CHAPTER II 



THE FAIRY TALE AND THE TBUE STORY 



THE six of them were gathered together. Uncle 

 Paul was reading in a big book, Jacques 

 braiding a wicker basket, Mother Ambroisine plying 

 IK r distaff, Claire marking linen with red thread, 

 Kmile and Jules playing with the Noah's Ark. And 

 wlu'ii they had lined up the horse after the camel, the 

 dog after the horse, then the sheep, donkey, ox, lion, 

 elephant, bear, gazelle, and a great many others, 

 when they had them all arranged in a long procession 

 lending to the ark, Emile and Jules, tired of playing, 

 said to Mother Ambroisine: "Tell us a story, 

 Mother Ambroisine one that will amuse us." 



And with the simplicity of old age Mother Am- 

 spoke as follows, at the same time twirling 

 spindle: 



< )nce upon a time a grasshopper went to the fair 

 with an ant. The river was all frozen. Then the 

 grasshopper gave a jump and landed on the other 

 of the ice, but the ant could not do this ; and it 

 said to the grasshopper: 'Take me on your shoul- 

 ders; I wciiib so little.' But the grasshopper said: 

 4 1 >< > as I do ; give a spring, and jump. ' The ant gave 

 a spring, but slipped and broke its leg. 



" Ice, ice, the strong should be kind; but you are 

 \\ ick<-d. In bave broken the ant's leg poor little leg. 



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