The Town Rat and the Country Rat
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With my caching partners, we tried to make the cache “containers” fun to find for the whole family. All of them are a few steps only from the trail so that they are easy for little ones to get to. You’ll be looking for a character or object from the fable featured in the cache description, so read the title carefully and have fun! Also, bring a pencil or a pen. Enjoy!
CONGRATS to the LITTLE BUMS (of Burder Bums) on FTF!
As a kid, my favorite stories were some of Jean de La Fontaine’s fables. This series presents some of his better-known stories, and some of the ones that fascinated me the most as a child.
La Fontaine was one of the most read French poets of the 17th century. The fables presented here were first published in 1668, and, for most, adapted from classical fabulists such as Aesop.
The moral to the story…
Even if the fables were not meant to be children’s stories when La Fontaine wrote them, they were seen as a great way to teach kids important lessons: to not be greedy or vain, to work hard, to not underestimate the importance of people or things, to think of the consequences of their actions, etc.
For me, they were just beautifully told.
I hope these caches make you discover – or rediscover – great stories to share with little ones!
The Town Rat and the Country Rat
(Jean de La Fontaine, book 1, fable 9 - translation by Walter Thornbury*)
A rat from town, a country rat
Invited in the civilest way;
For dinner there was just to be
Ortolans and an entrement.
Upon a Turkey carpet soft
The noble feast at last was spread;
I leave you pretty well to guess
The merry, pleasant life they led.
Gay the repast, for plenty reigned,
Nothing was wanting to the fare;
But hardly had it well begun
Ere chance disturbed the friendly pair.
A sudden racket at the door
Alarmed them, and they made retreat;
The city rat was not the last,
His comrade followed fast and fleet.
The noise soon over, they returned,
As rats on such occasions do;
"Come," said the liberal citizen,
"And let us finish our ragout."
"Not a crumb more," the rustic said;
"Tomorrow you shall dine with me;
Don't think me jealous of your state,
Or all your royal luxury;
But then I eat so quiet at home,
And nothing dangerous is near;
Good-bye, my friend, I have no love
For pleasure when it's mixed with fear."
*Jean de La Fontaine. Selected Fables (translation by Walter Thornbury). Mineola : Dover Publications. 2000.
Le rat des villes et le rat des champs
(Jean de La Fontaine, livre 1, fable 9)
Autrefois le rat des villes
Invita le rat des champs,
D'une façon fort civile,
A des reliefs d'ortolans.
Sur un tapis de Turquie
Le couvert se trouva mis.
Je laisse à penser la vie
Que firent ces deux amis.
Le régal fut fort honnête :
Rien ne manquait au festin;
Mais quelqu'un troubla la fête
Pendant qu'ils étaient en train.
A la porte de la salle
Ils entendirent du bruit :
Le rat de ville détale,
Son camarade le suit.
Le bruit cesse, on se retire :
Rats en campagne aussitôt ;
Et le citadin de dire :
«Achevons tout notre rôt.
- C'est assez, dit le rustique ;
Demain vous viendrez chez moi.
Ce n'est pas que je me pique
De tous vos festins de roi ;
Mais rien ne vient m'interrompre :
Je mange tout à loisir.
Adieu donc. Fi du plaisir
Que la crainte peut corrompre!»
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ze. Gbja Eng vf uvqvat ba gur tebhaq orfvqr n snyyra gerr.