The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
By Beatrix Potter
Johnny Town-Mouse was born/in a cupboard. Timmy Willie was born/in a garden.
Timmy Willie was a little country mouse/who went to town/by mistake in a basket. The gardener sent vegetables to town/once a week. He packed them in a big basket. Each week,/the gardener left the basket/by the garden gate. The carrier picked it up/when he passed. This week,/Timmy Willie sneaked into the basket. After eating some peas,/he fell asleep.
He suddenly woke up. He felt the basket/moving around. He could also hear the sound/of horse’s feet. Over time,/other packages were thrown/into the carrier’s cart. He felt nervous/among the vegetables.
At last/the cart stopped at a house. The basket was taken out,/carried in,/and set down. The cart rumbled away. But the place wasn’t peaceful. There were many carts passing;/dogs barked;/boys played in the street;/the cook laughed. Timmy Willie was very frightened/since he had lived all his life/in a garden. The cook began to unpack the vegetables. Timmy Willie jumped out of the basket. The cook yelled,/“A mouse! A mouse! Call the cat!” Timmy Willie quickly ran into a little hole/in the wall.
He crashed into the middle of a mouse dinner party. “Who is this?”/asked Johnny Town-mouse/with great surprise. But Johnny quickly realized/he should be polite/to the new mouse. He introduced Timmy Willie/to nine other mice,/all with long tails and white neckties. They were formal town mice.
The dinner consisted of eight courses. All the dishes were unknown/to Timmy Willie. But he was very hungry/and felt he should try them. He wanted to be polite. During dinner,/Timmy Willie learned/that a cat was chasing some young mice/upstairs. The mice came running in,/squeaking and laughing. He couldn’t believe it. He lost his appetite. He felt faint.
“Would you like to rest?”/asked Johnny. “I will show you/a very comfortable sofa pillow.” Johnny said/it was the best bed,/but it smelled of cat. Timmy Willie preferred sleeping/on the floor.
The next day was the same. An excellent breakfast for town mice/was served;/the main dish was bacon. But Timmy Willie was not happy/because he always ate roots and vegetables. Timmy Willie wanted to be at home/in his peaceful garden. He didn’t like the food,/and the place was too noisy. He couldn’t sleep. Timmy Willie explained to Johnny/that life in the garden was very nice.
“It sounds like a boring place. What do you do/when it rains?”/asked Johnny.
“When it rains,/I sit in my nest and eat seeds. And when the sun comes out,/the flowers look so beautiful. The only sound is from the birds and bees,”/explained Timmy Willie.
“Here comes the cat again!”/exclaimed Johnny. They quickly hid themselves/and continued their conversation. “I am disappointed/that we couldn’t entertain you.”
“You have been very kind,/but I do not feel well,”/said Timmy Willie.
“You might not be used to our food. Perhaps/it might be better for you/to return to your home.”
“Oh? Is that possible?”/asked Timmy Willie.
“Yes,/the basket goes back on Saturdays,”/explained Johnny.
So/Timmy Willie said good-bye to his new friends/and hid in the basket. After a bumpy ride,/he arrived safely in his own garden.
Sometimes on Saturdays/he went to look at the basket/lying by the gate. Johnny said/he might visit the garden sometime,/but nobody got out of the basket.
The winter passed,/and the sun came out again. Timmy Willie had nearly forgotten/about his visit to town. Then,/all of a sudden,/he saw Johnny. He was walking down the path! Timmy Willie welcomed him. “You have come/at the best time of the year. We will eat herb pudding/and sit in the sun.”
“Hmm. It is a little damp,”/said Johnny. He was carrying his tail/under his arm,/out of the mud. “What is that terrible noise?”
“That is only a cow,”/said Timmy Willie. “Don’t worry,/they are harmless. How is life in the city?”
Johnny explained/that the cook was doing spring cleaning/and was trying to clear out the mice. There were four kittens,/in addition to the cat.
“Oh, my. I will gather some grass/to make your bed. I am sure/you should live in the country,/Johnny.”
“Hmm. We’ll see. The basket leaves/on Tuesday/next week.”
“I am sure/you will never want to live in town again,”/said Timmy Willie.
But Johnny did. He went back in the next basket/of vegetables. He said/it was too quiet/in the country!
One place suits one person,/another place suits another person.
