Introduction
Horace, a former military officer who was given a roving brief in the government of Emperor Augustus, chafed under the anxious bustle and empty chatter of life in Rome, and yearned for a quiet talk over beans, greens and streaky bacon in his rural bolt-hole. A sympathetic neighbour was apt to launch into the following tale to humour him.
ONCE upon a time, they say, a country mouse welcomed a city mouse to his modest hole — host and guest were old friends. Rough but ready was our country mouse to satisfy every want, and put his guest at ease; and what more could he do than he did? He did not hold back one pea, or begrudge one long-stored oat; he plied him with a raisin and a scrap of bacon (slightly gnawed) hoping in vain to overcome with varied dishes the sensibilities of a guest whose haughty tooth took ill the touch of every morsel, while the master of the house, reclining on fresh straw,* nibbled on spelt and darnel,* refusing the better fare.
At length the city mouse could endure no more. “My dear fellow, why must you put up with life on the crumbling ridge of a forested hill? Wouldn’t company and the city please you better than wild woods? Trust me, old friend: take to the road. We are allotted no immortal spirit here on earth, and great or small nobody can outrun death, so come with me and live in blissful contentment while you still can. Remember, life is short.”
* In this case, ‘fresh’ is not a recommendation. Bedding straw needs time to dry out.
* Spelt is an older species of wheat, sometimes sold today as a health food but less obliging than modern wheat when it comes to bread-making and so something of a poor man’s choice in earlier ages. Darnel or cockle (Lolium temulentum) is a weed that, thanks to its similarity to wheat and its tendency to develop toxicity, caused serious problems with grain harvests until modern machinery enabled farmers to separate darnel from edible seeds. Darnel is a good candidate for the ‘tares’ (a catch-all word for vetch and similar weeds) in the famous parable: see Matthew 13:24-43.
Précis
A country mouse invited his city friend to a meal, and though he served him with the best he had, it was poor fare enough. The city mouse pitied his friend’s poverty, and reminding him that a mouse’s life is all too short, urged him to come and live in the town where the pickings were so much better. (59 / 60 words)
A country mouse invited his city friend to a meal, and though he served him with the best he had, it was poor fare enough. The city mouse pitied his friend’s poverty, and reminding him that a mouse’s life is all too short, urged him to come and live in the town where the pickings were so much better.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, if, must, unless, until, whether, who.
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