# The Country Mouse & The City Mouse - Grade 10 English Complete Guide
## Unit 17: Countries & Towns - NEB English Class 10

## 🎯 Chapter Introduction
This chapter presents a classic fable poem by **Richard Scrafton Sharpe** that compares **country life** and **city life** through the story of two mice friends. The poem teaches important lessons about **contentment**, **simple living**, and **appreciating what we have**. Students will learn about **fable literature**, **moral lessons**, and **lifestyle comparisons**.

**Main Learning Focus:**
- Understanding fable poems and their moral lessons
- Comparing country vs city lifestyle
- Learning new vocabulary related to rural and urban life
- Grammar: Using connectives properly
- Writing: Descriptive essays about villages

## 📖 Complete Poem Text

**The Country Mouse and the City Mouse**
*by Richard Scrafton Sharpe*

**Stanza 1:**
In a snug little cot lived a fat little mouse,
Who enjoyed, unmolested, the range of the house;
With plain food content, she would breakfast on cheese,
She dined upon bacon, and supped on grey peas.

**Stanza 2:**
A friend from the town to the cottage did stray,
And he said he was come a short visit to pay;
So the mouse spread her table as gay as you please,
And brought the nice bacon and charming grey peas.

**Stanza 3:**
The visitor frowned, and he thought to be witty:
Cried he, "You must know, I am come from the city,
Where we all should be shocked at provisions like these,
For we never eat bacon and horrid grey peas.

**Stanza 4:**
"To town come with me, I will give you a treat:
Some excellent food, most delightful to eat.
With me shall you feast just as long as you please;
Come, leave this fat bacon and shocking grey peas."

**Stanza 5:**
This kind invitation she could not refuse,
And the city mouse wished not a moment to lose;
Reluctant she quitted the fields and the trees,
The delicious fat bacon and charming grey peas.

**Stanza 6:**
They slily crept under a gay parlour door,
Where a feast had been given the evening before;
And it must be confessed they on dainties did seize,
Far better than bacon, or even grey peas.

**Stanza 7:**
Here were custard and trifle, and cheesecakes good store,
Nice sweetmeats and jellies, and twenty things more;
All that art had invented the palate to please,
Except some fat bacon and smoking grey peas.

**Stanza 8:**
They were nicely regaling, when into the room
Came the dog and the cat, and the maid with a broom:
They jumped in a custard both up to their knees;
The country mouse sighed for her bacon and peas.

**Stanza 9:**
Cried she to her friend, "Get me safely away,
I can venture no longer in London to stay;
For if oft you receive interruptions like these,
Give me my nice bacon and charming grey peas.

**Stanza 10:**
"Your living is splendid and gay, to be sure,
But the dread of disturbance you ever endure;
I taste true delight in contentment and ease,
And I feast on fat bacon and charming grey peas."

## 📝 Story Summary

### Simple Summary
This fable tells the story of **two mouse friends** - one living in the **countryside** and another in the **city**. The **country mouse** lives a **simple, peaceful life** eating plain food like **cheese**, **bacon**, and **grey peas** in her comfortable little home. 

The **city mouse** visits her friend and **criticizes** the simple country food. He **invites** the country mouse to the city, promising **delicious treats** and **luxury food**. The country mouse **accepts** and travels to the city where they feast on **custards**, **trifles**, **cheesecakes**, and other fancy delicacies.

However, their feast is **suddenly interrupted** by **dangerous animals** (dog and cat) and a **maid with a broom**. The country mouse becomes **frightened** and **realizes** that city life, though luxurious, is full of **dangers** and **disturbances**. She decides to **return** to her peaceful country home, preferring her **simple** but **safe** lifestyle.

### Moral Lesson
The poem teaches us that **true happiness** comes from **contentment** with what we have, not from seeking **luxury** and **material wealth**. **Simple living** with **peace** and **security** is better than **rich living** with **constant fear** and **danger**.

