exquisita cortesía
impeccable courtesyExquisita describes refined manners here, not the taste of food.
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El ratón de la corte y el del campo
B2 · Chapter 1 of 3 · Edition 1
El esplendor de la despensa
The splendour of the pantry
Adapted from El ratón de la corte y el del campo, by Félix María Samaniego.
Un ratón que vivía en la corte invitó con exquisita cortesía a un ratón campesino. El visitante, habituado a una casa de tierra y a las legumbres de cada día, aceptó la ocasión de conocer aquella vida. Su anfitrión no necesitó presumir demasiado: bastó con abrirle paso a la despensa donde se alojaba para que el contraste resultara evidente.
Ante sus ojos se extendía una abundancia difícil de imaginar desde el campo. Había tocino, queso fresco de Holanda, jamones y toda clase de carnes curadas. Las provisiones ocupaban el cuarto y colgaban de las paredes y del techo como si fueran adornos. Ni una imaginaria ciudad de ratones habría preparado un alojamiento más espléndido para recibir a su soberano.
Los dos recorrían aquel pequeño reino de sabores saltando de una pieza de comida a otra. El campesino, fascinado, se dejó llevar por el entusiasmo de su amigo. Cada bocado parecía confirmar la ventaja de vivir allí. En medio de tanto placer, ninguno prestaba atención a lo que sucedía al otro lado de la puerta.
A mouse who lived at court invited a country mouse with exquisite courtesy. The visitor, accustomed to a home in the earth and his daily pulses, accepted the chance to discover that life. His host did not need to boast much: simply letting him into the pantry where he lived was enough to make the contrast obvious.
Before his eyes lay an abundance difficult to imagine from the country. There was bacon, fresh Dutch cheese, hams and all kinds of cured meats. The provisions filled the room and hung from the walls and ceiling as though they were decorations. Not even an imaginary city of mice could have prepared more splendid accommodation to welcome its sovereign.
The two explored that little kingdom of flavours, jumping from one piece of food to another. The country mouse, fascinated, let himself be carried away by his friend’s enthusiasm. Each mouthful seemed to confirm the advantage of living there. Amid so much pleasure, neither paid attention to what was happening on the other side of the door.
Key Phrases
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abrirle paso
make way for himAbrir paso means clearing or opening a way. Le identifies the guest being allowed through.
se dejó llevar
let himself be carried awayDejarse llevar describes allowing a feeling or another person’s enthusiasm to guide one’s actions.
Original source and edition
Adapted from El ratón de la corte y el del campo, by Félix María Samaniego.
Spanish prose adaptations by Read Spanish Daily. These versions retell one fable; they are not the original verse or the complete collection.
Fábulas en verso castellano, volume I, book I, fable VIII. Madrid: Oficina de Cano, 1818, pages 9–10. Original Spanish text in the public domain.
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