Chapter 1 – The Ant and the Cricket

Content Structure

1. About the author – (Aesop)
2. Theme of the poem
3. Summary of poem
4. Stanza wise explanation
- Stanza 1
- Stanza 2
- Stanza 3
- Stanza 4
- Stanza 5
- Stanza 6
- Stanza 7
5. Word Meanings
6. Passage Based questions & answers
7. Exercise questions & answers
- Working with the poem
8. Additional questions & answers
- Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)
- Fill in the blanks
- True or false
- Match the following
- Short-type questions & answers
- Long-type questions & answers

1. About the author – (Aesop)

Aesop was a famous ancient Greek storyteller. He is known for his fables (short stories) that teach important lessons about life. He used animal characters in his stories to present difficult lessons in a fun and simple way. The Ant and the Cricket, The Tortoise and the Hare, and The Fox and the Grapes are some of his famous fables. Each story has a moral that teaches us about being kind, helpful, honest, and hardworking. His fables are valuable for both children and adults.

2. Theme of the poem

Firstly, it shows overconfidence and laziness.
Secondly, if you waste your time, you cannot get it back.
Thirdly, if you don’t work hard, you won’t win any prizes.

3. Summary of a poem

The poem “The Ant and the Cricket” was written by Aesop. It shows the difference between laziness and hard work. During the summer, the ant worked very hard to store food because when winter came the ground would be covered with snow. On the other hand, the cricket spent the summer singing and dancing. He thought he had plenty of time before winter arrived so he ignored the ant’s warning. When winter finally came the cricket had no food in his house. The cricket went to the ant’s house and asked for food, promising to pay it back later. But the ant refused, saying they did not believe in borrowing or lending food. The cricket, with no food and no help, returned home feeling very sad. In this poem Aesop uses the cricket as a symbol of laziness and the ant as a symbol of hard work.

Moral of the story: If you could not work hard, you would never get any prize.

4. Stanza wise explanation

Stanza 1

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.

Explanation:
The poem ‘The Ant and the Cricket’ tells the story of a silly cricket and a hardworking ant. The cricket loves to sing and dance during summer and spring. He did not collect food for winter. On the other hand, the hardworking ant collected food in summer and stored it for winter. When winter came, the hungry cricket saw that his cupboard was empty.

Stanza 2

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?”

Explanation:
In winter, when the cricket saw that his cupboard was empty, he became very worried. The ground was covered with thick snow, and there was no food anywhere. All the flowers had dried up and the trees had lost their leaves. He had nothing to eat and did not know what to do.

Stanza 3

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

Explanation:
The cricket was very hungry because he had no food for the winter. He was shivering from the cold, soaked from the rain, and feeling weak from hunger. Finally, he decided to go to the ant’s house to ask for food and a warm place to stay.

Stanza 4

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.

Explanation:
The cricket asked the ant for food and shelter during the winter. He promised that if the ant helped him, he would return the food later. The cricket also told the ant that if he didn’t get any food, he would not survive the cold and rainy winter.

Stanza 5

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!

Explanation:
The ant told the cricket that he was his friend but explained that ants don’t believe in lending or borrowing food. The ant then asked the cricket if he had saved any food during the warm summer months. The cricket sadly answered that he had not saved anything for the winter because he had no plan for the future.

Stanza 6

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.”

Explanation:
The cricket told the ant that he had spent the warm season happily singing and dancing because everything looked bright and green. He also said that he didn’t think about the future. After hearing this, the ant told the cricket that if he had spent the summer singing and dancing, he should do the same in winter as well.

Stanza 7

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.

Explanation:
The ant closed the door and did not help the cricket. So, the hungry cricket sadly went away into the cold. In the poem, the author teaches an important lesson about hard work and laziness. The story shows two characters: one is hardworking and gets rewarded for his efforts, while the other is lazy and gets nothing.

5. Word Meanings

Word	Meaning
Accustomed to singing	Used to singing
Famine	Having nothing to eat
Lay nothing by	Save nothing
Quoth	Said
Starvation	Extreme hunger
Borrow	To take something for a short time and return it later
Hastily lifted	Quickly picked up
Gay	Cheerful

6. Passage Based Questions

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
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.

1. What did the cricket love to do in summer?
(a) Work
(b) Sing and dance
(c) Sleep
(d) Finding food

Ans: (b) Sing and dance

2. Why was the cricket sad in winter?
(a) He was cold
(b) He had no food
(c) He was sleepy
(d) He did not find food

Ans: (b) He had no food

3. Describe the character of the cricket.
Ans: In the poem, the author shows that the cricket was lazy and loved to sing and dance from summer to spring. He did not think about saving for the future.

