Maintaining a connection with one's family is not always a simple task and on occasion requires some compensation between the two parties on a variety of different situations. This is the case concerning the cousins who are at the center of our story. One is a simple farmer, Country Mouse, tending to the fields and harvesting his livelihood from the Earth, relying only on himself and the work ethic instilled into him by his own parents as a child. The other, City Mouse, a well-to-do aristocrat from the city who has never experienced dirt and grime during his life, preferring instead to spend his time attending fancy balls and gatherings with others like himself, paying no mind to how the feast in front of him was prepared or contributed to.
One day City Mouse decided he would find out for himself why his cousin continued to live alone and in the middle of nowhere in what he believed to be a sad existence. So he boarded a train and left the city limits for the first time, escaping to the open prairies of his cousin's livelihood. Country Mouse was thrilled to have his cousin coming to visit for the first time. As they had only previously communicated through letters this would be their first time meeting one another. Country Mouse took his cousin on a grand tour of his farm, and that evening prepared for the City Mouse a meal he believed was fit for a king. The City Mouse, however, was shocked at the simplicity of the meal and the way of life his cousin had chosen for himself. He believed if Country Mouse could only see the City and all it had to offer someone, then he would surely leave the farm and come to live there with him. Country Mouse was hesitant to accept this suggestion, having always enjoyed the quiet and views presented to him by the open landscape. Feeling he owed it to his cousin to at least hear him out and make the trip to see this wondrous place he spoke so highly of, he agreed to go.
The two cousins set off the following morning for what would be a visit the Country Mouse would never forget, but not for the reasons his cousin would hope for. Upon arriving the City Mouse took his innocent cousin on a tour of the City, beaming with excitement as he showed him the amazing sights and the hundreds of people calling this place home. As with the visit to the country, the two cousins shared a meal that evening prepared by City Mouse this time, allowing him to show his cousin the exotic and new foods the City had to offer.
After the meal the cousins began discussing the visit, whereupon the City Mouse began to assume his cousin would immediately wish to move and leave the dust and dirt behind. This was not the case, though, as Country Mouse would explain, "This may be home to you, dear cousin, but to me, the place where we should all call home and hang our hat at night is where our heart feels whole." Upon hearing this City Mouse lamented, understanding his cousin's connection to his farm, and his own to the sprawling urban landscape. Family does not have to be the same to love one another. Our differences can strengthen our relationships and in turn bring us closer together in the end by allowing one another to experience new and wonderful things.
Author's Note
This story began as the Aesop Fable of The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. The story is of two family members who go to visit one another to see just how the other side lives. Along the way the city mouse and country mouse both learn new things about themselves personally, while being introduced to how the other side of life lives. Eventually the City Mouse denounces his previous way of life and grows fond of the lifestyle his cousin has introduced to him. I did deviate from the original story in that the two main characters chose to continue their lives in the manner they were accustomed to. Of course I included some more modern cues to the story, while retaining the old-world feel. Ideally my desire is for the reader to imagine the story taking place near the turn of the 20th century, where the old world truly came to an end and the new modern age began to overtake the past. I was drawn to reading this story originally due to the memory it brought forth of spending time at my grandparents' house where they owned a VHS copy of this story being told in a cartoon format. I really enjoyed the cartoon as a child and sitting there with my grandparents. Now it is nice to be able to look back fondly on this memory and smile.
"The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse," The Fables of Aesop, Joseph Jacobs (1894)
The Country Mouse and City Mouse, oil on canvas painting by Scott GustafsonSource: The Art of Scott Gustafson)
The New York City skyline lit up at night, Oarabile Mudongo: Wikimedia Commons
Country road scenery, Marco Farouk Basir: Wikimedia Commons
This is an interesting story; I've never heard/read this particular story, at least, not that I can remember. Initially, I thought one or the other mice was going to have a grand reason why his place was better, but I like the way that the story ended. No doubt, the choosing of this story was influenced by your own experiences growing up, I imagine? Either way, I think the ending has a good moral/point, that, with understanding, we can grow to become closer with our family.
ReplyDeleteThe story sounds familiar, but I do not remember where I have heard it. I know you said you were worried about being able to write creatively, but I think you did a great job writing this story. When I first say the text, it was a bit daunting to see it in one huge paragraph, so my piece of advice is to break the story up into paragraphs. Other than that, it was great.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great story that I haven't heard before. It ended differently than I thought it would, but the lesson at the end was very valuable. Even though they believed their homes were better, they realized it was only better fit for them. I must admit that I would most likely lean towards the Country Mouse's home as opposed to City Mouse's. I enjoy having my nearest neighbors be hundreds of yards away (not that I want to be antisocial, I just enjoy the serenity of the country).
ReplyDeleteThis story is one that I have always enjoyed. It's a story that I think can relate to all aspects of life. Everyone's views are different and it is okay to think differently than someone else, especially family.
ReplyDeleteI liked your modern twists on the story. It made the story that much more relatable.
One thing I might suggest for this story is to break it up into paragraphs. That way each idea is on its own, rather than having one long paragraph. For me personally, long paragraphs get hard to read and I get lost in the words, so shorter paragraphs are easier to follow.
I did notice a spelling error that I thought I would mention. You put quite instead of quiet. Those words are always tricky and I catch myself saying them out loud so I put the correct one.
Other than those things, I think you did a great job on your writing and I look forward to reading more of your work!
I really like how you started your story. I felt like I was reading an old-time story. That being said, I've always loved this classic story, but I like how you took it and made it your own. I think you are a very talented writer, and it shows in this story with the descriptive language. I might suggest separating the storyline from the dialogue so that the reader can follow along better. Sometimes I got lost between storyline and dialogue because everything was so close together. Another suggestion might be to I've more vivid descriptions of the adventures they go on. Your second to last paragraph talks about what the mice visited, but I want to be able to visualize it better. I like the picture you used, as that is a good start into helping the reader visualize their adventures, but again, more description would be nice. Nice job with this story!
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