And with the simplicity of old age Mother Ambroisine spoke as follows, at the same time twirling her spindle:
“Once upon a time a grasshopper went to the fair with an ant. The river was all frozen. Then the grasshopper gave a jump and landed on the other side of the ice, but the ant could not do this; and it said to the grasshopper: ‘Take me on your shoulders; I weigh so little.’ But the grasshopper said: ‘Do as I do; give a spring, and jump.’ The ant gave a spring, but slipped and broke its leg.
“Ice, ice, the strong should be kind; but you are wicked, to have broken the ant’s leg—poor little leg.
“Then the ice said: ‘The sun is stronger than I, and it melts me.’
“Sun, sun, the strong should be kind; but you are wicked, to melt the ice; and you, ice, to have broken the ant’s leg—poor little leg.
“Then the sun said: ‘The clouds are stronger than I; they hide me.’
“Clouds, clouds, the strong should be kind; but you are wicked, to hide the sun; you, sun, to melt the ice; and you, ice, to have broken the ant’s leg—poor little leg.
“Then the clouds said: ‘The wind is stronger than we; it drives us away.’
“Wind, wind, the strong should be kind; but you are wicked, to drive away the clouds; you, clouds, to hide the sun; you, sun, to melt the ice; and you, ice, to have broken the ant’s leg—poor little leg.
“Then the wind said: ‘The walls are stronger than I; they stop me.’