All the Insects assembled and went to our Lord to seek employment. On
their arrival they said to our Lord, "Thou hast given every one his
work; now give us also a work to do, that we may have something to eat."
Our Lord attended to the request of the Insects, and said to them, "Who
will give notice that to-morrow all the Insects are to come?"
The Merchant-insect arose and said to our Lord, "The Cricket can give
notice well."
So our Lord called the Cricket and said to him when he was come, "Go
and give notice this evening, when the sun has set, that to-morrow
morning all the Insects are to come to me, for I wish to see them."
The Cricket, obeying our Lord's command, went back to his house, waited
until evening, until the sun set, and as soon as he had seen the
setting of the sun, he prepared and arose to give notice. So when the
Cricket had given notice until midnight, our Lord sent a man to him
saying: "Go and tell the Cricket, that there has been much notice, and
that it is now enough; else he will have the headache." But the
Cricket would not hear, he said: "If I am out they will see me." So he
went into his hole, stretched only his head out, and began to give
notice. The Cricket went on giving notice until the day dawned; but
when it was day he became silent and stopped giving notice. Then all
the Insects arose and went to the prayer-place of our Lord, the
Merchant alone being left behind. To all the Insects who came first,
our Lord gave their employment, which they all took and went home.
Afterward also the Merchant-insect went to our Lord, and our Lord said
to him: "To all thy people who came before, I have given their work,
and they are gone; now what kept thee back that thou camest to me last?"
The Merchant-insect replied to our Lord, "My bags are many and on the
day when I took my bags and bound them up in my large travelling sacks
to load them upon my asses, then my people left me behind and came to
thee first."
Our Lord said to him: "All other employments are assigned; the people
who came first took them and went away; but stop, I will also give one
to thee. Go, and having arrived at the entrance of the black ants,
where are a great many ant-heads, when thou seest these many heads of
the black ants, take them, and fill thy bags with them; then load thy
bags upon thy ass, carry them to market, spread mats there, and sell
them."
So the Merchant-insect obtained his employment, drove his ass, and went
from our Lord, picked up ant-heads at the entrance of the black ants,
loaded his ass, and went his way to the market. As he went the ass
threw off the large bag. Then, he alone not being able to lift the
bag, he called people, saying: "Come, be so good as to help me; let us
take the sacks and load mine ass;" but not any of the people would do
so. Then the little red ants came after him, and when they were come
to where he was, he said to them, "Please come and help me to load mine
ass". The little red Ants said to the Merchant-insect, "We will not
help thee for nothing."
The Merchant-insect said to the little red Ants, "If you will not help
me for nothing, then come and help me, and when I have come back from
the market, I will pay you."
The little red Ants helped him to load his ass, and the Merchant-insect
drove his ass to the market, put down his sacks in the midst of the
market-place, prepared the ground, spread his mat there, and having
sold his ant-heads, he bought his things, and the market people began
to disperse.
Then the Merchant-insect started on his way home, and as he went the
little red Ants saw him, and said to him, "Father-merchant, give us
what thou owest us."
The Merchant, however, refused them their due, and went on his way.
Now as he went he got fever so that he sat down under a tree, tied his
ass fast, and took off the sacks from his ass's back. As he sat there
the fever overpowered him, and he lay down. On seeing him lying the
little red Ants assembled and came to him. Now the fever was consuming
the Merchant-insect's strength, and when the little red Ants saw this
they assembled together and killed him.
There was one Insect who saw them kill him, and he ran to our Lord, and
said to him, "All the little red Ants assembled together and killed a
man in the midst of the town--that I saw it."
When our Lord heard what the Insect said he called a man and sent him,
saying: "Go and call the little red Ants which kill people and bring
them to me."
The messenger arose, went, called all the little red Ants and brought
them before our Lord. On seeing the little red Ants, our Lord asked
them, "Why did you kill the man?" The little red Ants answered, and
said to our Lord, "The reason why we killed this man is this: When he
went to market and his ass had thrown off the sacks, those sacks were
too heavy for him to take alone, so he called us, and when we came to
him, he said to us, 'Please help me to take my large bag and load it
upon mine ass, that I may go to market. When I have sold my things and
come back, I will pay you.' Accordingly we helped him to load his ass;
but when he had gone to market and sold all his things there, we saw
him on his return home, and went to him, to ask him for what he owed
us; but he refused it, drove his ass, and went homeward. However, he
was only gone a little while, when he got fever, sat down under a tree,
tied his ass fast, took off his sacks and laid them down; and on the
same spot where he sat down, the fever overpowered him that he lay
down. Then on seeing him lying we went, assembled ourselves and killed
him, because he had refused what he owed us."
Our Lord gave them right.
Our Lord said to the Merchant, "Thou goest to market until thy life
stands still." Our Lord said to the Cricket, "Do thou give notice
whenever it is time! This is thy work."
Our Lord said to the little red Ants, "Whenever ye see any Insect
unwell and lying down in a place, then go, assemble yourselves and
finish it."
Now the Cricket begins to give notice as soon as it is evening and does
not keep silence in his hole until the morning comes; this is its
employment. The Merchant has no farm and does not do any work, but
constantly goes to market; this is its employment, given to it by the
Lord. Now the little red Ants, whenever they see an Insect unwell and
lying down they go and assemble themselves against that Insect, and,
even if that Insect has not yet expired they finish it. This our Lord
gave to the little red Ants for their employment.
I have now told thee the fable of the Insects, which I have heard of
Omar Pesami. This is finished.