Tamilnadu State Board Class 10 English Solutions Poem Chapter 4 The Ant and the Cricket
The Ant and the Cricket Textual Questions
A. Based on your understanding of the poem, read the following lines and answer the questions given below.
1. A silly young cricket accustomed to sing
Through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring.
(a) What was the routine of the cricket?
(b) Name the seasons mentioned here.
Answer:
(a) The routine of the cricket was to sing and dance all through the warm sunny months.
(b) The seasons mentioned here are summer and spring.
2. Began to complain when he found that, at home,
His cupboard was empty, and winter was come.
(a) Who does he refer to?
(b) Why was his cupboard empty?
Answer:
(a) ‘He’ refers to the cricket.
(b) His cupboard was empty because the cricket didn’t lay aside anything for winter.
3. Not a crumb to be found
On the snow-covered ground;
(a) What couldn’t he find on the ground?
(b) Why was the ground covered with snow?
Answer:
(a) He couldn’t find any piece of bread on the ground.
(b) The ground was covered with snow because it was winter season.
4. At last by starvation and famine made bold,
All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold,
(a) What made the cricket bold?
(b) Why did the cricket drip and tremble?
Answer:
(a) Starvation and famine made the cricket bold.
(b) The cricket dripped and trembled as it was wet and cold.
5. Away he set off to a miserly ant,
To keep if, to keep him alive, he would grant
Him shelter from rain,
And a mouthful of grain.
(a) Whom did the cricket want to meet? Why?
(b) What would keep him alive?
Answer:
(a) The cricket wanted to meet the miserly ant for food and shelter.
(b) A mouthful of grain and shelter from rain would keep him alive.
6. But we ants never borrow; we ants never lend.
(a) Why do you think ants neither borrow nor lend?
(b) Who says these lines to whom?
Answer:
(a) Ants neither borrow nor lend because they work hard and plan for their future.
(b) The ant says these lines to the cricket.
7. “Not I!
My heart was so light
That I sang day and night,
For all nature looked gay.
(a) Who does ‘I refer to?
(b) What was the nature of the cricket? How do you know?
Answer:
(a) I refers to the cricket.
(b) The cricket was lazy and silly. We know this, since it had not saved anything for its future.
8. Thus ending, he hastily lifted the wicket,
And out of the door turned the poor little cricket,
(a) The ant refused to help the cricket. Why?
(b) Explain the second line.
Answer:
(a) The ant refused to help the cricket because the cricket was lazy and silly. It was not a hard worker.
(b) The ant opened its door and sent away the poor little cricket without giving him anything.
9. He wished only to borrow;
He’d repay it tomorrow;
(a) Pick out the rhyming words in the above lines.
(b) Give more examples of rhyming words from the poem.
Answer:
(a) “Borrow – tomorrow” are the rhyming words in the above lines.
(b) The other examples of rhyming words are sing-spring; home – come; found – ground, see – tree, bold-cold; ant – grant; rain – grain; friend – lend; light – might and. wicket – cricket.
10. My heart was so light
that I sang day and night,
For all nature looked gay.
“You sang, Sir, you say”?
(a) Mention the rhyme scheme employed in the above lines.
Answer:
The rhyming scheme is “a a b b”.
Poetic Comprehension – Additional
1. Not a flower could he see,
Not a leaf on a tree.
“Oh! what will become,” says cricket, of me?”
(a) Which season is mentioned here?
(b) Why is the cricket sad?
Answer:
(a) The winter season is mentioned here.
(b) The cricket is sad because there was nothing found to eat or shelter to rest.
2. Says the ant to the cricket, “I’m your servant and friend,
But we ants never borrow; we ants never lend.
(a) What does the ant say to the cricket?
(b) What rule do the ants follow?
Answer:
(a) The ant says that it is his servant and friend.
(b) They never lend or borrow.
3. But tell me, dear cricket,
Did you lay anything by
When the weather was warm?”
(a) What did the ant ask the cricket?
(b) Which season is specified here?
Answer:
(a) The ant questioned the cricket whether it laid anything aside when the weather was warm.
(b) Summer season is specified here.
4. “You sang, Sir, you say?
Go then”, says the ant, “and dance the winter away”.
(a) To whom does the ant say this?
(b) What does this mean, “and dance the counter away?”
(c) Was the ant angry with the cricket?
Answer:
(a) The ant says this to the cricket.
(b) Dance and sing once again all throughout the winter season.
(c) Yes, the ant was angry with the cricket.
Poetic Devices – Additional
1. Not a flower could he see,
Not a leaf on a tree.