## 📚 Detailed Analysis

### Character Analysis

#### The Country Mouse
- Lives in a **comfortable cottage** in the countryside
- **Content** with **simple food** (cheese, bacon, grey peas)
- **Peaceful** and **undisturbed** lifestyle
- **Curious** about city life but ultimately **values security**
- Represents **contentment**, **simplicity**, and **wisdom**

#### The City Mouse  
- Lives in the **city** with access to **luxury food**
- **Critical** of simple country lifestyle
- **Proud** of city amenities and sophistication
- Lives with **constant danger** and **interruptions**
- Represents **materialism**, **sophistication**, but also **insecurity**

### Theme Analysis

#### Main Themes:
1. **Contentment vs Greed** - Being happy with what you have vs wanting more
2. **Simple Life vs Luxury** - Plain living vs rich lifestyle
3. **Security vs Danger** - Safe environment vs risky situations
4. **Country vs City** - Rural peace vs urban excitement
5. **True Happiness** - Inner satisfaction vs external possessions

### Literary Devices
- **Fable** - Story with moral lesson using animals as characters
- **Repetition** - "bacon and grey peas" repeated throughout
- **Contrast** - Country simplicity vs city luxury
- **Rhyme Scheme** - AABB pattern makes it musical
- **Personification** - Mice behave like humans

## 📋 Vocabulary Exercises & Solutions

### A. Word Matching (with enhanced meanings)

| Word | Meaning | Context Usage |
|------|---------|---------------|
| **snug** | **iv.** warm, comfortable and protected | The country mouse lived in a **snug** little cottage |
| **unmolested** | **ix.** not disturbed or attacked | She enjoyed **unmolested** peace in the countryside |
| **stray** | **i.** move away aimlessly | The city mouse did **stray** to the country cottage |
| **frown** | **x.** facial expression showing disapproval | The city mouse **frowned** at the simple food |
| **horrid** | **ii.** very unpleasant, rough | He called the grey peas "**horrid**" |
| **reluctant** | **iii.** unwilling and hesitant | She was **reluctant** to leave her home |
| **custard** | **v.** sweet yellow sauce from milk and eggs | They enjoyed **custard** at the city feast |
| **trifle** | **vii.** cold dessert of cake and fruit | **Trifle** was served at the grand dinner |
| **regale** | **vi.** entertain or amuse with talk | They began to **regale** themselves with food |
| **endure** | **viii.** deal with something painful | City life requires **enduring** constant dangers |

### Additional Vocabulary:
- **provisions** - food supplies
- **dainties** - delicate, fancy foods  
- **sweetmeats** - candied fruits or nuts
- **parlour** - formal sitting room
- **venture** - dare to go somewhere risky

## 📋 Reading Comprehension Exercises

### B. True/False Statements (with explanations)

| Statement | Answer | Explanation |
|-----------|--------|-------------|
| The country mouse was happy with her lifestyle | **True** | She lived contentedly with simple food and peaceful environment |
| The country mouse enjoyed grand meals daily | **False** | She ate simple food (cheese, bacon, peas) not grand meals |
| The town mouse wanted better food than served | **True** | He criticized country food and promised city delicacies |
| The town mouse invited country mouse for dinner | **True** | He invited her to experience city food and lifestyle |
| Country mouse was served delicious food in town | **True** | She ate custard, trifles, cheesecakes in the city |
| There was no peace for mice in the town | **True** | They were interrupted by dog, cat, and maid during dinner |

### C. Detailed Questions & Answers

**a. How did the country mouse live?**
**Answer:** The country mouse lived in a **small, comfortable cottage** in the **countryside fields**. She had a **simple** but **peaceful lifestyle**, eating **plain food** like cheese for breakfast, bacon for dinner, and grey peas for supper. She enjoyed **complete freedom** in her house without any **disturbances** or **threats**.

**b. Why did the town mouse visit the country?**
**Answer:** The town mouse came to the country to **pay a short visit** to his **old friend**, the country mouse. He wanted to **spend time** with her and **see** how she lived in the countryside. The visit was meant to be a **friendly social call** between the two mouse friends.

**c. Was the country mouse happy to receive the invitation? Why?**
**Answer:** Yes, the country mouse was **initially excited** about the invitation to visit the city. She was **curious** about **city life** and **eager** to experience the **excellent food** and **different lifestyle** that the city mouse had described. However, she was also **reluctant** to leave her comfortable home and **familiar surroundings**.

