(trích từ Ngụ Ngôn La Fontaine, Anh Văn Hà Khắc Nguyện. Văn xuôi Đỗ Khắc Siêm, nxb Tân Văn-Nhật Bản)
THE CICADA AND THE ANT
The Cicada spent the whole summer time singing. So she was almost starved when the north wind came. There was not a fly or a small worm to be found. She went to the Ant, her neighbor, and asked him to spare her a morsel of corn to subsist until the next season. "I swear I will pay you back, capital plus interest before August", said the Cicada. The Ant was not a lender. That was his smallest imperfection.
"What were you doing all last summer"", the Ant said to the borrower_ I was so busy singing day and night, hope you don"t mind- You sang! I"m very pleased. Well, dance now.