Roquefort’s Cousin

Roquefort’s mousehole is in grand house in Paris.  The house is beautifully furnished, and every where there colourful, bright, cheerful, interesting and exciting thing for Roquefort to see.
“I’m glad my mousehole is in such a splendid place,” thought Roquefort, one morning.  “I shall go out of my hole look around the house as soon as I have finished breakfast.  There’s bound to be something new for me to look at.  How glad I am that I am not like my cousin.”
Roquefort’s cousin lives in England.  He is a church mouse, because he lives in church.
“I shouldn’t care to live in a church,” though Roquefort.  “Churches are often big, dark and draughty.  I don’t suppose he has exciting things to see.”
It was then that Roquefort decided to visit his mouse cousin.
“Perhaps I can persuade him to come to Paris,” thought Roquefort. “I must brighten up his poor dull life.”
Roquefort set off for England that very day.  He managed to get himself rides on a backs of several trucks, and he stowed away on ship.  It was several weeks after Roquefort had first left Paris that he arrived at the big church, where he knew he would find his cousin.  The mouse was thrilled to see Roquefort.
“I’m glad you’ve come today,” he said. “Today is a special day, because lots of people are going to come and decorate the church for Harvest Festival.”
The mouse explained that this was a special services in which everyone said ‘thank-you’ for the harvest.  Folk soon began arriving bringing apples, loaves of homemade bread, wheat, barley, pears, plums, nuts, berries and pots of homemade jam.  These where arranged around the altar, and the rest of the church was decorated with flowers, grasses, leaves and plants. That evening the people came back in their best clothes, and the church was filled with the sounds of organ music and hymn singing.
“I see that church mouse has in interesting life after all,” said Roquefort.
“Oh yes,” squeaked his cousins.  “At Christmas time, too, the church look beautiful, and at Easter and Mother’s Day, and there are always fresh flowers to see every week.”
Roquefort didn’t have to feel sorry for his church mouse cousin any longer!