The Fable of the Cicada and the Ant 



the early hours of the morning, my day is 

 lost. 



Oh, little demon, plague of my dwelling 

 which I should like to have so peaceful, they 

 say that the Athenians used to rear you in 

 a cage to enjoy your singing at their ease! 

 One we could do with, perhaps, during the 

 drowsy hour of digestion; but hundreds at 

 a time, all rattling and drumming in our ears 

 when we are trying to collect our thoughts, 

 that is sheer torture ! You say that you were 

 here first, do you? Before I came, you were 

 in undisputed possession of the two plane- 

 trees; and it is I who am the intruder there. 

 I agree. Nevertheless, muffle your drums, 

 moderate your arpeggios, for the sake of 

 your biographer ! 



Truth will have none of the absurd rig- 

 marole which we find in the fable. That 

 there are sometimes relations between the 

 Cicada and the Ant is most certain; only, 

 these relations are the converse of what 

 we are told. They are not made on the 

 initiative of the Cicada, who is never de- 

 pendent on the aid of others for his living; 

 they come from the Ant, a greedy spoiler, 

 who monopolizes every edible thing for her 

 granaries. At no time does the .Cicada go 



