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A fable is a story, often with animals as characters, that conveys
a moral. This poem about an ant and a cricket contains an idea
of far-reaching significance, which is as true of a four-legged
cricket as of a ‘two-legged one’. Surely, you have seen a cricket
that has two legs!
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 the 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.
Reprint 2024-25
Page 2


A fable is a story, often with animals as characters, that conveys
a moral. This poem about an ant and a cricket contains an idea
of far-reaching significance, which is as true of a four-legged
cricket as of a ‘two-legged one’. Surely, you have seen a cricket
that has two legs!
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 the 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.
Reprint 2024-25
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 nothing 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.”
“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.
adapted from Aesop’s Fables
accustomed to sing: used to singing; in the habit of singing
famine: scarcity of food; having nothing to eat
lay nothing by: save nothing
quoth: (old English) said
Honeydew 22
Reprint 2024-25
Page 3


A fable is a story, often with animals as characters, that conveys
a moral. This poem about an ant and a cricket contains an idea
of far-reaching significance, which is as true of a four-legged
cricket as of a ‘two-legged one’. Surely, you have seen a cricket
that has two legs!
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 the 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.
Reprint 2024-25
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 nothing 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.”
“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.
adapted from Aesop’s Fables
accustomed to sing: used to singing; in the habit of singing
famine: scarcity of food; having nothing to eat
lay nothing by: save nothing
quoth: (old English) said
Honeydew 22
Reprint 2024-25
1. The cricket says, “Oh! what will become of me?” When does he say it,
and why?
2. (i) Find in the poem the lines that mean the same as “Neither a borrower
nor a lender be” (Shakespeare).
(ii) What is your opinion of the ant’s principles?
3. The ant tells the cricket to “dance the winter away”. Do you think the word
‘dance’ is appropriate here? If so, why?
4. (i) Which lines in the poem express the poet's comment? Read them aloud.
(ii) Write the comment in your own words.
If you know a fable in your own language, narrate it to your classmates.
The Ant and the Cricket 23
Answers to Questions on page 9.
(a) American Declaration of Independence.
(b) Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first flight, remaining in the air
for 12 seconds and covering 120 feet.
(c) Hiroshima Day: an atomic bomb was dropped on  Hiroshima in Japan on
this day.
(d) Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
(e) Yuri A. Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth.
(f) Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon.
Reprint 2024-25
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FAQs on NCERT Textbook : Poem - The Ant and the Cricket - English Class 8

1. What is the poem "The Ant and the Cricket" about?
Ans. The poem "The Ant and the Cricket" is about the ant who worked hard during summer to save food for the winter season and the cricket who enjoyed the summer season and did not save any food for the winter. The poem teaches us the importance of hard work and the consequences of laziness.
2. What is the moral of the poem "The Ant and the Cricket"?
Ans. The moral of the poem "The Ant and the Cricket" is that hard work always pays off in the long run. The ant worked hard during summer and saved food for the winter season, while the cricket enjoyed the summer season and did not save any food for the winter. As a result, the ant survived the winter, and the cricket suffered. The poem teaches us the importance of hard work and the consequences of laziness.
3. What is the significance of the ant in the poem "The Ant and the Cricket"?
Ans. The ant is significant in the poem "The Ant and the Cricket" because it represents hard work, discipline, and responsibility. The ant worked hard during the summer season to save food for the winter season, and this represents the importance of planning and preparing for the future.
4. What is the significance of the cricket in the poem "The Ant and the Cricket"?
Ans. The cricket is significant in the poem "The Ant and the Cricket" because it represents laziness and irresponsibility. The cricket enjoyed the summer season and did not save any food for the winter season, which represents the consequences of not planning and preparing for the future.
5. How does the poem "The Ant and the Cricket" relate to our daily lives?
Ans. The poem "The Ant and the Cricket" relates to our daily lives by teaching us the importance of hard work, discipline, and responsibility. Just like the ant, we should work hard and plan for our future to achieve our goals. The poem also teaches us the consequences of laziness and irresponsibility, which we can apply to our daily lives by avoiding procrastination and taking responsibility for our actions.
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