WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.260 Once upon a time a town mouse and a country mouse were friends. 00:00:04.260 --> 00:00:10.780 One day the country mouse invited the town mouse to come and visit him in his home out in the fields. 00:00:10.780 --> 00:00:12.570 They sat down to dinner. 00:00:12.570 --> 00:00:17.980 The country mouse served his friend a plate with an ear of wheat on it and a little carrot, 00:00:17.980 --> 00:00:19.820 fresh from the garden; 00:00:19.820 --> 00:00:23.570 the carrot still had tiny crumbs of soil on it. 00:00:23.570 --> 00:00:27.740 The town mouse nibbled the carrot and spat out the soil, 00:00:27.740 --> 00:00:31.080 nibbled the wheat ear and spat out the chaff. 00:00:31.080 --> 00:00:34.100 He wrinkled up his nose in disgust. 00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:35.530 ‘My poor dear friend. 00:00:35.530 --> 00:00:37.480 Is this the best you can do? 00:00:37.480 --> 00:00:40.270 You live no better than the ants. 00:00:40.270 --> 00:00:43.140 Now, you should see how well I live. 00:00:43.140 --> 00:00:46.220 My larder is stocked with the finest food. 00:00:46.220 --> 00:00:52.440 Come and visit me and you’ll nibble such tasty dainties as you’ve never dreamed of.’ 00:00:52.440 --> 00:00:56.210 So the country mouse went to visit the town mouse. 00:00:56.210 --> 00:00:58.600 The town mouse welcomed him with open arms. 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:03.270 ‘Come with me and I’ll show you shelf upon shelf of wonders.’ 00:01:03.270 --> 00:01:08.750 He followed his friend under the larder door and gasped with amazement. 00:01:08.750 --> 00:01:15.190 There was fine white flour and oatmeal and figs and fruit and cheese and biscuits. 00:01:15.190 --> 00:01:16.610 ‘Help yourself.’ 00:01:16.610 --> 00:01:22.440 They climbed up onto a shelf and were just about to nibble at a big piece of yellow cheese 00:01:22.440 --> 00:01:24.060 when the larder door opened. 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:24.870 ‘Quick!’ 00:01:24.870 --> 00:01:26.600 Someone was coming in: a human. 00:01:26.600 --> 00:01:29.120 They scuttled away as fast as their legs would carry them 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:33.230 and crouched in a very uncomfortable crack in the wall. 00:01:33.230 --> 00:01:35.550 When the human was gone they crept out again. 00:01:35.550 --> 00:01:38.000 ‘Now, as I was saying,’ said the town mouse, 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:40.560 ‘before we were so rudely interrupted: 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:42.060 help yourself.’ 00:01:42.060 --> 00:01:45.850 The country mouse curled himself around a nice fat fig 00:01:45.850 --> 00:01:48.940 and was just about to sink his teeth into it when - 00:01:48.940 --> 00:01:49.340 ‘Quick! 00:01:49.340 --> 00:01:50.260 Another human! 00:01:50.260 --> 00:01:51.020 Hide!’ 00:01:51.020 --> 00:01:53.250 They ran again and hid in the same hole. 00:01:53.250 --> 00:01:55.410 The human reached for the figs. 00:01:55.410 --> 00:01:59.170 The country mouse could almost feel its hand against his whiskers. 00:01:59.170 --> 00:02:01.900 When the human was outside and the door was closed, 00:02:01.900 --> 00:02:03.490 they heard it speaking: 00:02:03.490 --> 00:02:05.610 ‘I’m sure I heard a mouse in the larder. 00:02:05.610 --> 00:02:07.260 Let’s fetch old tabby. 00:02:07.260 --> 00:02:09.850 It’s a while since she earned her keep.’ 00:02:09.850 --> 00:02:12.050 The country mouse’s heart was pounding. 00:02:12.050 --> 00:02:13.000 He turned to his friend. 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:14.400 ‘Goodbye. I’m off! 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:20.310 My simple plate of food nibbled in peace tastes much sweeter than all your fancy dainties.’ 00:02:20.310 --> 00:02:24.780 And the country mouse ran all the way back to his home in the fields.