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THE CICADA AND THE ANT
LA CICALA E LA FORMICA
   
Once upon a time there was a cicada and an ant.
C'era una volta una cicala e una formica.
   
During the summer the ant kept busy and gathered the grain she found in the fields.
Durante l'estate la formica si dava da fare e raccoglieva tutto il grano che trovava nelle campagne.
   
The cicada on top of an oak tree did nothing and sang all the time. La cicala sulla quercia non faceva niente e cantava sempre.
   
When winter came and the snow fell, the cicada went to the ant and asked her for something to eat since she did not have anything. Quando venne l'inverno e cadde la neve, la cicala andò dalla formica e le chiese qualcosa da mangiare perché non aveva niente.
   
The ant said: "And what did you do this summer instead of gathering food?"
La formica disse: "E cosa hai fatto questa estate invece di raccogliere il cibo?"
   
"I," replied the cicada, "sang the whole summer." "Io,"rispose la cicala," ho cantato tutta l'estate."
   
"You sang all summer," replied the ant, "and now dance!" "Hai cantato tutta l'estate," replicò la formica, "ed ora balla !"
   
This is a "dialectal arrangement" of the most famous Fedro's tale. This tale aimed at teaching children to despise idleness.
 
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