Explore "The Dove and the Ant" by Jean de La Fontaine on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
The same instruction we may get / From another couple, smaller yet.
A dove came to a brook to drink, / When, leaning o'er its crumbling brink, / An ant fell in, and vainly tried, / In this, to her, an ocean tide, / To reach the land; whereat the dove, / With every living thing in love, / Was prompt a spire of grass to throw her, / By which the ant regain'd the shore.
A barefoot scamp, both mean and sly, / Soon after chanced this dove to spy; / And, being arm'd with bow and arrow, / The hungry codger doubted not / The bird of Venus, in his pot, / Would make a soup before the morrow. / Just as his deadly bow he drew, / Our ant just bit his heel. / Roused by the villain's squeal, / The dove took timely hint, and flew / Far from the rascal's coop; -- / And with her flew his soup.[1]
[1]: Aesop.