‘The ant and the cricket’ poem word meanings in English and Hindi language: The meanings are provided with literal as well as contextual meanings to help grasp the poem well. The poem text matter is also given.
The Ant and the Cricket Poem Text
A silly young cricket, accustomed to sing
Through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring,
Began to complain when he found that, at home,
His cupboard was empty, and winter was come.
Not a crumb to be found
On the snow-covered ground;
Not a flower could he see,
Not a leaf on a tree.
“Oh! what will become,” says the cricket, “of me?”
At last by starvation and famine made bold,
All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold,
Away he set off to a miserly ant,
To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant
Him shelter from rain,
And a mouthful of grain.
He wished only to borrow;
He’d repay it tomorrow;
If not, he must die of starvation and sorrow.
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.”
Thus ending, he hastily lifted the wicket,
And out of the door turned the poor little cricket.
Folks call this a fable. I’ll warrant it true:
Some crickets have four legs, and some have two.
The Ant and The Cricket Poem Word Meanings
Words | Meanings |
---|---|
accustomed to | In the habit of, used to |
through | from beginning to the end of |
complain | fell unhappy and annoyed, suffer |
crumb | a small piece or fragment of food items |
starvation | extreme hunger, lacking food |
famine | extreme scarcity of food |
dripping with wet | very wet |
trembling with cold | shaking of body due to cold |
set off | to begin a journey or start going to somewhere |
miserly | parsimonious, hating to spend money or share wealth |
grant | to agree to accept, give or provide |
shelter | a temporary protection from bad weather, danger etc |
repay | to pay back |
lay something by | to save and keep for use in future |
light | free from worry |
all nature | the kind and pleasant weather or natural atmosphere |
hastily | very quickly |
lift the wicket | to close the door or indicate that here ends the conversation and no anymore arguments or justifications |
warrant | justify the certainty and accuracy of feeling, belief or action |
folks | people in general, common people |