The Heart of Oak Books (Book 2)

The Heart of Oak Books (Book 2)

The city mouse lives in a house the garden mouse lives in a bower he's friendly with the frogs and toads and sees the pretty plants in flower the city mouse eats bread and cheese the garden mouse eats what he can we will not grudge him seeds and stocks poor little timid furry man A field mouse had a friend who lived in a house in town. Now the town mouse was asked by the field mouse to dine with him, and out he went and sat down for a meal of corn and wheat. "Do you know my friend, said he "that you live a mere ant's life out here? Why I have all kinds of things at home; come, and enjoy them." So the two set off for town, and there the town mouse showed his beans and meal, his dates too, his cheese and fruit and honey. And as the field mouse ate, drank and was merry, he thought how rich his friend was and how poor he was. but as they ate, a man all at once opened the door and the mice were in such a fear that they ran into a crack. Then, when they would eat some nice figs, in came a maid to get a pot of honey or a bit of cheese, and when they saw her, they hid in a hole. Then the field mouse would eat no more, but said to the town mouse:"do as you like my good friend, eat all you want, have your fill of good things, but you are always in fear of your life. As for me, poor mouse, who have only corn and wheat. I will live on at home, in no fear of any one."

Charles Elliot Norton

Google Books

D. C. Heath and Company

1903

English

Verse

55

Pages 25-26