City Mouse turns up his nose at the Country Mouse’s simple home and plain food. Back at his house in the city, he treats his country cousin to a soft bed, beautiful gardens, and a buffet of delicious things to eat. Country Mouse is greatly impressed with City Mouse’s riches until he meets a cat and nearly loses his life in a mousetrap.

While a little fun is essential for a happy life, wise individuals know that prosperity begins with hard work. Gary and the other grasshoppers want to play all day, and they cannot understand why the ants work so hard and miss all the fun. Alex and the ants know they must work during the spring to have food for the winter.