Life lessons from Aesop’s Fable ‘The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse’
What is the moral behind this fable? This is one version of the story. Could Aesop have made a mistake? What if the story had a different version, a different ending? What life lessons can we learn?
Aesop’s Fable ‘The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse’
The fable: Once a proud Town Mouse came to visit his cousin in the countryside. The Country Mouse prepared a feast of the best grains to welcome his cousin. There was corn, barley, rice and beans of various colours. But the Town Mouse just looked at the food in scorn. Instead he invited the Country Mouse back to his house in town. The cousins were enjoying themselves as they feasted off a table of many fine dishes. There were roast meats, cheese, cakes, etc. when suddenly a cat appeared. The Town Mouse grabbed the Country Mouse and they bolted into a mousehole in the wall. It was a close shave. The Town Mouse told his cousin that he must be careful of the Cat. The Cat has eaten many mice. From the mousehole, the Country Mouse could see the Cat’s sharp teeth and claws. As soon as it was safe, the Country Mouse returned to his simple but safe life in the countryside.
The Moral of the fable
The moral: Simple and safe is better than extravagant but dangerous. As children we were taught that we should be like the Country Mouse. We should appreciate the simple things that we have. We should not be envious of others who are rich and extravagant. Their life of luxury comes with hidden dangers and at a very high price.
The Fable seems biased
Our parents never questioned Aesop. They just agreed with Aesop. But doesn’t the story seem a little one sided to you? Aesop seemed to be on the side of the Country Mouse. Perhaps he only heard the Country Mouse’s version. The Country Mouse lived a happy and contented life while the Town Mouse lived in constant fear. Which would you choose if given a choice? If the answer to this question was so obvious, why didn’t the Town Mouse choose to leave town? I would like to ask the Town Mouse and listen to his answer before making up my mind.
Different choices for different folks
The cousins and Aesop lived a long time ago. Way before our grandparents and their grandparents so we may never know the answer from the Town Mouse. However, a life lesson is we have choices. We can choose to have a simple life. Or we can pursue a life filled with danger, living at the edge and adrenaline rush. Or perhaps we can choose to have a mixture of both at different stages of our lives.
Mistaken Identity in Thailand
Many years ago I went on my first holiday to Thailand. I went with my extended family. On the last evening, after some shopping in the afternoon, we went back to our hotel to freshen up before going out again for dinner. I clambered up the Tuk Tuk taxi and took a seat next to my mother. My cousin was seated across from me but I didn’t see her mother so I asked her where my aunt was. She told me to take a look at the person beside me. Sure enough it was my aunt and not my mother who was seated beside me. Everyone had a good laugh.
How did I make this mistake
Although the difference in ages is a year, mother and her sister had very different tastes in clothes. My mother’s style is very young and fashionable while my aunt used to wear clothes that were more similar to my grandmother’s. However, that evening my aunt had accidentally wet her own blouse and so had to wear one of my mother’s newly bought blouses. I made the mistake because of a blouse.
Could Aesop have made a mistake
After my holiday, I thought of Aesop’s fable of the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. Perhaps Aesop didn’t just listen to the Country Mouse’s side of the story. Perhaps he was actually present and witnessed that the Country Mouse went home and the Town Mouse stayed back in town. Could Aesop have made a mistake similar to mine? After all, the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse are cousins so they may look very alike too.
The exchange
What if both cousins decided to exchange homes for a while? The Town Mouse was the one that went to the countryside and the Country Mouse was the one that stayed back in town. Both cousins are smart. They realised that each other’s clothes were more suitable. They exchanged clothes before starting on their adventure. The Country Mouse also gave the rest of his luggage to the Town Mouse to bring back to the countryside. And this could have misled Aesop into believing that he saw the Country Mouse go home.
Embrace new Experiences
After that incident in Thailand, my aunt decided to change her wardrobe. She and my mother spent many happy hours shopping for clothes together. My aunt not only looked younger to me but she also seemed younger and happier. She smiled and laughed more. We all need to try new experiences and expand our outlook in life. Some experiences may be life changing.
Town or Countryside
Who actually went to the countryside is not important because that to me is not the end of the story. I think that after a while each mouse started to miss his cousin. They each packed their bags and decided to look for the other. They met at the crossroads. When they saw each other, they laughed and hugged. Town or countryside? They decided to flip a coin.
Life is full of Possibilities
Did I just hear the sound of a tossed coin landing? Could it be the Town and Country Mouse deciding on their next destination? If they are nearby, I want to meet them. I have so many questions to ask and I am sure that they have much to share and tell. Come and join me. Let us look for them. Life is full of possibilities. We are only limited by our imagination.