(1) What attitude of the ant is expressed by the words “I’m your servant and friend ?

Question

Read the following stanzas and answer the questions given below them:

Says the ant to the cricket, “I’m your servant and friend,

But we ants never borrow; we ants never lend.

But tell me, dear cricket, did you lay nothing by

When the weather was warm?” Quoth the cricket, “Not I!

My heart was so light

That I sang day and night,

For all nature looked gay.”

“You sang, Sir, you say?

Go then,” says the ant, “and dance the winter away.”

(1) What attitude of the ant is expressed by the words “I’m your servant and friend ?

(2) What explanation did the cricket give to the ant’s query?

(3) What was the reaction of the ant to the cricket’s reply?

Answer 1

1. When the ant says, “I’m your servant and friend”, he seems to be Very polite. The high-sounding phrase turns out to be quite ironical in the light of the following out right rejection of help.

2. The cricket, admitting his fault, explains that since the entire nature was pleasant, he was also cheerful. He did nothing else but sang day and night.

3. Since the ant was hardworking and miserly by nature, he could not digest the ; merry-making attitude of the cricket and bluntly asked him that so far he wasted time in singing, now he should go and dance.