One day, a little brown mouse in green overalls lived in the country. His name was Country Mouse. He had a cozy home under a big oak tree. Country Mouse liked to eat simple foods. He had nuts, berries, and seeds for his meals. He was happy. One day, a letter came from his cousin, City Mouse. City Mouse wore a neat blue vest and lived in a big city. The letter said: "Dear Country Mouse, Come visit me in the city! We have the best food here! Love, City Mouse" Country Mouse had to think about this. He had never left his cozy home before.
Country Mouse packed a small bag and went to the city. The trip was long, but he was excited. When he got there, City Mouse gave him a big hug. "Welcome to my home!" said City Mouse. His house was in the wall of a fancy house. "Look at all this food!" City Mouse showed Country Mouse a big table. There were cakes, cheese, and lots of yummy things. Just as they started to eat, they heard a loud "MEOW!" A big black cat with yellow eyes came into the room!
Country Mouse and City Mouse ran as fast as they could! They hid under the big table, their hearts beating fast. "Is this normal?" asked Country Mouse, still scared. "Oh yes," said City Mouse. "But the food is worth it! Just wait until the cat goes away." They waited and waited. The cat walked around the table, its yellow eyes glowing. Its big paws were so close! After what felt like forever, the cat left the room. City Mouse peeked out. "All clear!" he said. "Let's eat!" They went back to the table. The food did look very good. But Country Mouse felt worried. Just then, they heard loud footsteps coming! It was the house owner!
"Let's go to my house instead!" said Country Mouse. "It's safer there!" City Mouse looked at the fancy food, then at the door where the footsteps were getting louder. "Okay, let's go!" he said quickly. The two mice ran fast and made their way out of the city. They traveled through the night until they reached Country Mouse's cozy home under the oak tree. "Welcome to my home!" said Country Mouse proudly. He brought out his best dinner - fresh berries, crunchy nuts, and sweet seeds. "But... where's the cake?" asked City Mouse. "Where's the fancy cheese?" "We don't have those things here," said Country Mouse. "But look - we can eat in peace! No cats, no loud footsteps, just quiet and good food." City Mouse took a bite of a berry. His eyes got big. "This is... actually really good!" he said. He tried a nut next. "And we don't have to run and hide!" They sat together, eating and laughing. They could hear birds singing and leaves rustling in the wind.
"You know what?" said City Mouse, munching on another berry. "I think I like it better here. The food may be simple, but eating without being scared is much nicer!" Country Mouse smiled. "And I learned something too. I thought city food would be better, but being safe and happy is the best meal of all!" The two mouse cousins spent the rest of the evening telling stories and sharing nuts. From that day on, City Mouse visited Country Mouse often, and they both agreed that the simple life was the sweetest life of all. The End