**d. What happened while the mice were eating dinner?**
**Answer:** While the two mice were **enjoying their feast** of custards, trifles, and other delicacies in the city, they were **suddenly interrupted** by **dangerous situations**. A **dog**, a **cat**, and a **maid carrying a broom** entered the room. The mice had to **jump into custard** up to their knees to **escape** and **hide** from these threats.

**e. What did the country mouse request from her friend?**
**Answer:** The frightened country mouse **urgently requested** her city friend to **help her escape safely** from the city. She said she **could no longer stay** in the dangerous city environment and wanted to **return immediately** to her **peaceful country home** with her simple bacon and peas.

### D. Personal Response Question

**Sample Answer for rural living:**
Living in a **rural village** provides me with numerous **advantages** and some **challenges**. 

**Advantages:**
- **Fresh, clean air** and **beautiful natural surroundings**
- **Peaceful environment** with **bird songs** and **natural sounds**
- **Close-knit community** with **helpful neighbors**
- **Safe environment** for children to play freely
- **Organic food** from **local farms** and **gardens**
- **Lower cost of living** compared to cities
- **Less traffic** and **pollution**

**Disadvantages:**
- **Limited access** to **modern facilities** like hospitals and shopping centers
- **Fewer educational** and **employment opportunities**
- **Poor internet** and **communication services**
- **Transportation difficulties** to reach cities
- **Limited entertainment** options
- **Occasional power** and **water supply** problems

Despite the challenges, **rural life** offers **genuine happiness**, **contentment**, and **connection with nature** that makes it **worthwhile** and **fulfilling**.

## 🎯 Grammar Section: Connectives

### Understanding Connectives
**Connectives** are words that **join sentences** or **parts of sentences** together. They show **relationships** between ideas like **cause**, **contrast**, **time**, or **condition**.

### A. Types of Connectives:
1. **Cause/Reason:** because, since, as
2. **Contrast:** although, however, but, despite
3. **Condition:** if, unless, provided that
4. **Time:** when, while, after, before
5. **Addition:** and, also, furthermore

### B. Exercise Solutions:

| Sentence | Correct Connective | Type | Explanation |
|----------|-------------------|------|-------------|
| **Although** it was summer, days were cold | although | contrast | Shows unexpected contrast |
| Stone struck head; **however**, not hurt | however | contrast | Shows surprising result |
| I like popcorn, **but** don't like pizza | but | contrast | Shows different preferences |
| **Despite** her age, still working hard | despite | contrast | Shows contrast with expectation |
| **Although** Narayan is skillful, can't read well | although | contrast | Contrasts skills |
| **Because** petrol expensive, Brian sold car | because | cause/reason | Shows reason for action |
| Took taxi **because** it was raining | because | cause/reason | Explains reason |
| Flights cancelled **because of** fog | because of | cause/reason | Shows cause (noun phrase) |
| **Despite** feeling unwell, went to school | despite | contrast | Shows determination despite problem |
| Felt cold, **although** wearing winter coat | although | contrast | Unexpected situation |

### Key Grammar Rules:
- **Because** + subject + verb (Because it was raining...)
- **Because of** + noun/noun phrase (Because of the rain...)
- **Although** + subject + verb (Although she was tired...)
- **Despite/In spite of** + noun/gerund (Despite being tired...)

## ✍️ Writing Section: Village Description

### Model Essay: Lamidada Village

**Lamidada Village: Nepal's Hidden Natural Treasure**

**Lamidada Village**, nestled in the beautiful **Khotang district** of Nepal, represents one of our country's most **pristine** and **untouched** rural communities. This remarkable village serves as the **gateway** to the **sacred Halesi Mahadev Temple**, making it both a **spiritual destination** and a **showcase** of **traditional Nepali** village life.

**Geographic Beauty and Landscape**
The village is **blessed** with **breathtaking natural beauty** that captures the heart of every visitor. **Surrounded** by **majestic mountains**, **Lamidada** offers **stunning panoramic views** that change with the **seasons** and **time of day**. The **lush agricultural lands** spread across **terraced hillsides**, showcasing the **traditional farming practices** that have **sustained** the community for generations. These **green fields** create a **beautiful patchwork** across the **landscape**, especially during **planting** and **harvest seasons**.

