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In NCERT Solutions and Notes for Class 8 English Honeydew Unit 1 Poem “The Ant and the Cricket” is compiled by subject matter experts, who have adhered to the CBSE guidelines. The notes include a summary of the poem and important word meanings. Whereas, in NCERT solutions, you get answers to all the questions following the poem. You can use the notes and solutions provided in your examination and unit tests. All the best!!
Download NCERT Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Unit 1 Poem: The Ant and the Cricket
Table of Contents
You can access the summary of all poems in Honeydew here:
NCERT Class 8 English Honeydew Unit 1 Poem Summary: The Ant and the Cricket
“The Ant and the Cricket” is a fable that imparts a valuable lesson about the consequences of poor planning and the importance of hard work. The story revolves around a young cricket accustomed to singing joyfully during warm seasons. However, as winter arrives, he finds himself unprepared with an empty cupboard and a cold, snow-covered environment. Facing starvation, the cricket seeks help from an industrious ant.
The ant, known for its diligence and foresight, is unwilling to lend or borrow, explaining that ants never engage in such practices. It questions the cricket about saving during the warmer months, but the cricket admits to singing and enjoying himself without considering the future. The ant, having diligently stored food for the winter, declines to assist the cricket and advises him to dance away the winter since he failed to plan.
The poem serves as a moral lesson, highlighting the consequences of negligence and the rewards of hard work and foresight. The ant’s disciplined approach to saving contrasts with the cricket’s carefree attitude, emphasizing the importance of planning for the future. It encourages young readers to understand the value of responsibility, preparation, and industriousness, emphasizing that those who work hard and plan are better equipped to face challenges.
In essence, “The Ant and the Cricket” imparts a timeless message about the virtues of diligence and foresight, making it a classic fable that continues to resonate with readers of all ages.
Also Read: Summary Writing: Samples, Format, Tips, Skills
Important Words and Phrases and Their Meanings
Here are the important words and their meanings useful to understand the NCERT Class 8 English Honeydew Poem 1 The Ant and the Cricket. Also, these will help expand your vocabulary.
- Famine: Extreme scarcity of food
- Accustomed to sing: Have the habit of singing
- Quoth: Said
- Lay nothing by: Doing or saving or acquiring nothing
Also Read: 20+ Daily Used English Words: with Meaning
You can Download NCERT Solutions PDF of all poems in Honeydew here:
NCERT Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Unit 1 Poem: The Ant and the Cricket
In the final section, we have NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Unit 1 Poem for you. Herein, you will come across all the questions and answers in this poem. Happy learning!!
Working with the Poem
Ques 1: The cricket says, “Oh! what will become of me?” When does he say it, and why?
Ans: The cricket said “Oh! What will become of me?” because he was worried and sad when he realised that winter had come and he had no food stored. There was nothing to eat on the snowy ground, and the trees had no flowers or leaves. The cricket was scared because it was cold, he had no food, and he thought he might starve to death soon.
Ques 2: Answer the following:
(i) Find in the poem the lines that mean the same as “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” (Shakespeare).
(ii) What is your opinion of the ant’s principles?
Ans:
(i) The line “But we ants never borrow; we ants never lend.” in the poem ‘The Ant and the Cricket’ means “Neither a borrower nor a lender be”.
(ii) The ant teaches us that it is important to save for the future so we don’t have to ask to borrow or lend things when we are in trouble. We should work hard when we have the opportunity and make good use of our time and resources.
Ques 3: The ant tells the cricket to “dance the winter away”. Do you think the word ‘dance’ is appropriate here? If so, why?
Ans: When the ant told the cricket to “dance the winter away,” she meant that the cricket did not use his time and resources wisely during the summer to save enough for the cold season. He was having fun and dancing when it was sunny.
So, when the ant says ‘dance,’ she suggests that the cricket should try to enjoy himself in the winter, just like he did in the summer, instead of asking her for food and shelter. The word ‘dance’ is connected to the cricket’s careless behaviour – he had fun in the summer but didn’t save enough food to survive in the winter.
4. Answer the following:
(i) Which lines in the poem express the poet’s comment?
(ii) Write the comment in your own words.
Ans:
(i) The poet expresses his comment through the line “Folks call this a fable. I’ll warrant it true”.
(ii) The poet’s comment in the lines, “Folks call this a fable. I’ll warrant it true,” suggests that the story is a fable. Therefore, it is clear that the poem has a moral lesson. In this tale, the cricket represents a carefree nature, enjoying dancing and singing during the sunny summer. However, the cricket fails to save for the cold winter. On the other hand, the ant works hard during the summer, saving grains for the future and preparing for the harsh winter ahead.
Therefore, the moral of the story is clear: we should be diligent, work hard, and be ready to face challenges. Otherwise, we may find ourselves in a situation similar to cricket, unprepared for the future.
Download NCERT Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Unit 1 Poem: The Ant and the Cricket
Explore Notes of all Chapters of Honeydew:
| Unit 1 Chapter | Unit 2 Chapter | Unit 3 Chapter | Unit 4 Chapter |
| Unit 5 Chapter | Unit 6 Chapter | Unit 7 Chapter | Unit 8 Chapter |
Download NCERT Solutions of Class 8 English Honeydew Chapters here:
| Unit 1 Chapter | Unit 2 Chapter | Unit 3 Chapter | Unit 4 Chapter |
| Unit 5 Chapter | Unit 6 Chapter | Unit 7 Chapter | Unit 8 Chapter |
FAQs
Ans: A story with characters, which are usually animals, with a moral is known as a fable.
Ans: ‘The Ant and the Cricket’ is adapted from Aesop’s Fables.
Ans: Yes. NCERT Solutions are in accordance with the CBSE curriculum. You will get answers to all the questions following the poem ‘The Ant and the Cricket’.
Also, you can access Notes and NCERT Solutions of all chapters in the Class 8 English ‘It So Happened’ textbook
For NCERT study material, follow CBSE Notes Class 8 English by Leverage Edu now.