Saturday, July 30, 2016

The Ant and the Cicada

                                 The Ant and the Cicada

Translated by Dorjee Damdul, from original story in Chinese.

The scorching sun shines on the vast land. On the limitless farmland, the golden millet, has grown tall. The ant and the Cicada are neighbors. The ant is busy moving the millet [ unhusked rice ]to the house from dusk to down and get ready the stock for the winter. But the Cicada indulges in playing, singing and dance, and does not work a bit. Though the two are neighbors, they hardly to go to each other.

When winter arrived, the ant stays in the house comfortably [with plenty of things to eat].

One morning as the sun rises and begins to shine brightly. The ant takes out the stock provisions and dries them out in the sun. Just then a very hungry famished Cicada flys by.  Without much energy and strength, the Cicada said to the Ant: " My dear good neighbor, can you please lend me some food to eat, I have not eaten one good course of a meal for a while."

" But have you not prepared any food grains for yourself, " asked the ant. " In the summer, there are so much food grains in the field, why you have not stocked some in your house?.
The Cicada replied:  " In summer, i was busy playing, and enjoying, so didn't have time to /move the food grains."

"I see," said the ant, fully understand what Cicada just said.

" When you don't work in the summer, then, of course, you don't have anything to eat in Winter. We only help those who help themselves through hard work; we do not help those who are lousy, and we do not help those who do not like to work.
So you better leave now!"

The Cicada upon hearing that from the ant can not help, but fly away.