The Fable of the Cicada and the Ant 



ditions for knowing all about these things. 

 Then whence did the blunders in his story 

 arise ? 



The Greek fabulist had less excuse than 

 La Fontaine for portraying the Cicada of 

 the books instead of going to the actual 

 Cicada, whose cymbals were echoing at his 

 side ; heedless of the real, he followed tradi- 

 tion. He himself was but echoing a more 

 ancient scribe ; he was repeating some legend 

 handed down from India, the venerable 

 mother of civilizations. Without knowing 

 exactly the story which the Hindu's reed had 

 put in writing to show the danger of a life 

 led without foresight, we are entitled to be- 

 lieve that the little dialogue set down was 

 nearer to the truth than the conversation 

 between the Cicada and the Ant. India, the 

 great lover of animals, was incapable of 

 committing such a mistake. Everything 

 seems to tell us that the leading figure in the 

 original fable was not our Cicada but rather 

 some other creature, an insect if you will, 

 whose habits corresponded fittingly with 

 the text adopted. 



Imported into Greece, after serving for 

 centuries to make the wise reflect and to 

 amuse the children on the banks of the 



