once there were two mice1. They were friends. One mouse lived in the country; the other mouse lived in the city. After many years the Country mouse saw2 the City mouse; he said3, Do come and see me at my house in the country. So the City mouse went. The City mouse said, This food is not good, and your house is not good. Why do you live in a hole in the field4? You should come and live in the city. You would5 live in a nice house made6 of stone. You would have nice food to eat. You must come and see me at my house in the city.
The Country mouse went to the house of the City mouse. It was7 a very good house. Nice food was set9 ready for them to eat. But just as8 they began to eat they heard a great noise. The City mouse cried, Run! Run! The cat is coming! They ran10 away quickly and hid11.
After some time they came12 out. When they came out, the Country mouse said, I do not like living13 in the city. I like living in my hole in the field. For it is nicer to be poor and happy, than to be rich and afraid.
以前，有两只老鼠，它们是好朋友。一只老鼠居住在乡村，另一只住在城里。不少年将来，乡下老鼠碰到城里老鼠，它说：你必须要来我乡下的家看看。于是，城里老鼠就去了。乡下老鼠领着它到了一块田地上它我们的家。它把所有最精美食物都找出来给城里老鼠。城里老鼠说：这东西不美味，你的家也不好，你为何住在田野的地洞里呢？你应该搬到城里去住，你能住上用石头造的漂亮房屋，还会吃上美味佳肴，你应该到我城里的家看看。
乡下老鼠就到城里老鼠的家去。房屋十分漂亮，美味的东西也为他们摆好了。可是正当他们要开始吃的时候，听见非常大的一阵响声，城里的老鼠叫喊起来：快跑！快跑！猫来了！他们飞快地跑开躲藏起来。
过了一会儿，他们出来了。当他们出来时，乡下老鼠说：我不喜欢住在城里，我喜欢住在田野我的洞里。由于如此虽然贫穷但快乐自在，比起虽然富有却要过着提心吊胆的生活来讲，要好些。