Posted on 08/02/2010 12:11:33 AM PDT by citizenredstater9271
It is not widely known that Aesop (floruit circa 550 B.C.), a visionary writer if there ever was one, composed two versions of the story of the Ant and the Grasshopper. The traditional version used to be very widely known — you’ll see in a moment why it is out of favor today — and it can be outlined briefly:
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.
The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself
A friend recently sent me that pithy summary and supplemented it with Aesop’s secret version for the 21st-century. It’s a bit longer, but — in addition to demonstrating Aesop’s extraordinary powers of divination — it is a Tale for Our Time. My friend did not say where he uncovered this version, but I am sure you will appreciate its pertinence to our situation today:
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.
(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...
Running naked through the...
Good read.
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