The Grasshopper and the Ant[1]
The grasshopper and the ant became friends, and entered into a compact of brotherhood, promising never to separate. They then set out on a journey, forgetful of the proverb that ‘footman and horseman can never be comrades.’ Of the truth of this they had a proof on the very first day of their travels, for, chancing to come to a brook which they had to ford, the grasshopper jumped over, while the poor ant was carried away by the stream.
The grasshopper thought, for a moment, how he could save his drowning companion, and then cried: ‘Catch hold of something, and I shall run and get help.’
The bright idea struck him of applying to the sow for one of her bristles, to which the ant could attach herself while he pulled her out of the water.
The sow answered: ‘Brother grasshopper, you know the proverb, “hand washes hand”; for three days I have eaten nothing, and am I to let people pull bristles out of me for nothing? Feed me with acorns, and then you can have as many bristles as you like.’
The grasshopper hurried off to the oak and said: ‘Oak, oak, give me acorns, I give the acorns to the sow, the sow gives me a bristle, and with the bristle I save my drowning comrade.’
The oak answered:
‘Those thievish jays give me no rest, they pull off my acorns; keep them off.’
The grasshopper ran to the jays, and said:
‘Jays! leave the oak, and the oak will give me acorns, the acorns I give to the sow, the sow gives me a bristle, and with the bristle I save my drowning comrade.’