significant literary output, including fables and moralistic tales often influenced by classical sources like Aesop, adapted to contemporary Spanish sensibilities.
Plot Beats (9)
- A city mouse visits his country cousin, who offers him a humble meal of scraps and millet.
- The city mouse expresses pity for his cousin's poor, miserable life and invites him to come live in the palace.
- The country mouse agrees and follows his cousin through various passages into the palace, being warned to stay alert.
- They arrive at a pantry, where they feast on two large cheeses without interruption.
- The city mouse then leads his cousin to a larder filled with preserves, boasting about his luxurious life compared to the country mouse's.
- Suddenly, they hear a cat's meow and a door creak, terrifying both mice.
- They scatter, each finding a hole to escape through.
- The country mouse finds a safe exit and, looking back at the palace, declares that the city's sweet delicacies are like poison when bought with such fear.
- He chooses his peaceful herbs over the dangerous preserves of the court, where wide doors feel narrow with fear and every pleasure holds a thousand poisons.
Characters
El Ratón Cortesano
A sleek, well-fed mouse, slightly larger and more robust than his country counterpart, with a glossy coat of fur indicative of a rich diet. His movements are quick and practiced, accustomed to navigating complex environments.
Attire: None, as he is a mouse, but his appearance suggests a life of ease and plenty.
Wants: To impress his country friend with his opulent lifestyle and convince him to abandon his simple life for the perceived grandeur of the court.
Flaw: Overconfidence and a lack of true understanding of peace and security. He is easily startled and lives in constant fear despite his wealth.
He does not change, remaining trapped by his fear and attachment to luxury, unable to comprehend the value of peace over plenty.
Proud, condescending, materialistic, and somewhat arrogant. He values luxury and comfort above all else, believing his urban life is superior.
El Ratón Salvaje (El Ratón Aldeano)
A lean, agile mouse with a slightly rougher coat, indicative of a life spent outdoors. He is smaller and perhaps a bit more wiry than his courtly cousin, but his movements are quick and efficient.
Attire: None, as he is a mouse, but his appearance suggests a life of simplicity and hardiness.
Wants: Initially, to enjoy the company of his cousin and perhaps experience a different way of life. Ultimately, to return to his peaceful, if less luxurious, existence.
Flaw: Initially susceptible to the allure of luxury and the persuasive arguments of his cousin.
He begins by being impressed by the court mouse's life but quickly learns that wealth comes at the cost of constant fear. He returns to his simple life with renewed appreciation and wisdom.
Humble, content, practical, and wise. He values peace and security over material wealth and is quick to learn from experience.
El Gato
A large, shadowy presence, primarily heard rather than seen. Its implied size and predatory nature are enough to instill terror in the mice.
Attire: None.
Wants: To hunt and catch mice.
Flaw: None apparent within the story's context.
Remains a constant, terrifying threat.
Predatory, silent, terrifying. It exists solely as a threat to the mice.
Locations
Country Mouse's Humble Dwelling
A simple, rustic dwelling, likely a burrow or a small, hidden nook within a rural setting, furnished sparsely.
Mood: Humble, peaceful, secure, simple
The Country Mouse offers his rustic hospitality and simple meal to the City Mouse, who finds it miserable.
The Palace Pantry
A richly stocked pantry within a grand 17th-century Spanish palace, filled with an abundance of fine foods.
Mood: Luxurious, abundant, but also tense and dangerous
The City Mouse leads the Country Mouse through the palace to the pantry, where they feast on rich foods but are constantly on alert for danger.