Toulouse Saint Simon, Etang du Parc Monlong 2 août 2017
Il y a les rats des villes, les rats des champs et le Rat du
Parc Monlong.
There are
city rats, there are country rats and there is the Park Monlong's Rat.
Un rat des champs avait pour ami un rat de maison. Le rat de
maison invité par son ami s’empressa d’aller dîner à la campagne. Mais comme il
n’avait à manger que de l’herbe et du blé, il dit : « Sais-tu bien, mon ami,
que tu mènes une vie de fourmi ? Moi, au contraire, j’ai des biens en
abondance. Viens avec moi, je les mets tous à ta disposition. » Ils partirent
aussitôt tous les deux. Le rat de maison fit voir à son camarade des légumes et
du blé, et avec cela des figues, un fromage, du miel, des fruits. Et celui-ci
émerveillé le bénissait de tout son cœur, et maudissait sa propre fortune.
Comme ils s’apprêtaient à commencer le festin, soudain un homme ouvrit la
porte. Effrayés du bruit, nos rats se précipitèrent peureusement dans les
fentes. Puis comme ils revenaient pour prendre des figues sèches, une autre
personne vint chercher quelque chose à l’intérieur de la chambre. À sa vue, ils
se précipitèrent encore une fois dans un trou pour s’y cacher. Et alors le rat
des champs, oubliant la faim, soupira et dit à l’autre : « Adieu, mon ami, tu
manges à satiété et tu t’en donnes à cœur joie, mais au prix du danger et de
mille craintes. Moi, pauvret, je vais vivre en grignotant de l’orge et du blé,
mais sans craindre ni suspecter personne. »
A country mouse invited a Town Mouse, an
intimate friend, to pay him a visit and partake of his country fare. As they
were on the bare plowlands, eating there wheat-stocks and roots pulled up from
the hedgerow, the Town Mouse said to his friend, “You live here the life of the
ants, while in my house is the horn of plenty. I am surrounded by every luxury,
and if you will come with me, as I wish you would, you shall have an ample
share of my dainties.” The Country Mouse was easily persuaded, and returned to
town with his friend. On his arrival, the Town Mouse placed before him bread,
barley, beans, dried figs, honey, raisins, and, last of all, brought a dainty
piece of cheese from a basket. The Country Mouse, being much delighted at the
sight of such good cheer, expressed his satisfaction in warm terms and lamented
his own hard fate. Just as they were beginning to eat, someone opened the door,
and they both ran off squeaking, as fast as they could, to a hole so narrow
that two could only find room in it by squeezing. They had scarcely begun their
repast again when someone else entered to take something out of a cupboard,
whereupon the two Mice, more frightened than before, ran away and hid
themselves. At last the Country Mouse, almost famished, said to his friend:
“Although you have prepared for me so dainty a feast, I must leave you to enjoy
it by yourself. It is surrounded by too many dangers to please me. I prefer my
bare plowlands and roots from the hedgerow, where I can live in safety, and
without fear.”
Articles
