

CHAPTER III 



THE CICADA 

 I 



THE CICADA AND THE ANT 



most of us the Cicada's song is unknown, for he 

 lives in the land of the olive-trees. But every one 

 who has read La Fontaine's Fables has heard of 

 the snub the Cicada received from the Ant, though 

 La Fontaine was not the first to tell the tale. 



The Cicada, says the story, did nothing but sing all through 

 the summer, while the Ants were busy storing their provi- 

 sions. When winter came she was hungry, and hurried to 

 her neighbour the Ant to borrow some food. She met with 

 a poor welcome. 



' Why didn't you gather your food in the summer ? ' asked 

 the prudent Ant. 



4 1 was busy singing all the summer,' said the Cicada. 



' Singing, were you ? ' answered the Ant unkindly. ' Well, 

 then, now you may dance ! ' And she turned her back on 

 the beggar. 



Now the insect in this fable could not possibly be a Cicada. 

 La Fontaine, it is plain, was thinking of the Grasshopper, and 

 as a matter of fact the English translations usually substitute 

 a Grasshopper for the Cicada. 



For my village does not contain a peasant so ignorant as 

 to imagine the Cicada ever exists in winter. Every tiller of 

 the soil is familiar with the grub of this insect, which he turns 

 over with his spade whenever he banks up the olive-trees at 

 the approach of cold weather. A thousand times he has seen 