“Oh! what will become,” says cricket, of me?”
(a) Pick out the rhyming words.
Answer:
“see – tree” are the rhyming words.
2. Says the ant to the cricket, “I’m your servant and friend,
But we ants never borrow; we ants never lend.
(a) Pick out the words in alliteration.
Answer:
“the, the”; “says, servant”; are words in alliteration.
3. When the weather was warm?
(a) Pick out the alliterated words in this line.
Answer:
when, weather, was, warm are the alliterated words.
B. Based on your understanding of the poem, complete the summary using the phrases given below.
In this narrative poem, the poet brings out the idea that is essential for every creature. He conveys this message to the readers through a story of (1)_______ The ant spends all its summer saving (2)_______. The cricket (3)_______happily in the summer. He (4) ______ anything for the winter. When winter comes, he is worried that his (5) ______ is empty. So, he seeks the help of the ant to have (6)______ and a (7)________ to stay. The cricket was even prepared to repay it in the future. The ant made it clear that ants (8) _________. He also enquired the cricket if it had saved anything when the weather was fine. The cricket answered that it had sung day and night enjoying (9) ______ threw the cricket out and stated in a stern voice it should dance in the winter season too. In his concluding lines, the poet affirms that this is not (10) ________but it is true and applicable to (11)______also.
the pleasant nature, human beings, doesn’t save, warm place, kitchen cupboard, just a fable, saving for future, some grains, never borrow or lend, an ant and a cricket, sings and dances.
Answer:
- an ant and a cricket
- for future
- sings and dances
- doesn’t save
- kitchen cupboard
- some grains
- warm place
- never borrow or lend
- the pleasant nature
- just a fable
- human beings
C. Answer each of the following questions in a paragraph of 120-150 words.
Question 1.
“Some crickets have four legs and some have two? Elucidate this statement from the poet’s point of view:
Answer:
Some cricket have four legs and some have two, this last line means that the fable is true for human beings as well. Though two-legged, some of us behave like that four-legged crickets. They are not wise like the ant. They don’t save for their future. They are lazy and are not hard working. They spend all their earnings when they are capable of earning. In the moments of crisis, or in their old age, they find that they don’t have any money to depend upon. Such people are like the cricket of the story. The moral of the poem is “Save something for bad days”.
So we should always plan ahead and save money for our future.
Question 2.
Compare and contrast the attitude of the ant and the cricket.
Answer:
The cricket in the poem is a silly creature who sings and dances all summer and does not save
any food for its future. It used to enjoy its good times during the summer season. He didn’t plan anything for the future. Whereas the ant is clever and saves food during summer so that he doesn’t have to do any work during winter. The ant gives a very important lesson of life during its conversation with the cricket. The ant says that ants never borrow from anyone. They never lend to anyone. They are hard working creatures who save for their future. Though it says that it is a friend and servant to the cricket, it gets angry with what the cricket has done during the summer. It turns him out of his house saying to sing and dance once again during winter. This shows that the ant is hardworking and clever.
Question 3.
If given a chance, who would you want to be- the ant or the cricket? Justify your answer.
Answer:
If given a chance, I would like to be an ant forever. The ant is clever and hard working. It plans for its future well ahead and avoids the problem of starvation and famine during winter. Likewise, we human beings should earn well in our young age and save money for ourselves and for our future generations. But some people are careless and lazy like the cricket. They don’t plan out for their future or for the bad times. They just enjoy the present moment. The poet is thus calling such people as mindless as the cricket. So we must always be foresighted enough to see our future and make plans accordingly. One should be ready for the good as well as the bad times ahead.
Paragraph Question & Answer – Additional
Question 1.
What is the theme of the poem ‘The Ant and the Cricket?
Answer:
Hard work versus laziness. Through the story of the lazy cricket and the hard working ant, the poet teaches us the virtue of hard work. The cricket was foolish enough not to see the future. He made no plans or provisions for the future. He lived in the present moment. The ant, on the other hand, was wise and hard working. She worked hard so that she could enjoy the future. The poet wants us to learn an important lesson in life. One must always save for the future. As you sow, so shall you reap’ is a popular proverb that fits this story. We must be foresighted and make plans accordingly, we should always be ready for good as well as the bad times ahead.
The Ant and the Cricket By Aesop
Aesop is the name of the man credited with the authorship of a collection Hlor book of fables. Aesop was a slave believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE. He was an ugly, deformed dwarf, and the famous marble statue in Rome depicts Aesop accordingly. Each one of Aesop’s fables has a lesson, or moral, just like a parable or allegory. The Morals, Sayings and Proverbs featured in the Book of Aesop’s fables ensure that they still have meaning for us today.
