La Cigale et La Fourmi, in modern times!

For my English speaking readers, and just to give you a bit of perspective, please lookup the English translation of this classic poem or “Fable” by Jean de La Fontaine, preferably before you carry on reading this piece; That’ll give you an idea of what the morale of the story is.. and for all those who have never read La Fontaine’s work, I can guarantee you’ll get a quick out of it.

As a kid, I had to memorize every word of “La Cigale et la Fourmi”; I know that gives away my age… ;) and up to this day, I can still recite every single word of this fable by heart and I tend to repeat it sometimes as a mantra, when the occasion calls for it.

My mother, (May her soul rest in peace cause it’s been 10 years since she passed away) insisted that I learn this “Fable” by heart, and I didn’t understand, nor saw the value in it at the time.

But after many valuable life lessons, I learned how to appreciate the genius of La Fontaine. What better way to highlight certain human flaws then to use humor, right?

It’s been a couple of days since I’m feeling the urge to write about it and there’s a nagging voice telling me to share my thoughts, and unload unto my readers a small dose of cynicism. Here’s the essence of this Fable:

La Cigale was a spoiled brat, singing all summer long, “Nuit et jour à tout venant”, not worrying about a thing, while La Fourmi was hard working, dedicated and focused. La Cigale is what some might refer to nowadays as a “Cool” chick, and others may consider…