Lectura 1: dos fábulas de Esopo

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

A mouse who lived in a big city once went to visit her cousin in the country. For lunch, the Country Mouse served some seeds, a few roots and a little cold water. The Town Mouse ate very little. She was too polite to say anything, but it was clear that she didn't like the simple food.

After lunch, the Town Mouse talked for hours about her exciting life in the city, while the Country Mouse listened. That night, the Country Mouse dreamed about all the wonderful things her cousin had described. So the next day, when the Town Mouse invited her to the city, she happily said yes.

The Town Mouse lived in a big, elegant house. On the dining-room table there were the remains of a fantastic dinner: cakes, sweets and delicious cheeses. But just as the Country Mouse was about to take a bite of cake, she heard a cat outside the door. The two mice ran to a hiding place and stayed there for a long time, hardly daring to breathe. When they finally came out, the door opened and the servants came in to clear the table, followed by the dog.

The Country Mouse only stopped long enough to pick up her bag and her umbrella. “You may have many fine things that I don't have,” she said as she hurried away, “but I prefer my simple food and my quiet life in the country, where I can eat in peace.”

Moral: A simple life without fear is better than a rich life full of worry.

The Fox and the Grapes

One day a fox saw a beautiful bunch of grapes hanging from a high branch. The grapes looked ripe and full of juice, and the fox's mouth began to water.

The branch was very high, so the fox had to jump. The first time, he missed the grapes by a long way. So he walked back a few steps, ran and jumped again, but he still couldn't reach them. He tried again and again, but it was no use.

In the end, he sat down and looked at the grapes angrily. “How stupid I am,” he said. “I'm getting tired trying to reach some sour grapes. They aren't worth the effort.” And he walked away with his nose in the air.

Moral: Some people pretend they don't want the things that they cannot have.