**Traditional Architecture and Cultural Heritage**
The village features **authentic traditional houses** built with **local materials** like **stone**, **wood**, and **mud**, reflecting **centuries-old** architectural techniques. These houses are **perfectly adapted** to the **mountain climate** and **earthquake-prone** region. The **narrow stone-paved paths** wind through the village, connecting **homes**, **fields**, and **community spaces** in a **harmonious network** that has **remained unchanged** for **decades**.

**Community and People**
**Lamidada** is home to **thick settlements** of the **Rai ethnic community**, known for their **warm hospitality** and **strong cultural traditions**. The **humble villagers** maintain their **traditional lifestyle**, living in **harmony** with **nature** and **preserving** their **ancestral customs**. **Walking along** the **stone paths**, visitors encounter **friendly locals** carrying **firewood** from the **dense forests** and **children grazing** **domestic animals** like **goats**, **cows**, and **buffalo** - scenes that **perfectly capture** the **essence** of **rural Nepal**.

**Natural Environment**
The village is **surrounded** by **thick forests** that provide **timber**, **medicinal plants**, and **wildlife habitat**. These **forests** also serve as **natural protection** against **soil erosion** and **maintain** the **local ecosystem**. The **dense vegetation** creates a **cool microclimate** and provides **fresh**, **clean air** that **contrasts sharply** with **polluted urban environments**.

**Climate and Weather**
**Lamidada** experiences a **pleasant mountain climate** with **distinct seasonal variations**. **Mornings** can be **slightly chilly**, especially during **winter months**, requiring **warm clothing** and **traditional heating methods**. However, **daytime temperatures** become **comfortably warm**, making it **ideal** for **outdoor activities** and **exploration**. This **temperature variation** creates **perfect conditions** for **agriculture** and makes the village **attractive** to **visitors** seeking **escape** from **extreme weather**.

**Cultural and Spiritual Significance**
As the **gateway** to **Halesi Mahadev Temple**, **Lamidada** holds **special religious importance** for **Hindu pilgrims** from across **Nepal** and **India**. The village **benefits** from this **spiritual tourism** while **maintaining** its **traditional character**. **Local festivals** and **religious ceremonies** continue throughout the year, providing **opportunities** for **visitors** to **experience** **authentic** **Nepali culture**.

**Conclusion**
**Lamidada Village** stands as a **perfect example** of **Nepal's hidden treasures** - places where **modernity** has **not yet disturbed** the **natural beauty** and **traditional lifestyle** that define our **rural heritage**. For **travelers** seeking **authentic experiences**, **peaceful environments**, and **connection** with **traditional culture**, **Lamidada** offers an **unforgettable journey** into the **heart** of **rural Nepal**. The village **reminds** us of the **importance** of **preserving** these **precious communities** that **maintain** our **cultural identity** and **environmental balance** in an **increasingly modern world**.

### Writing Tips for Village Descriptions:
1. **Start** with **location** and **general overview**
2. **Describe** **physical features** (mountains, fields, houses)
3. **Include** **people** and **their activities**
4. **Mention** **climate** and **natural environment**
5. **Add** **cultural** and **historical significance**
6. **Use** **descriptive adjectives** and **sensory details**
7. **End** with **personal reflection** or **broader significance**

## ✅ Key Learning Points

### Moral Lessons from the Poem:
- **Contentment** brings true happiness
- **Simple living** can be more satisfying than luxury
- **Security** and **peace** are valuable than material wealth
- **Appreciate** what you have instead of always wanting more
- **Different lifestyles** suit different people

### Literary Understanding:
- **Fables** teach moral lessons through animal characters
- **Repetition** creates rhythm and emphasis in poetry
- **Contrast** helps highlight differences between choices
- **Rhyme schemes** make poems memorable and musical

### Grammar Skills:
- **Connectives** show relationships between ideas
- **Different connectives** express cause, contrast, condition, time
- **Proper usage** makes writing clearer and more logical

### Writing Skills:
- **Descriptive writing** uses specific details and sensory information
- **Good organization** moves from general to specific information
- **Personal observations** make descriptions more engaging
- **Cultural context** adds depth to place descriptions

This comprehensive guide provides everything needed for understanding the poem, mastering the exercises, and developing related language skills for Grade 10 English students.
