The cricket and the ant

No. 5 on the route
 

In a bend of the Meuse lived cricket and ant

Like two friends very cozy next to each other.

Where the cricket was a fan of celebration and entertainment

the ant was more of a working specimen.

As the sun climbed with a yawn from its nighttime abode

the ant had been working for some time.

In the meadow along the Meuse River, her diligent humming sounded:

She searched for food all day long.

Now that her shed is filling up nicely and quickly according to plan

From her neighbor's house a song keeps sounding.

'Tis the cricket that screeches its tunes

Ah all that food, he doesn't care now.

When winter's garment of ermine fur

drapes over the hedgerows and meadows,

the ant in her shed looks around quite contentedly

And is it the cricket that nearly creps.

A knock at the door, it's the hungry neighbor:

'Dear Ant, do you have something to schmooze for me?'

But the ant is frugal and then asks very sourly:

'Can't you dance on an empty stomach then?'

© 2021 Geurt Franzen, after a fable by La Fontaine