Hukumusume fairy tale collection > Foreign language (English) > Aesop’s Fables

The Wild Mouse and The House Mouse

(Aesop’s Fables)

Translation　ちいさな翻訳屋さん

Japanese ・ English ・Japanese & English

　A house mouse and a wild mouse were good friends.

　One day the house mouse was invited for a meal by the wild mouse,

　and went out to the field.

　However, after having eaten only barley and wheat, the house mouse said,

“It seems like an ant's life.

　You'll be able to get lots of delicious food if you come to my place. Just come and get all you want!”

　Then two of them went to the house mouse's place.

　Besides wheat and barley, the house mouse showed the wild mouse

　coconuts, cheese, honey and fruits.

　The wild mouse got shocked with what he saw, and complimented the house mouse's life, while he lamented over his misfortune.

　In the meantime, when they were finally about to get some food, a human suddenly opened the door.

　Because a mouse is a cowardly animal, they rushed into a crack of the wall immediately after they heard the sound of the door.

　After a while, when they tried to get food again,

　another human came into the room.

　They rushed back into the crack once again.

　Then the wild mouse forgot about being hungry, and said to the house mouse with a sigh,

“I'm leaving now.

　It seems like you've been enjoying delicious food here all you want in spite of facing dangerous and  dreadful situations,

　but no matter how miserable my life might seem to you,

　I would choose to live cozily with eating only barley and wheat so that I don't have to face such dangerous situations.”



　It is better to live cozily, even if it is simple,

　rather than to live luxuriously in constant fear and anxiety.

The end

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