Church Country Mouse, City Church Mouse

CHURCH COUNTRY MOUSE, CITY CHURCH MOUSE

When Cake finally caught her breath and her eyes focused, she looked around. She was shocked yes her cousin's place was bigger but not much bigger than hers. He's furniture most of it was old, broken, and or stained in some way. The couch in the corner was big but there were so many threads popping out of every corner she hardly saw it was a couch. His kitchen table was faded and the wood was chipping on all four corners. Cake was so tired she just wanted to eat and go to bed. She found herself in for an even bigger shock when they sit down to eat because yes there were more choices of food but it was covered with mold. The milk they drunk was almost sour. Poor Cake she wasn't used to eating moldy food and almost sour milk. She asked to lay down and instead of a bed, there was just an old small pillowcase filled with stale smelling hay. Cake tossed and turned all night that food hadn't agreed with her at all. Cake just wanted to go home but maybe tomorrow would be better just maybe. Her cousin layover in one of the corners on some old torn rags, Cake just wanted to walk over and kick him. Cake being really tired she soon fell asleep dreaming of her little home.

In the morning Cake woke up to the noise of the city. People yelling, kids crying, dogs and cats barking and purring. Oh, what noise. Her cousin was already up making breakfast. The breakfast wasn't much of a breakfast moldy bread, a small amount of cat food, and some sweet, dark, strong mixture to drink. Cake picked over her food, she ate the parts of the bread that had no mold, drank the mixture, and avoided the cat food altogether. Her cousin must have seen her disappointment because he tried to explain that he had to grab what he could safely and quickly grab to eat. He went on to say that when the cat is in the church office he may not be able to even go out for food at all. He told her the cat was fat and lazy but also very quick when motivated so he couldn't just run out for food if the cat was anywhere nearby. Today the cat came back in the church office so there would be no going out today. The next day was more of the same the cat was nearby right after breakfast. So they stay inside which was ok it was better than being out in those busy streets but not much better. Her cousin most slept and ate and paced in front of the hole looking and waiting for the cat to leave which he didn't do until bedtime. He wanted to take Cake out on the town so she went along even though she really didn't want to. They ran along the walls, squeezed under the front door, and kept to the shadows. Just as the got to the nearest corner two boys jumped out and said " yes look at these two fat mice lets grab them and feed them to our cat and watch as they fight for their lives." Cornered oh no thought Cake I will never see my home again. Just then a woman half hanging out one of the windows up above called loudly and the two boys dropped their heads and ran towards her. Cake informed her cousin that she wanted to go home and the sooner the better. He agreed that as soon as it was safe that he would take her home.

They ran on to a little corner shop, a small little place with pretty flowers running all alongside the front door on both sides. There was a wonderful smell coming from an open window a mix of cheese and bread. The little mice ran around back and squeezed under the gate. They ran into the courtyard where a large jolly-looking woman was sitting on a step. She spotted the mice right away even in the dim light of her porch light and went in and brought a little bread and cheese and a very small bowl of milk. The mice both ate happily until they could eat no more. Then when they ran off back into the shadows. Just around another corner was this strange but lovely sound coming for a small blue and white building with lights all around the building and leading up its walk. The mice got as close as they could get without being spotted. There seemed to be a group of children singing a song something about lean on me when you're not strong. It sounded nice and the mice stayed and listened to the children for as long as they sang. When it was over the mice were so tired they headed back home. The mice were a little slower from full bellies but happier so the city wasn't all bad. On the way back though they were almost hit by a biker and also cornered by a cat who was yanked away by a little girl with a bright pretty smile. They ran all the way home and fell into bed without another word to each other. Cake awoke to the same noise as all the days before. The cat was never by all day so they stayed inside it wasn't so bad however because the preacher was in there with him and had the radio playing. He didn't play or sing hymns like the preacher back home she noticed but loud music called gospel rap. Cake had also noticed that the people in the city didn't go to church as much and that they rushed to get out when they did come. Also, he was a messy eater so when he ate lunch in his office, he dropped some bread and fruit on the floor. When the cat went out to use the bathroom they ran for the scraps but barely made it back in the hole before the returning cat grabbed them. She let her cousin know again she wanted to go home. He informed her the cat had to go to someplace called the Vets so they would make a break for it then. About a day or so later one of the preacher's kids came and got the cat they put him in a cage and left. The two mice didn't know when the cat would be back so they sit out and fast. They ran along the walls and for the front door and squeezed underneath it. They heard a cat meowing and hissing wildly but it's only the peachers caged cat. He couldn't get to them and he was being loaded into a car thankfully. The two now wide-eyed mice ran faster all the way to the front of the city not stopping once. They crossed the street and ran into some tall grass, where they spotted a huge. Thankfully he had a big belly full and had already eaten. So he just hissed at them as they ran past. They ran even faster now Cake knew why her cousin was so thin he got a lot of exercise and little food.

In about 2 or 3 hours Cake was almost home and she was never happier. She wouldn't be leaving her little home ever again if she had anything to say about it. When Cake smelled the clean fresh air plus the smells of the farm and saw the cows and horses in the distance, she knew she was home. She just kept running, she was so happy to be home finally. She let her cousin rest for a day or two and eat as much as he wanted. Cake noticed her cousin said nothing about the food or small hole she lived in. Cake slept in her little matchbox bed filled with cotton and a small babydoll blanket that night, she was happy indeed to be home. She noticed however Butler who slept on her couch tossed and turned for a long while. To each it's own she thought he's used to his rags I guess. The next morning Butler let his cousin know he would be heading home that evening. Before he left she took him to the big old country store and then to the little church meeting the small town was having that evening. After he ate he set out for home running along and getting lost in the shadows. Cake watched him until she could no longer see him anymore. She had told him that he could visit anytime he wanted to she knew however as he scurried away that it would be a long while before she saw him again. He was a city mouse and that was that and also it may be too dangerous for him to make the trip regularly without risking great harm to himself.