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.