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The country mouse and the city mouse” is one of the most popular English children’s stories. It follows the story of two mice who visit each other to experience each other’s lives. The country mouse lives in the peaceful countryside, where he leads a tranquil life with his humble meals. One day. His cousin, the city mouse, visits him. Seeing the dull life his cousin leads, the city mouse invites him to the city to experience the "fine life". The country mouse comes to visit and sees a daring life in the city where every meal is a struggle. The meal is luxurious, but it comes with the risk of being interrupted by a cat or a human trying to remove you. The city mouse suggests that the risks of city life are worth it for the pleasure and excitement it provides, while the country mouse values safety and security over the thrill of adventure. In the end, both mice accepted that there are different ways of living life, and no way is the correct one.

At first glance, the moral seems small and short, something a kid can easily understand. The moral seems small and short, something a kid can easily understand, but if you spend time thinking more about it, you can enter a deeper hole. The lives of the country mouse and city mouse reflect our kind. Some of us choose to be "city mice", pursuing goals and achievements in life every day. We compete against other city mice to reach the top and obtain our meals, while others choose the life of a "country mouse", living peacefully with very few achievements. Those who don't chase goals enjoy life at their own pace, while those who do push themselves or squeeze life to the limit to achieve. From the story’s perspective, either of these choices is a valid approach to living a life. There are merits and demerits to both of them.

The life of a city mouse A city mouse spends its life chasing after things it often never reflects on. The city mouse spends its life pursuing things without ever pausing to reflect. He/she is always going after the next big thing without appreciating the previous one. He/she is always fast and dangerous, so time flows for him in a similar way, making life feel shorter but packed with adventure. A city mouse always dies young. In contrast, a country mouse's life is characterised by a gradual and steady progression toward the next milestone, taking the time to appreciate the beauty of the journey. He/she waits after completing one goal, seeing the fruit of the labour before going for the next. There is slowness but also security and safety in this method, letting him/her live a longer, more joyful life.

Even if the life of the city mouse is dangerous, so is the life of the country mouse, because life itself is dangerous. There is no such a thing as living life without eventually hitting upon negative moments. Even when walking slowly, you can slip off a wet rock. Both mice live in danger because danger is an inherent part of being a mouse. Everyone wants to be the country mouse until they see the delicious food. Everyone wants delicious food until they see the dangers that come with it. The ones brave enough will still pursue while those with weak willpower give up. There is no wrong in picking either side. That is the philosophy of “the country mouse and the city mouse".