Once there was a town mouse and a country mouse. They were cousins, but they lived very different lives. The town mouse lived in a fine house in the city. The country mouse lived in a simple home in the fields. One summer day the town mouse came to visit her cousin in the country. The country mouse was very happy to see her. She wanted to give her cousin a good meal. So she brought out her best food. She had fresh beans, some dry bread, a few seeds, and a little corn. "Please eat, my friend," she said with a smile. "This food is simple, but it is fresh and good." The town mouse ate a little, but she was not happy. The beans were hard and the bread was dry. At home she ate much finer things, and this plain meal made her sad. Still, she tried to be polite. "My dear cousin," she said at last, "how can you live like this? You work all day, and for what? A few seeds and some dry bread! You have no fine food and no fun here. Come with me to the town. In the town we eat like kings. There is cake and cheese and sweet fruit every day. Life there is easy and rich. You will love it." The country mouse listened to these words. She looked at her small home and her plain food on the table. Then she thought about the fine food in the town, and she became curious. "All right," she said slowly. "I will come with you and see this wonderful town." So that same evening the two mice said goodbye to the quiet fields. They set off together down the long road to the town. The country mouse was a little afraid, but she was also excited. She could not stop thinking about the rich food that was waiting for her.