$. Why was the cricket sad?
Ans: The cricket was sad because he had no food or shelter for winter alive.

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
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?”

1. What was on the ground?
(a) Flowers
(b) Snow
(c) Grass
(d) Leaves

Ans: (b) Snow

2. How did the cricket feel?
(a) Happy
(b) Worried
(c) Sleepy
(d) Angry

Ans: (b) Worried

3. Why was the cricket worried?
Ans: The cricket was worried because in winter everything was covered with snow and every leaf had fallen so he could not find any food.

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
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

1. How was the cricket feeling in winter?
(a) Warm and happy
(b) Wet and shivering
(c) Sleepy and full
(d) Wet and angry

Ans: (b) Wet and shivering

2. Why did the cricket become brave?
(a) He was hungry and cold
(b) He wanted to play
(c) He found food
(d) He felt happy

Ans: (a) He was hungry and cold

3. What does “miserly” mean?
Ans: Miserly means someone who does not like to share anything.

4. Why did the cricket go to the ant house?
Ans: The cricket goes to the ant house because it asks for some food and shelter.

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
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.

1. When did the cricket promise to repay?
(a) Next year
(b) Tomorrow
(c) Next summer
(d) Next winter

Ans: (b) Tomorrow

2. What did the cricket ask for?
(a) A shelter
(b) A mouthful of grain
(c) Both a & b
(d) None of these

Ans: (c) Both a & b

3. What was cricket promised to an ant?
Ans: The cricket wanted some food and shelter in winter from an ant and he also promised her if they would get something, he would return it by tomorrow.

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
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!

1. What did the ant say ants never do?
(a) Sing and dance
(b) Sleep in winter
(c) Borrow or lend
(d) Playing in winter

Ans: (c) Borrow or lend

2. What does the ant call himself to the cricket?
(a) Enemy
(b) Servant and friend
(c) Teacher
(d) Only friend

Ans: (b) Servant and friend

3. What did the ant ask the cricket? What was the cricket said to the ant?
Ans: The ant asked the cricket if he had stored any food for the winter during the warm season. The cricket sadly replied that he had not planned for the future.

4. Why did the ant not help?
Ans: The ant did not believe in borrowing and lending, so in this rule, the ant refused the cricket for help.

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
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.”

1. What did the ant tell the cricket to do in winter?
(a) Dance and sing the winter
(b) Playing in winter
(c) Sleep all day
(d) Finding the food

Ans: (a) Dance and sing the winter

2. What does “heart light” mean?
(a) Feeling sad and angry
(b) Feeling heavy and sad
(c) Feeling tired and sleepy
(d) Feeling happy and carefree

Ans: (d) Feeling happy and carefree

3. Why was the cricket told to dance in the winter?
Ans: The ant said to the cricket dancing in winter because the cricket enjoyed all warm season dancing and did not think about the future.

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
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.

1. What does the story teach?
(a) Always play
(b) Work and save for the future
(c) Winter is fun
(d) Always helping others

Ans: (b) Work and save for the future

2. How did the cricket feel?
(a) Happy
(b) Angry
(c) Excited
(d) Sad

Ans: (d) Sad

3. “Some crickets have four legs, and some have two.” – Described the line.
Ans: In the poem, the author shows the character Cricket as a lazy person who did not think about future savings and was always waiting for others help.

7. Exercise questions & answers

Working with the poem

1. The cricket says, “Oh! What will become of me?” When does he say it, and why?
Ans: The cricket says, “Oh! What will become of me?” when winter comes, and he has no food because he spent summer singing, dancing, and ignoring collecting food like the ant.

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?
Ans:
(i) The lines that mean the same as “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” are:
“We ants never borrow, we ants never lend.”

(ii) The ant believes in hard work and saving food for the future.

3. The ant tells the cricket to “dance the winter away.” Do you think the word ‘dance’ is appropriate here? If so, why?
Ans: Yes, the word dance is correct because the cricket spent all summer singing and dancing. He did not do any hard work for stored food so the ant was telling him to continue having fun in winter.

4. (i) Which lines in the poem express the poet’s comment? Read them aloud.
(ii) Write the comment in your own words.
Ans:
(i) The poet expresses her comment in these lines:
“Folks call this a fable; I’ll warrant it true; some crickets have four legs, and some have two.”

(ii) This means that the poem is not talking about insects; it is also talking about some people, like the cricket, who always waste time and do not plan for her future.