By Beatrix Potter
Johnny Town-Mouse was born/in a cupboard. Timmy Willie was born/in a garden.
Timmy Willie was a little country mouse/who went to town/by mistake in a basket. The gardener sent vegetables to town/once a week. He packed them in a big basket. Each week,/the gardener left the basket/by the garden gate. The carrier picked it up/when he passed. This week,/Timmy Willie sneaked into the basket. After eating some peas,/he fell asleep.
He suddenly woke up. He felt the basket/moving around. He could also hear the sound/of horse’s feet. Over time,/other packages were thrown/into the carrier’s cart. He felt nervous/among the vegetables.
At last/the cart stopped at a house. The basket was taken out,/carried in,/and set down. The cart rumbled away. But the place wasn’t peaceful. There were many carts passing;/dogs barked;/boys played in the street;/the cook laughed. Timmy Willie was very frightened/since he had lived all his life/in a garden. The cook began to unpack the vegetables. Timmy Willie jumped out of the basket. The cook yelled,/“A mouse! A mouse! Call the cat!” Timmy Willie quickly ran into a little hole/in the wall.
He crashed into the middle of a mouse dinner party. “Who is this?”/asked Johnny Town-mouse/with great surprise. But Johnny quickly realized/he should be polite/to the new mouse. He introduced Timmy Willie/to nine other mice,/all with long tails and white neckties. They were formal town mice.
The dinner consisted of eight courses. All the dishes were unknown/to Timmy Willie. But he was very hungry/and felt he should try them. He wanted to be polite. During dinner,/Timmy Willie learned/that a cat was chasing some young mice/upstairs. The mice came running in,/squeaking and laughing. He couldn’t believe it. He lost his appetite. He felt faint.
“Would you like to rest?”/asked Johnny. “I will show you/a very comfortable sofa pillow.” Johnny said/it was the best bed,/but it smelled of cat. Timmy Willie preferred sleeping/on the floor.
The next day was the same. An excellent breakfast for town mice/was served;/the main dish was bacon. But Timmy Willie was not happy/because he always ate roots and vegetables. Timmy Willie wanted to be at home/in his peaceful garden. He didn’t like the food,/and the place was too noisy. He couldn’t sleep. Timmy Willie explained to Johnny/that life in the garden was very nice.
“It sounds like a boring place. What do you do/when it rains?”/asked Johnny.
“When it rains,/I sit in my nest and eat seeds. And when the sun comes out,/the flowers look so beautiful. The only sound is from the birds and bees,”/explained Timmy Willie.
“Here comes the cat again!”/exclaimed Johnny. They quickly hid themselves/and continued their conversation. “I am disappointed/that we couldn’t entertain you.”
“You have been very kind,/but I do not feel well,”/said Timmy Willie.
“You might not be used to our food. Perhaps/it might be better for you/to return to your home.”
“Oh? Is that possible?”/asked Timmy Willie.
“Yes,/the basket goes back on Saturdays,”/explained Johnny.
So/Timmy Willie said good-bye to his new friends/and hid in the basket. After a bumpy ride,/he arrived safely in his own garden.
Sometimes on Saturdays/he went to look at the basket/lying by the gate. Johnny said/he might visit the garden sometime,/but nobody got out of the basket.
The winter passed,/and the sun came out again. Timmy Willie had nearly forgotten/about his visit to town. Then,/all of a sudden,/he saw Johnny. He was walking down the path! Timmy Willie welcomed him. “You have come/at the best time of the year. We will eat herb pudding/and sit in the sun.”
“Hmm. It is a little damp,”/said Johnny. He was carrying his tail/under his arm,/out of the mud. “What is that terrible noise?”
“That is only a cow,”/said Timmy Willie. “Don’t worry,/they are harmless. How is life in the city?”
Johnny explained/that the cook was doing spring cleaning/and was trying to clear out the mice. There were four kittens,/in addition to the cat.
“Oh, my. I will gather some grass/to make your bed. I am sure/you should live in the country,/Johnny.”
“Hmm. We’ll see. The basket leaves/on Tuesday/next week.”
“I am sure/you will never want to live in town again,”/said Timmy Willie.
But Johnny did. He went back in the next basket/of vegetables. He said/it was too quiet/in the country!
One place suits one person,/another place suits another person.