The Ant And The Cricket (Poem)
Class 10 | English | Unit 4
The Ant and the Cricket
Adapted from Aesop's fables
A fable is a traditional story that teaches us a moral lesson. Usually the characters in the fables are animals. This poem 'The Ant and the Cricket' teaches us the importance of hard work and planning.
A silly young cricket, accustomed to sing
Through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring,
Began to complain when he found that, at home,
His cupboard was empty, and winter was come.
Not a crumb to be found
On the snow-covered ground;
Not a flower could he see,
Not a leaf on a tree.
"Oh! what will become," says cricket, "of me?"
At last by starvation and famine made bold,
All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold,
Away he set off to a miserly ant,
To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant
Him shelter from rain.
And a mouthful of grain.
He wished only to borrow;
He'd repay it tomorrow;
If not, he must die of starvation and sorrow.
Says the ant to the
cricket, "I'm your servant
and friend,
But we ants never
borrow; we ants never
lend.
But tell me, dear cricket,
Did you lay anything by
When the weather was
warm?" Quoth the cricket,
"Not I!
My heart was so light
That I sang day and night,
For all nature looked gay."
"For all nature looked gay".
" You sang, Sir, you say?
Go then", says the ant, "and dance the winter away".
Thus ending, he hastily lifted the wicket,
And out of the door turned the poor little cricket.
Folks call this a fable. I'll warrant it true:
Some crickets have four legs, and some have two.
About the Poet
'Aesop's fables' is a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and a story teller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 B.C.E. These fables became popular when they emerged in print. Several stories are attributed to Aesop even today. The process of inclusion is continuous and new stories are being added. Collections of Aesop's fables were among the earliest books to be printed in many languages.
Cricket is a brown or black insect related to the grasshopper but with shorter legs. It is a small insect that produces short, loud sounds by rubbing its wings together.
Vocabulary
- accustomed to (v) – be used to
- gay (adj.) – glad, joyful
- crumb (n) – piece of bread
- famine (n) – extreme scarcity of food
- miserly (adj.) – stingy, ungenerous
- quoth (v) – said (old English usage, used only in first and third person singular before the subject)
- hastily (adv.) – hurriedly
- warrant (v) – guarantee, promise
A. Based on your understanding of the poem, read the following lines and answer the questions given below.
1. A silly young cricket accustomed to sing
Through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring.
a) What was the routine of the cricket?
b) Name the seasons mentioned here.
2. Began to complain when he found that, at home,
His cupboard was empty, and winter was come.
a) Who does 'he' refer to?
b) Why was his cupboard empty?
3. Not a crumb to be found
On the snow-covered ground;
a) What couldn't he find on the ground?
b) Why was the ground covered with snow?
4. At last by starvation and famine made bold,
All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold,
a) What made the cricket bold?
b) Why did the cricket drip and tremble?
5. Away he set off to a miserly ant,
To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant
Him shelter from rain,
And a mouthful of grain.
a) Whom did the cricket want to meet? Why?
b) What would keep him alive?
6. But we ants never borrow;
we ants never lend.
a) Why do you think ants neither borrow nor lend?
b) Who says these lines to whom?
7. '' Not I!
My heart was so light
That I sang day and night,
For all nature looked gay."
a) Who does 'I' refer to?
b) What was the nature of the cricket? How do you know?
8. Thus ending, he hastily lifted the wicket,
And out of the door turned the poor little cricket,
a) The ant refused to help the cricket. Why?
b) Explain the second line.
9. He wished only to borrow;
He'd repay it tomorrow;
a) Pick out the rhyming words in the above lines.
b) Give more examples of rhyming words from the poem.
10. My heart was so light
that I sang day and night,
For all nature looked gay.
"You sang , Sir , you say"?
a) Mention the rhyme scheme employed in the above lines.
B. Based on your understanding of the poem, complete the summary using the phrases given below.
In this narrative poem, the poet brings out the idea that is essential for every creature. He conveys this message to the readers through a story of _____(1)____ The ant spends all its summer saving _____ (2) _____. The cricket _____ (3) _____ happily in the summer. He _____ (4)_____ anything for the winter. When winter comes, he is worried that his _____ (5)_____ is empty. So, he seeks the help of the ant to have _____ (6)_____ and a _____ (7)_____ to stay. The cricket was even prepared to repay it in the future. The ant made it clear that ants _____ (8)_____. He also enquired the cricket if it had saved anything when the weather was fine. The cricket answered that it had sung day and night enjoying ____ (9)______. The ant threw the cricket out and stated in a stern voice it should dance in the winter season too. In his concluding lines, the poet affirms that this is not _____ (10) _____ but it is true and applicable to _____ (11) _____ also.
(the pleasant nature, human beings, doesn't save, warm place, kitchen cupboard, just a fable, saving for future, some grains, never borrow or lend, an ant and a cricket, sings and dances)
C. Answer each of the following questions in a paragraph about 100 words.
1. ' Some crickets have four legs and some have two'. Elucidate this statement from the poet's point of view.
2. Compare and contrast the attitude of the ant and the cricket.
3. If given a chance, who would you want to be- the ant or the cricket? Justify your answer.
Read and Enjoy
City Mouse and Country Mouse Exchange Visits
A wealthy city mouse once came
To view his country cousin's clutter,
He stayed for lunch but all they ate
Were sandwiches of peanut butter.
You call that lunch? the rich mouse said,
Call this a house? He laughed with glee,
Come into town tonight, he said,
Step up a notch and visit me!
So in they went and to a house
With walls of stone and gardens green,
And soon were eating steaks and chops
And every kind of haute cuisine.
This is the life! said Country Mouse,
I've been a bumpkin long enough!
THEN suddenly four dogs burst in
With masters shouting, loud and gruff.
LOOK OUT! the city cousin screamed
And dove into a bag of coal,
The country mouse leaped to the floor
And ran like lightning down a hole,
And never stopped until he came
Back to his peaceful country door.
Enough! he said, of city life,
It's great--but not worth dying for.
MORAL: Peace of mind is the greatest wealth.
Practice Practice Exercises
a. What was the routine of the cricket?
b. Name the seasons mentioned here.
a. Who does he refer to?
b. Why was his cupboard empty?
a. What couldn't he find on the ground?
b. Why was the ground covered with snow?
a. What made the cricket bold?
b. Why did the cricket drip and tremble?
a. Whom did the cricket want to meet? Why?
b. What would keep him alive?
a. Why do you think ants neither borrow nor lend?
b. Who says these lines to whom?
a. Who does 'I' refer to?
b. What was the nature of the cricket? How do you know?
a. The ant refused to help the cricket. Why?
b. Explain the second line.
a. Pick out the rhyming words in the above lines.
b. Give more examples of rhyming words from the poem.
a. Mention the rhyme scheme employed in the above lines.
In this narrative poem, the poet brings out the idea that is essential for every creature. He conveys this message to the readers through a story of The ant spends all its summer saving . The cricket happily in the summer. He anything for the winter. When winter comes, he is worried that his is empty. So, he seeks the help of the ant to have and a to stay. The cricket was even prepared to repay it in the future. The ant made it clear that ants . He also enquired the cricket if it had saved anything when the weather was fine. The cricket answered that it had sung day and night enjoying
. The ant threw the cricket out and stated in a stern voice it should dance in the winter season too. In his concluding lines, the poet affirms that this is not but it is true and applicable to also.
1. 'Some crickets have four legs and some have two'. Elucidate this statement from the poet's point of view.
2. Compare and contrast the attitude of the ant and the cricket.
3. If given a chance, who would you want to be- the ant or the cricket? Justify your answer.