6th Standard, English First Language, POEM – 8
THE ANT AND THE CRICKET
EXERCISES
Glossary:
accustomed to sing – in the habit of singing
complain – speak in an unhappy, annoyed, dissatisfied way
famine – having nothing to eat
to see – to find out
lay nothing by – save nothing
quoth – [old English] said
wicket – the wicket door, a small gate or door, which is part of a larger one
warrant it true – declare that it is certain
Come, let us talk about this poem now.
1. Discuss with your partner the points raised in the questions below and write down what you say.
a. What did the cricket do when the weather was good? What should it have done instead?
Answer: Cricket is always singing when the weather was good. Instead he should preserved food and things for winter to its use. He had spent the summer singing and dancing instead of storing food. Instead he should store the food to winter.
b. What was it unhappy about?
Answer: At the time of winter, his cupboard was empty. It was unhappy about there is nothing to eat.
c. Is that the reason why the poet calls it ————- — ———– ————?
Answer: Is that the reason why the poet calls it silly young cricket?
d. The cricket did not know how to keep himself alive. How did he express this feeling?
Read out aloud the words that say, “There was no food anywhere.”
Answer: The cricket did not know how to keep himself alive. He expressed this feeling “Oh! what will become,” of me?”
Read out aloud the words that say, “There was no food anywhere.”
Answer: Not a crumb to be found
On the snow-covered ground;
Not a flower could he see,
Not a leaf on a tree.
e. The cricket did not have the courage to go to the ant at first. When did he make bold to do this?
Answer: At last by starvation and famine made bold, he decided to go to the ant in the dripping with wet and trembling cold weather.
f. Rewrite the long sentence in the second stanza as four simple sentences. Use the active voice in your first sentence.
a) There were no crumbs to be found.
b) The ground was snow-covered.
c) Not a single flower was seen by him
d) There were no leaves on the tree.
g. The cricket did not want to beg for food. [True/not true]
Answer: True
h. The ant was surprised at the cricket’s request. [True/ not true]
Answer: Not true
- The cricket lied to the ant. [True/not true]
Answer: Not true
j. What advice was given by the ant? Could the cricket dance in the cold winter?
Answer: The Ant advised the cricket to dance in the winter. But cricket could not dance in the cold winter.
k. What do you think the cricket did in the winter?
Answer: Finally the cricket realised the truth from the advice of ant. He may be decided to collect the food by his hard work and he struggled to earn the food during the winter.
2. Writing.
Who do the words “—- and some have two” refer to? Write in 6 to 8 sentences the moral the poem teaches us.
The words “some have two” refer to a lazy cricket who is carefree and doesn’t prepare for the future, unlike the diligent ant who is characterized by hard work and planning. The poem teaches that it is crucial to work hard and plan for future needs instead of only enjoying the present. While one type of cricket has four legs, others, representing humans, waste their time without preparing for difficult times. The moral is that neglecting to save and work during prosperous times leads to suffering when hardship arrives. In contrast, those who waste their time without preparing, like the cricket, will face hunger and misery during hard times. Some people, like the cricket, don’t plan for the future and live only for today. It means there are humans who behave like the cricket, enjoying life without thinking. The poem highlights that responsible hard work is essential for survival and a better future.
Read the following passage aloud to your partner. Tell him/her what words go in the blanks.
What do animals do when they are hungry? The carnivorous animals hunt for food. The herbivorous animals move from place to place in search of grass and plants. Ants store food for winter.
In stories peoples do many things to get their food. They grab, steal, beg, cheat, tell lies. In this poem, a cricket did not do any of these things. It did something unusual.
3. Let us see what we like in this poem.
a. The rhyme-scheme is regular in the first two stanzas-aa,-bb,-cc,-ddd
b. The cricket is personified. It has a home. It has a cupboard.
The ant is also personified. It has a house that has a wicket door.
c. Was the ant cricket’s servant or friend?
Answer: The ant is cricket’s friend. Because he taught him a lesson.
d. Word play – The ant makes a joke on the cricket’s word ‘sang.’
Answer: “You sang, Sir, you say?
“Go then,” says the ant, “and dance the winter away.”
