down yonder by the thrashing floors, where the husbandmen thrash out their corn, some large black ants once established themselves and built their nests. they settled themselves in that place in order to be near good and wholesome food, such as wheat, barley, and maize, which they carried off whether the farmers liked it or not.
these ants prospered and became so numerous that they formed themselves into a kingdom, and had their own king.
the king, who was an old ant, was very wise and courageous. as he was a real king, he wore a golden crown upon his head and held a golden scepter in his hand.
225his crown was a small piece of round gold wire, which fitted his head splendidly. his soldiers in one of their raids had found it in a country maiden’s casket. they took possession of it, and presented it to their sovereign. in the same way they had come across the scepter, which they saw one day on the thrashing floor, and appropriated in like manner. it was nothing more than a little gold watch key which had dropped off the chain of the village steward, but that was of no consequence, because as soon as the royal hand grasped it, it derived value from that circumstance alone.
the king had his own carriage. it was made out of a nutshell, and was drawn by two swift and well-harnessed beetles, who, like all royal horses, were well trained. the king generally drove out, because his majesty was now so aged that he had become quite white and feeble.
so you see that he had every blessing, and his people loved him very much. but he was not happy for he was weary and no longer 226found pleasure in anything. perhaps this was because he had so much.
one day there was a great tumult in the ant kingdom. a regiment of soldiers, which had gone out upon an excursion, returned after a brilliant victory, and brought back great spoils, and also four prisoners.
the king, from the balcony of his palace, with his crown on his head and his scepter in his hand, greeted his army as it marched before him in great order, saluting him with, “long live the king!” then he ordered that the four prisoners should be brought before him, that he might try them.
the first captive was a spider.
“what is your name?” asked the king.
“spider,” she answered humbly, and did homage with her two forelegs.
“where were you born?” said the king.
“i was born in the mill’s dark cellar.”
after many other questions the king again said, “what art do you know?”
“i know how to weave,” said the spider. “no one can surpass me in weaving. i am 227the very, very best weaver in the whole wide world.”
“good!” said the king. “you shall weave some cloth for my palace, and if your work is satisfactory, i will set you free; if not, i shall hand you over to my soldiers to be cut to pieces. shut her up in prison and let her begin at once.”
as the king decreed this, he lowered his scepter and struck it on the ground, when immediately soldiers dragged off the spider by her feet, and put her in a cell.
the second prisoner, which was a bee, was then brought forward. the king in like manner questioned her. she said her name was “bee,” and did him obeisance. upon his inquiring where she was born, she replied, “in a hive, which was a house built for a number of bees to live in.”
“do you know any trade or profession?” inquired the king.
“certainly, your majesty, i know how to make a most delicious food. no one can excel me.”
228“good!” said the king. “you shall make all the sweetmeats that are required at the forthcoming festival, when the peasants spread their thrashing floors. if i am pleased with them, i shall release you; but if not, i shall order my soldiers to cut off your head. shut her up in prison, and let her begin at once.”
again he knocked with his scepter, and the detachment of soldiers led the bee off to prison. then the king said: “bring in the two other prisoners together, that we may finish with them; for i have other business of the kingdom on hand.”
the third and fourth captives were brought in together. one was a grasshopper, and the other a cricket.
when they were asked the customary questions as to their places of birth, the first replied, “at the roots of a bush of thyme.” and the other, “in the air!”
then the king proceeded with: “and what arts do you know?”
“i know how to sing,” cried the cricket.
229“and i, how to dance,” said the grasshopper.
“splendid arts, truly, both the one and the other,” called out the king in a rage, and he knocked with his scepter so loudly that all his courtiers and soldiers, as well as the two prisoners, were frightened. “since you know nothing, you are plainly of no use. i shall have you cut up, the pair of you.”
“please, your majesty,” said the cricket boldly, while the grasshopper trembled with fear, “can we do nothing? do we know nothing? because this lady and myself cannot weave like the spider or make sweetmeats like the bee? we are worthy people, and the whole world loves us. we amuse all the insects on both hill and plain; we make life in the long summer days when the sun is hot a little less wearisome; then i sing, and she dances, and for those who see and hear us time soon passes. allow us the same privilege before your majesty, and you can then judge if we be deserving of freedom or death.”
230the king was not hard-hearted, and after hearing this plea of the cricket, he said, “i grant your request. i have a little time in which to divert myself, and if you can succeed in giving me pleasure in a short space of time, i will give you both your liberty, and grant you each any favor that you may ask.”
he gave orders to release them. the cricket then began to sing with all the skill that she possessed, and the grasshopper danced at the same time. neither the king nor any of his courtiers or soldiers had ever heard so sweet a voice, or seen so artistic a dance. his majesty was delighted; his old face beamed all over, and he struck merrily with his scepter, and shouted: “well done! bravo! i’ll free you—i’ll free you. i only request that whenever you have the time or the inclination, you will come and amuse me and my subjects a little. labor is good, but life wants some few pleasures also. i told you that i would grant you any favor that you asked for. ask now what you will.” then the cricket said pleadingly, “your 231majesty, i ask this favor—that the poor spider may be released.”
“you have a good heart,” answered the king; “be it so.” and he turned to the grasshopper. “and what favor do you ask, madam dancer?”
“may it please your majesty to release the bee?”
“and you, too, have a good heart; your wish is granted.” and the king ordered the release of the prisoners.
they were immediately set free, and all the ants conducted them out of the ant hills, while the cricket, full of joy, sang along the road:
“zi zi zi and zi zi zi,
may our lord the king live joyfully,
and all his people as well as he.”
232merry have we met,
and merry have we been;
merry let us part,
and merry meet again.
old rime.
