The Ant and the Dove
- 2 minute read
- Ages 4-8
- Aesop's Fables
An ant went down to the stream to drink.
She climbed out along a blade of grass at the edge, leaned over, and slipped.
The water took her at once. It was only a small stream but it was very large indeed to an ant, and she was carried out into the middle of it, turning over and going under and coming up again.
The leaf
A dove was sitting in a tree on the bank and saw it happen.
She broke off a leaf and dropped it into the water just ahead of the ant.
The ant caught the edge of it and pulled herself up out of the water, and the leaf carried her slowly across to the bank, where she climbed off into the grass and sat in the sun until she was dry.
The hunter
Some weeks later the ant was working in the grass near the same tree.
A hunter came quietly through the field with a net, and stopped, and looked up. The dove was in the branches above him with her back turned, and she had not seen or heard anything at all.
The man began to spread the net.
The ant went straight across the grass and up onto his bare foot, and bit him as hard as she could.
The hunter shouted and jumped and dropped the net.
And the noise went up through the branches, and the dove was gone before he had looked up.
Moral of the story
A kindness costs little and is remembered. The smallest creature in the field was the one who repaid it.
Questions and answers
- How did the ant fall into the water?
She climbed out on a blade of grass to drink, slipped, and was carried into the middle of the stream.
- How did the dove save her?
She broke off a leaf and dropped it into the water where the ant could reach it, and the leaf carried her to the bank.
- What danger was the dove in later?
A hunter came into the field with a net while the dove sat in the tree with her back turned, unaware of him.
- How did the ant save the dove?
She climbed onto the hunter's bare foot and bit him, making him shout and drop the net.
- What does this fable say about size?
That being small does not mean being useless. The ant could not fight the hunter, but she could startle him at the right moment.
Word meanings
- blade
- A single long thin leaf of grass.
- bank
- The land at the edge of a river or stream.
- net
- A mesh of string used for catching birds or fish.
- startle
- To surprise someone suddenly.
Questions about The Ant and the Dove
What is the moral of The Ant and the Dove?
The moral is that kindness is repaid, often by someone you would never expect to be able to help you.
How is this different from The Lion and the Mouse?
Both are about a small creature repaying a large one, but here the dove helps first without being asked and without being in danger herself.
Why is this good for young children?
It is short, entirely gentle, and both characters are helpful. Nothing frightening happens to either of them.
What is a good follow-up question?
Ask the child about a time someone helped them without being asked, and whether they ever got the chance to help back.