You are here

The Owl and the Grasshopper

A retelling of a fable of Aesop

In a tree in the forest lived an owl. At night she would hunt for bugs and mice, and during the day she would go back to her tree to sleep. As she grew older, she grew more cross whenever anyone disturbed her daily slumber.

One afternoon, a grasshopper began chirping at the base of the owl's tree. The owl shouted down, "Go away! Respect my age and let me sleep!"

But the grasshopper answered that he had as much right to sing as she had to sleep, and he began another song.

So the owl, seeing she could not argue with the grasshopper, called to him in a sweeter voice, "If you must sing, I suppose I can try to enjoy it. Come up to my home and I'll pour you some wine and you can sing for me."

The grasshopper, thinking his singing had won the owl over, hopped up to the owl's den. As soon as he was close enough for her to see, she pounced on him and ate him.

Flattery is not true admiration.

Tags: 
up
154 users have voted.

Theme by Danetsoft and Danang Probo Sayekti inspired by Maksimer