8. Additional questions & answers

Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)

1. Who wrote the poem The Ant and the Cricket?
(a) Shakespeare
(b) Aesop
(c) Keats
(d) Frost

Ans: (b) Aesop

2. Who stored food for the winter?
(a) The Ant
(b) The Cricket
(c) The Grasshopper
(d) The Butterfly

Ans: (a) The Ant

3. How was the cricket’s personality?
(a) Hardworking and wise
(b) Brave and strong
(c) Lazy and careless
(d) Quiet and shy

Ans: (c) Lazy and careless

4. What did the cricket love to do in summer?
(a) Working hard
(b) Sleeping and singing
(c) Eating and dancing
(d) Singing and dancing

Ans: (d) Singing and dancing

5. Where did the cricket go for help?
(a) To a bird
(b) To an ant
(c) To a tree
(d) To a butterfly

Ans: (b) To an ant

6. What does “some crickets have two legs” mean?
(a) Some people act like the lazy cricket
(b) Different types of cricket
(c) Some crickets have no legs
(d) Some crickets like to sing

Ans: (a) Some people act like the lazy cricket

7. What is the lesson of the story?
(a) Always help others
(b) Winter is cold
(c) Singing is fun
(d) Work hard and think for the future

Ans: (d) Work hard and think for the future

8. What did the ant tell the cricket to do in winter?
(a) Go and work hard.
(b) Sing and dance the winter away.
(c) Stay inside my house.
(d) Go to sleep.

Ans: (b) Sing and dance the winter away.

9. Why was the cricket sad in winter?
(a) He lost his home
(b) He had no food
(c) He was feeling sleepy
(d) He was cold

Ans: (b) He had no food

10. Why didn’t the cricket save food?
(a) He was lazy
(b) He was busy searching for food
(c) He was too busy singing and dancing
(d) He was sick

Ans: (c) He was too busy singing and dancing

Fill in the blanks

1. The cricket was _________ and loved to sing. (Lazy)
2. When winter came, the cricket’s _____________ was empty. (Cupboard)
3. _____________ went to the ant for help. (The cricket)
4. The cricket asked for ________ and a mouthful of grain. (Shelter)
5. The ant told the cricket, “We ants never ___________ and never ___________.” (Borrow, lend)
6. The poem teaches us the importance of saving and ___________. (Hard work)
7. He sang during the warm, sunny months of ___________ and _________. (Summer, spring)
8. The cricket was cold, ___________ and _______________. (Wet, hungry)

True or false

1. The ant believed in lending and borrowing food. (False)

2. The ground was covered with snow in the winter. (True)

3. In winter the cricket’s cupboard was empty. (True)

4. The ant happily shared food with the cricket. (False)

5. The story teaches the lesson that sharing and helping is important. (False)

Match the following

Column A	Column B
(i) The cricket was	(a) To store food for winter
(ii) The ant did not	(b) Hardworking
(iii) The ant was	(c) Lend food
(iv) The ant worked hard	(d) Lazy and careless

Ans:

Column A	Column B
(i) The cricket was	(d) Lazy and careless
(ii) The ant did not	(c) Lend food
(iii) The ant was	(b) Hardworking
(iv) The ant worked hard	(a) To store food for winter

Short-type questions & answers

1. Why was the ant saving food for winter?
Ans: The ant saved food for winter because, during winter, the ground is covered with snow, and no flowers or leaves grow on trees.

2. Describe the character of the cricket.
Ans: The cricket was lazy and careless. While the ant worked hard to collect food, the cricket spent the summer singing and dancing.

3. How did the cricket get wet?
Ans: The cricket got wet because he went to the ant’s house to beg some food in the winter rain.

4. Why didn’t the ant help the cricket?
Ans: The ant didn’t help because he believed in hard work and did not believe in borrowing or lending.

5. What promise did the cricket make to the ant?
Ans: The cricket promised the ant that if he gave him food, he would return it later.

Long-type questions & answers

1. How does the author describe the character of the cricket?
or,
What lesson does the author want to teach in the poem?
Ans: In the poem “The Ant and the Cricket,” Aesop teaches us about hard work, planning, and saving for the future. The ant is hardworking and careful, gathering food during the summer and spring so that it has enough to eat when winter comes. On the other hand, the cricket is lazy and careless; he spends the summer singing and dancing. When winter comes, his cupboard is empty, so he goes to the ant’s house during the cold and rain to ask for food, but the ant refuses to help because it believes in neither giving nor receiving help. Through this story, the author wants to teach us that being hardworking and planning for the future is very important. If we do not prepare for the future we may face difficulties and may not get help from others. If we work hard today it will make our future better.