The Ant and the Cricket Key Points
- This poem teaches the importance of hard work and planning.
- It is about a silly young cricket and an ant.
- The cricket spends its time wasting by singing and dancing all summer.
- During winter, its cupboard is empty. Nothing can be found at all.
- So it goes to the miserly ant and begs to give him shelter and food.
- The ant says that they never borrow from anyone and they never lend to anyone.
- The ant questions the cricket what it was doing during the summer.
- The cricket replies that since his heart was so light and happy, it sang all day and night.
- Hearing this, the ant gets angry and tells the cricket to sing and dance once again all winter.
- He hurriedly sends away the cricket and shuts his door.
- We should always plan carefully and ensure a secure future.
The Ant and the Cricket Summary
The poem “The Ant and the Cricket” teaches us the importance of hard work and planning. It is a narrative poem. The poet brings out the idea that is essential. This poem is about a silly young cricket and an ant. The cricket was only singing all day long and used to enjoy his good times during the summer season. He didn’t plan anything for the future. When winter arrives, the cricket couldn’t find a small amount of food to eat. So, the cricket thinks of going to the miser ant to borrow food and to get shelter. Then, the cricket knocks on the ant’s door asking for help.
The ant gives a very important lesson of life during its conversation with the cricket. The ant says that they never lend to anyone and they never borrow from anyone. Ants are hard working creatures who save for their future. The ant questioned the cricket what it was doing during the happier times. On hearing that the cricket indulged in dancing, singing and making merry, the ant gets angry. It tells the cricket to dance and sing once again in winter. The moral of this poem is that we should plan carefully and ensure a secure future.
The Ant and the Cricket Glossary
accustomed to (v) – be used to
bold – brave
crumb (n) – piece of bread
fable – a short story
famine (n) – extreme scarcity of food
folks – people
gay (adj.) – glad, joyful
grant – give
hastily (adv.) – hurriedly
miserly (adj.) – hesitant to spend money
quoth (v) – said (old English usage, used only in first and third person singular before the subject)
starvation – extreme hunger
warrant ( v) – guarantee, promise
wicket – door
The Ant and the Cricket Explanation of poetic lines
Line No. 1 – 4
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.
Explanation:
A silly young cricket used to sing and dance during the warm happy days of summer and spring. When winter came, he began to complain that there was nothing left in his cupboard at home. It was empty.
Line No. 5 – 8
Not a crumb to be found
On the snow-covered ground;
Not a flower could he see,
Not a leaf on a tree.
Explanation:
There Was not a piece of bread to be found on the snow-covered ground. Not a flower could be seen on any tree. It could also not see a leaf on any tree.
Line No. 9 – 13
“Oh! what will become,” says 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
Explanation:
It felt unhappy. He started worrying about itself. What will become of the cricket? Finally, the extreme hunger, famine made him bold. It was dripping with wet and trembling with cold. It went to the ant to see if he could give anything to keep him alive.
Line No. 14 – 17
Him shelter from rain.
And a mouthful of grain.
He wished only to borrow;
He’d repay it tomorrow;
Explanation:
The cricket hoped that the ant would shelter him from rain and give him a mouthful of grain. He wished only to borrow from him and repay it the next day
Line No. 18 – 24
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.
Explanation:
If the ant doesn’t give what he needs, he had to die of starvation and sorrow. The ant says to the cricket that it is the servant and friend of the cricket. But ants never borrow and they never lend.
Line No. 25 – 29
But tell me, dear cricket,
Did you lay anything by
When the weather was
warm?” Quoth the cricket,
“Not I!”
Explanation:
The ant questions the cricket whether he kept aside anything for the future when the weather was warm. The cricket said that he did not do so.
Line No. 30 – 34
My heart was so light –
That I sang day and night,
For all nature looked gay.”
“For all nature looked gay”.
“You sang, Sir, you say?
Explanation:
The cricket said that its heart was so light and happy, that it sang all day and night. The cricket said that nature looked happy and fresh. The ant gets angry. He asks the cricket whether he sang all day since nature looked happy.
Line No. 35 – 39
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.
Explanation:
The ant shouts at the cricket saying go and dance once again during the winter. Thus ending his talk, he hurriedly lifted the door and turned the poor little cricket. People call this a short story. I promise it’s true. Some crickets have four legs and some have two. (He means the human beings who are like the cricket waste their earnings.)