12: De Mure Urbano et Rustico

The City Mouse and the Country Mouse

A country mouse invites his friend, a city mouse, to a dinner of simple country cuisine. The city mouse returns the favor and invites the country mouse to the city, where they dine more lavishly. But their rich feast is interrupted by the opening of the locked storeroom (in most versions a cat intervenes), which forces the rodent cousins to abandon their meal and retreat back into their mouse hole for safety.

Also known as The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. Other versions: Perry 352.

1  mūs mūrem: the rūsticus mūs is the subject of suscipit, and the urbānum mūrem is the direct object. 

2  mēnsaque mente minor: supply erat: “the meal (was) less than his intention,” i.e., less than he would have liked. mente is ablative of comparison.

3  in mēnsā tenuī satis est immensa voluntās: “at a thin table (i.e. a poor table) there is quite immense good will.” The country mouse is a good host. Note the wordplay in mēnsa and immēnsa. 

4  frōns generōsa: frōns is the brow as the mirror of the feelings, "expression." Generōsus means "noble," either in the sense of "high born" or, as here, "noble in character." The country mouse's good fellowship compensates for the poor fare.

5  Factō fīne: ablative absolute, “with an end had been made,” i.e. once they finished eating. 

6  urbānī socius: “the friend of the city mouse,” i.e. the country mouse.

6  tendit in: "heads toward," + acc., a common meaning of the verb, see LS tendo II.A.1.

6  urbis opēs: “to the riches of the city.” The city mouse has invite the country mouse to his home.

7  Ecce: the repetitions of ecce pull the reader into the fable as the action gets going.  

7  īnservit amīcus amīcō: “(one) friend waits on (the other) friend.”  Inservit = ministrat and takes a dative.

8  invigilant mēnsae: "they are intent on the table," with the implication that they stay up late (vigilant) enjoying the meal.

8  fercula mēnsa gerit: “the table carries (many) courses,” in succession, see LS ferculum II.  

9  clēmentia vultūs: "sympathy of facial expression." Like frōns generōsa above and frontis honor just below, this is an indication of good fellowship. Subject of commendat and condit. 

10  dape:  ablative of comparison after plus.

10  frontis honor: "dignity of countenance."

12  nec ambo: “and both do not,” i.e., neither of them. 

13  hic ... hic: “the one ... the other ... ” or “this one ... that one ....”

13  cursū ineptō: ablative of manner with mendīcat, “seeks with foolish running.”

14  assuitur: "is sewn onto," > ad + suere, i.e., "clings to."

14  rēptile mūris onus: "the creeping burden (i.e., body) of the mouse." 

15  penū clausō: ablative absolute, “with the storeroom having been closed.”

15  timōrī: dative with parcit, as normal with this verb. 

16  febrit: "shakes as though he had a fever."

16  teste timōre: ablative absolute, “with fear as his witness,” i.e., showing evidence of his fear.

17  quī latuit: “the one who was in hiding,” subject of exit. 

20  fellītum ... metū ... bonum: “a good thing embittered by fear.”

21  nōn puto dulce: supply esse, indirect statement, with dulce as neuter singular predicate adjective, describing bonum.

21  quam timor obnūbit, nōn est sincēra voluptās: order nōn est sincēra voluptās, quam timor obnūbit.

22  sollicitō ... in ōre: “in a troubled mouth,” abl.

23  mālo: "I prefer" > mālō malle maluī. The final -ō is shortened for the sake of the meter.

23  cūrā perpete: “by perpetual care,” abl.

23  rōdere ... quam ... rōdī:  "to gnaw (rather) than be gnawed.”

24  degenerāre ... facit: “causes to deteriorate," "spoils."

25  hīs opibus: abl. after gaude, “rejoice in these riches.”

25  quī gaudēs: "(you) who rejoice in," + abl. 

26  pauperiem dītet pāx opulenta mihi:  "let precious (opulenta) peace enrich poverty (modest means) for me." This paradoxical formulation redefines wealth as peace of mind, driving home the central theme of the fable. Pauperiēs is not abject poverty, but modest sufficiency, such as the country mouse enjoys.

27  sōlus habē: solus is the subject of the imperative, “you alone have.”

27  tibi ... sōlī: “to you alone,” dat. after dulcia.

28  det pretium: "give value to," jussive subj.

29  Praepōnit tūta timendīs: "prefers safe things to things that must be feared," i.e. things, like wealth, that cause anxiety. Timendīs is the gerundive > timeō, dat. pl.

30  summa: direct object of timet, “he fears the highest things,” wealth, fancy food, etc. 

30  īma: "the lowest things," opposite of summa. In both cases the superlative is used for the comparative, as at 6.8 ima premēns.

31  Pauperiēs: "modest means." 

32  trīstior ... ūsus: "rather grim experience," opposed to laeta in the previous line.

32  immēnsās pauperat ... opēs: "turns (even) immense wealth into poverty." The paradox of "poor wealth" and "wealthy poverty" is restated.