As they were on the bare plowlands, eating their wheat-stocks and roots pulled up from a row of bushes, the City Mouse said to his friend,
On his arrival, the City Mouse placed before him bread, barley, beans, dried figs, honey, raisins, and, last of all, brought a delicious piece of cheese from a basket. The Country Mouse, being much delighted at the sight of such good food, expressed his satisfaction in warm terms and felt sad for 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 barely come back 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 starved, said to his friend: