La Cigale et la fourmi

My fondest memories of my lengthy commute to Sacred Heart from our suburban home was listening to Papi and his ramblings. In particular, I remember him going on and on about how he knew French. He would then proceed to recite the La Fontaine's fable, "La Cigale et la fourmi". I don't recall if he ever got beyond, "la Cigale ayant chanté tout l'été", but it did not matter. I cherished those moments. Years later, when I read the full version I understood and appreciated the meaning of this cute fable.

Fast forward many years, and here I am reminded once again of this cute fable. I was on the phone with Papi talking in Spanish. I made a little error and he giggled. I said that it was hard with so many languages in my head that I was bound to mix things up. He agreed and once again began reciting La Cigale et la Fourmi.  I looked it up on the internet and reread it and thought of the many parallels with my life this summer.

Luckily for me, I married "la fourmi". Gilles has been working non-stop to get our project well advanced before winter. Words truly can't describe how impressed I am with the results of the shed. He has worked through a broken toe. He did not even stop to go get it checked out, but it was obvious based on the pain and many colors it displayed. He toughed it out and kept going. He hiked 12 km to come home one night with his broken toe and batteries for his power tools. He has definitely put sweat equity into the project, nailing each nail by hand. It can't get have a smaller carbon footprint. He rarely complains of the fatigue and pain from all the work. He simply looks forward to a cold beer when he comes home at the end of the day.

Our project is getting more and more exciting as we see the fruits of his labour. Soon, our good friend Steve will come and help with the framing. Then, Papi will come and help paint the clapboard. Before you know it, we will have a house. Next summer, once the house is completed, we will embrace and cherish the spirit of "La Cigale" and sing to our hearts' content.

For more pictures of the shed, click on the link

La Cigale et la fourmi

La Cigale, ayant chanté
Tout l'été,
Se trouva fort dépourvue
Quand la bise fut venue.
Pas un seul petit morceau
De mouche ou de vermisseau.
Elle alla crier famine
Chez la fourmi sa voisine,
La priant de lui prêter
Quelque grain pour subsister
Jusqu'à la saison nouvelle.
« Je vous paierai, lui dit-elle,
Avant l'oût, foi d'animal,
Intérêt et principal. »
La Fourmi n'est pas prêteuse ;
C'est là son moindre défaut.
« Que faisiez-vous au temps chaud ?
Dit-elle à cette emprunteuse.
--Nuit et jour à tout venant
Je chantais, ne vous déplaise.
--Vous chantiez ? j'en suis fort aise.
Eh bien ! dansez maintenant. »

Jean de LA FONTAINE
Fables, livre I (1668)

The Grasshopper and the Ant 

The grasshopper, having sung
All summer long,
Found herself most destitute,
When the North Wind came.
Not a morsel to her name
Of either fly or worm.
She blurted out her tale of want
To her neighbour Mistress Ant,
And begged her for a loan
Of grain to last her
Till the coming spring.
"I shall pay you", were her words,
"On insect oath, before the fall,
Interest and principal."
Mistress Ant is not a lender -
That's the last thing to reproach her with!
"Tell me how you spent the summer?"
Was what she asked the borrower.
"Night and day, to every comer,
I sang, so please you ma'am."
"You sang? I'm delighted.
Now off you go and dance!"