The Ant and the Cricket – Class 8 English NCERT Solutions

Explore the solutions for “The Ant and the Cricket,” Class 8 English NCERT. This delightful fable teaches children the important life lesson of planning ahead and being responsible. Through the story of a carefree cricket and a hardworking ant, students learn that while it’s good to enjoy life, we must also prepare for difficult times. The poem emphasizes the balance between having fun and being responsible.

Summary of the Poem

The poem “The Ant and the Cricket” is an adaptation of one of Aesop’s famous fables. It tells the story of a carefree young cricket who spends his summer days singing and enjoying himself, without thinking about the future. When winter arrives, he finds himself without food and shelter. Desperate and hungry, he approaches an ant for help, but the ant refuses, reminding him of his careless behavior during summer. The poem ends with a moral lesson that applies to both insects and humans alike – the importance of planning for the future.

कविता का सारांश

कविता “द एंट एंड द क्रिकेट” ईसप की प्रसिद्ध कहानियों में से एक का रूपांतरण है। यह एक लापरवाह युवा क्रिकेट की कहानी है जो गर्मियों के दिनों में बिना भविष्य की चिंता किए गाता और मौज-मस्ती करता है। जब सर्दी आती है, तो वह खुद को बिना भोजन और आश्रय के पाता है। निराश और भूखा, वह मदद के लिए एक चींटी के पास जाता है, लेकिन चींटी मना कर देती है और उसे गर्मियों में उसके लापरवाह व्यवहार की याद दिलाती है। कविता कीड़ों और मनुष्यों दोनों पर लागू होने वाले एक नैतिक पाठ के साथ समाप्त होती है – भविष्य के लिए योजना बनाने का महत्व।

Word Meanings

Working with the Poem

Question 1: The cricket says, “Oh! What will become of me?” When does he say it, and why?

The cricket utters these worried words during the harsh winter season when he finds himself in a desperate situation. There are several reasons for his distress:

• His cupboard is completely empty, meaning he has no food stored for the winter
• The ground outside is covered with snow, making it impossible to find food
• There are no flowers or leaves left on the trees, indicating the scarcity of resources
• He realizes that without food and shelter, his survival through the winter is at risk

This moment marks the cricket’s realization of his mistake in not preparing for the winter during the plentiful summer months.

Question 2: (i) Find in the poem the lines that mean the same as “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” (Shakespeare).

In the poem, the ant says: “But we ants never borrow; we ants never lend.” This line directly mirrors Shakespeare’s famous advice from Hamlet. Both expressions emphasize the importance of being self-reliant and avoiding financial dependencies.

Question 2: (ii) What is your opinion of the ant’s principles?

The ant’s principles present a complex moral situation that we can analyze from different perspectives:

• On the practical side, the ant demonstrates wisdom in planning ahead and being self-reliant. Its principle of neither borrowing nor lending shows financial discipline.
• However, from a humanitarian perspective, the ant’s behavior seems harsh and lacking in compassion. Despite calling itself the cricket’s “servant and friend,” it shows no mercy to a fellow creature in desperate need.
• The ant could have chosen a middle path – perhaps helping the cricket while also teaching him the importance of preparation and responsibility.
• Its response seems particularly cruel given that the cricket wasn’t asking for a gift, but merely a loan which he promised to repay.

Question 3: The ant tells the cricket to “dance the winter away”. Do you think the word ‘dance’ is appropriate here? If so, why?

The ant’s use of the word ‘dance’ is deliberately ironic and sarcastic. Here’s why it’s significant:

• It serves as a bitter reminder of how the cricket spent his summer – singing and dancing instead of working and preparing
• The ant uses this word to mock the cricket’s carefree lifestyle and point out the consequences of his choices
• There’s a cruel humor in suggesting dancing during winter when the cricket is cold, hungry, and struggling to survive
• The word emphasizes the contrast between the cricket’s past pleasure and present suffering

While the word is appropriate for the ant’s intended sarcasm, it also reveals the ant’s lack of empathy and somewhat cruel nature.

Question 4: (i) Which lines in the poem express the poet’s comment? Read them aloud.

The poet’s comment appears in the final two lines of the poem:

“Folks call this a fable. I’ll warrant it true:
Some crickets have four legs, and some have two.”

Question 4: (ii) Write the comment in your own words.

The poet’s comment is a clever and thought-provoking conclusion that extends the fable’s meaning to human behavior. Here’s what it means:

• While this story is called a fable (typically featuring animals teaching moral lessons), the poet assures us it reflects real life
• The reference to “crickets have four legs, and some have two” is a witty way of saying this story applies to both insects and humans
• Just as the cricket was unprepared for winter, many humans also fail to plan for their future
• The moral lesson about the importance of balancing enjoyment with responsibility applies to all living beings
• It’s a subtle reminder that humans can be just as shortsighted as the cricket in the story