The Ant and the Grasshopper

Most of us have heard of the famous Aesop fable, The Ant and the Grasshopper. It is one that comes to mind this time of year: that time of year when the farmer is harvesting his bountiful crop and the weather is cooling off a bit. Oh, the pumpkins, the apples, the fall garden!

The farmer has to be diligent and vigilant. There is much work to do bringing in that harvest and a multitude of hours planting, watering, and tending before he can reap that harvest. Sometimes he loses, sometimes he wins; but he plods along, planning and preparing for the long winter to come. He cannot afford to be lazy or procrastinate; and he cannot begin and then slack off, or he may lose a good portion of his investment, if not it's entirety.

The ant was quite hardworking in this fable, as ants tend to be. Ants work together as a community, each helping each other as a group. They must all pitch in or the tasks will not get done. So they plod along. It may be hot, but that is no deterrent. Each one must endure, even in hardness—and never, Never, NEVER give up.

The grasshopper on the other hand was neither industrious nor foresighted. He was merry and happy to play, but had not ambition to work. He wanted to have fun, to live the easy life. He reminds me of the pig brothers who built their houses of sticks and straw. They wanted only to do that which was easy, avoiding hard work. So here is a grasshopper, as well as lazy pigs, playing on their fiddles and avoiding the toiling tasks.

Now, he may have been willing to work a bit, but not too much; or he may have been willing to work but procrastinated until it was too late. He was distracted from what is important because of his fiddle. Remember, growing food for the winter requires foresightedness, planning, and steadfastness. We live in a world full of many distractions. Technologies and devices abound; entertainment lurks around every corner; lights and noises dazzle us, the simple things shrouded from view. Where aught the eyes to land and remain? When distracted by such a multiplicity of dazzling goods, tools, entertainments, delights, etc. it is difficult to keep one's eyes on the goal and “harvest the winter's store.”

The ants turn the grasshopper away, out into the cold when the winter's cold begins.

“What were you doing all summer,” the ants tell him.

“I was playing on my fiddle, singing and dancing,” replied the grasshopper.

Oh the vice of too much play and entertaining distractions! He wasted his time in frivolities and improvidence! Some versions of the story, though, have the ants pitying the rueful grasshopper, teaching a lesson about mercy in spite of one's failings –a truth which has it's place. Are we harsh toward others who are not as hardworking as we? Or perhaps there is another area of character in which we ourselves are strong, another weaker. Again, the concept of community with the ants. They all work together. Some do some jobs, others doing another. We all have strengths and weaknesses: they are just in different things in varying amounts.

The Biblical proverbs record, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise.” (Prov. 6:6) We can all walk away from this tale with a number of life lessons:

1. The importance of hard work, industry, and diligence
2. The importance of compassion and charity
3. The importance of living a life free from distractions—may they not rule us.

“Idleness brings want,” so goes the adage. Simultaneously, though, let us not forget the importance of “stopping to smell the roses” along the road of life. Let us not be too busy for the simple things and to take the time to help and give to others.

A Word from Ollie

Whooo, Whooo! Helloo there. Wow! What a lesson this old tale has for us! When we hear old tales, it is easy for us just to hear an entertaining story; but I have some advice for us all: I think it would be good to really ponder afterwards what the point of the stories are. Ask yourself, “Why was this story written? Is there some truth the author is trying to convey?”  Adopting this practice, we may learn a lot more in life.

Here is a word to think about: sedulous. This word (sedulous) is an adjective meaning “showing dedication and diligence.” The grasshopper was not sedulous. The ants were sedulous. Let us all be sedulous and assiduous (a similar word) as we ply the tasks before us this harvest.

Bye for now my fine feathered friends—or furry friend . . . or human friend.

The Crafty Corner

Here is a great set of dolls I made that tell the story of the Three Little Pigs. Two of the brothers were lazy and improvident like the grasshopper in this month's story. They were not foresighted, but rather, thought only of the here and now.

They are made almost entirely of felt—even their clothes. You may have noticed the pockets in their clothes. Notice that one pig has a brick in his pocket; the second pig some straw in his, and in the third, a stick. I used a French knot for each of the eyes. The clothes were quite simple compared to many patterns. Because they are made of felt and felt doesn't fray like most other fabrics do, I didn't need to hem the edges. These little dolls are great for parents or teachers who would like to use them when telling the story to others. Check out my Etsy shop where these dolls and others are listed for sale.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/StorybookCraftsShop

For more thought about the Three Little Pigs, take a look at the June 20017 post (The Brother Pigs Three) in the archives section of this blog.

Book of the Month

So, what book are you reading at this time? I just finished reading a biography about William Penn entitled William Penn: Liberty and Justice for All by Janet and Geoff Benge. What an enduring life he lived! What hardships and treachery he endured! But he had a cause and was faithful to what he believed. I had no idea the extent to which he endured such hardships in his truly tempestuous life. Really a good book I highly recommend. So read, read, read! Find a nook, read a book, learn a lesson, get a new look. Perhaps you'll be placid as a brook. Happy reading!