Once upon a time, there lived a gentle mouse in a village. He had a friend living in a distant town. One day, the village mouse invited his town living friend to his village home to wine and dine with him. When the town mouse came to the home of the village mouse, the village mouse opened his heart and soul in the honour of his town friend. The village mouse served a variety of tasty dishes to his town friend.

The town mouse, although shared the delicious dishes with his village friend, but he still showed his dislike for the rural atmosphere. “How do you live here in this village, my friend. It’s living like a toad in a well. Can you ever prefer this village to the excitement of the city?” You’re simply wasting your time and energy here. Come to town some day. I’ll show you what’s life.” Then the town mouse thanked his village friend for the fine invitation and returned to his home town.

After sometime, the village mouse went to see his town friend. The town mouse lived in a big house, in the heart of the city. He lived especially in a banquet hall, where dozens of delicious dishes were served to party of revellers and other guests.

The town mouse served dozens of delicious dishes to his village friend on a huge table.

While the two mice were engaged in enjoying the food, they heard a sound of barking and growling outside the banquet hall.

“What is that?” asked the country mouse.

“Oh! just nothing,” said the town mouse. “These are only the master’s dogs barking for nothing.”

But the country mouse was not satisfied with this answer. Just then the door of the banquet hall flung open. A party of dancers, together with four huge dogs entered the room. The frightened friends jumped off the dining table and hid themselves in a far corner of the room.

When the things calmed down and the dancers went away with their huge dogs, the two friends came out of the hiding, still trembling with great fear. The country mouse bidding ‘good-bye’ to his friend said, “If this is the fine way of living in the city, which is full of terror, I would best prefer to have only my simple barley bread in my village where there is peace and security, to your dainty dishes with a sword always hanging above your head. You’re always welcome to my village home, my friend.

The village mouse once again thanked the city mouse and came back to his sweet village home.

❖ Remember one thing always: We are secured only in our home town not any other town.