The Owl and the Grasshopper

098. THE OWL AND THE GRASSHOPPER. An owl sat sleeping in a tree, but a grasshopper, who was singing beneath, would not let her be quiet, abusing her with very indecent and uncivil language, telling her she was a scandalous person who plied a-nights to get her living, and shut herself up all day in a hollow tree.
The owl desired her to hold her tongue and be quiet, notwithstanding which she was the more impertinent. She begged of her a second time to leave off, but all to no purpose. The owl vexed at the heart to find that all she said went for nothing, cast about to inveigle her by stratagem. “Well,” says she, “since one must be kept awake, it is a pleasure, however, to be kept awake by so agreeable a voice, which I must confess is no ways inferior to the finest harp. And now I think of it, I have a bottle of excellent nectar, which my mistress Pallas gave me; if you have a mind, I will give you a dram to whet your whistle.”
The grasshopper, ready to die with thirst, and at the same time, pleased to be so complimented upon account of her voice, skipped up to the place very briskly; when the owl, advancing to meet her, seized, and, without much delay, made her a sacrifice to her revenge; securing to herself, by the death of her enemy, a possession of that quiet, which, during her life-time she could not enjoy. [more info]

The Owl and the Grasshopper

110. THE OWL AND THE GRASSHOPPER. An Owl, who was sitting in a hollow tree, dozing away a long summer afternoon, was much disturbed by a rogue of a Grasshopper, singing in the grass below. So far from moving away at the request of the Owl, or keeping quiet, the Grasshopper sang all the more, saying that honest people got their sleep at night.
The Owl waited in silence for a while, and then artfully addressed the Grasshopper thus: "I suppose I ought to be angry with you, my dear, for I confess I would rather sleep than listen to your singing. But if one cannot be allowed to sleep, it is something to be kept awake by such a pleasant little pipe as yours. And now it occurs to me that I have some delicious nectar with which to reward a musician who sings so sweetly. If you will take the trouble to come up, you shall have a drop. It will clear your voice nicely."
The silly Grasshopper came hopping up to the Owl, who at once caught and killed him, and so finished her nap in comfort. [more info]

The Grasshopper and the Owl

3.16. THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE OWL. He who does not conform to courtesy, mostly pays the penalty of his superciliousness.
A Grasshopper was making a chirping that was disagreeable to an Owl, who was wont to seek her living in the dark, and in the day-time to take her rest in a hollow tree. She was asked to cease her noise, but she began much more loudly to send forth her note; entreaties urged again only set her on still more. The Owl, when she saw she had no remedy, and that her words were slighted, attacked the chatterer with this stratagem: “As your song, which one might take for the tones of Apollo’s lyre, will not allow me to go to sleep, I have a mind to drink some nectar which Pallas lately gave me; if you do not object, come, let us drink together.” The other, who was parched with thirst, as soon as she found her voice complimented, eagerly flew up. The Owl, coming forth from her hollow, seized the trembling thing, and put her to death.
Thus what she had refused when alive, she gave when dead. [more info]

The Owl and the Grasshopper

3.14. THE OWL AND THE GRASSHOPPER.
Those who will not the forms obey
To be obliging in their way,
Must often punishment abide
For their ill-nature, and their pride.
A Grasshopper, in rank ill-will,
Was very loud and very shrill
Against a sapient Owl’s repose,
Who was compelled by day to doze
Within a hollow oak’s retreat,
As wont by night to quest for meat—
She is desired to hold her peace.
But at the word her cries increase;
Again requested to abate
Her noise, she’s more importunate.
The Owl perceiving no redress,
And that her words were less and less
Accounted of, no longer pray’d,
But thus an artifice essay’d:
“Since ’tis impossible to nod,
While harping like the Delphian god,
You charm our ears, stead of a nap,
A batch of nectar will I tap,
Which lately from Minerva came;
Now if you do not scorn the same,
Together let us bumpers ply.”
The Grasshopper, extremely dry,
And, finding she had hit the key
That gain’d applause, approach’d with glee;
At which the Owl upon her flew,
And quick the trembling vixen slew.
Thus by her death she was adjudged
To give what in her life she grudged. [more info]

The Grasshopper and the Owl

18. THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE OWL. An Owl sat sleeping in a tree when a Grasshopper, who was singing beneath, would not let her be quiet, abusing her with very indecent and uncivil language; telling her she was a scandalous person who plied a-nights to get her living and shut herself up all day in a hollow tree. The Owl desired her to hold her tongue and be quiet: Notwithstanding which she was still impertinent.
She begged of her a second time to leave off; but all to no purpose: The Owl, vext at the heart to find that all she said went for nothing, cast about to inveigle her by stratagem.
Well, said she, since one must needs be kept awake, 'tis a pleasure however to be so by so agreeable a voice; which I must confess is no ways inferior to the finest harp. And, now I think on't, I have a bottle of excellent nectar, which my Mistress Pallas gave me; if you have a mind, I'll give you a dram to whet your whistle.
The Grasshopper, ready to die with thirst, and, at the same time, pleas'd to be so complimented upon account of her voice, skip'd up to the place very briskly: when the Owl advancing to meet her, seiz'd and without much delay made her a sacrifice to her revenge: securing to her self by the death of her enemy, a possession of that quiet which, during her life-time, she could not enjoy
We have no Right to be impertinent with one another to extremity; and tho' there is no Law to punish such Incivilities, they will scarce fail of meeting with deserved and just chastisement, some way or other. [more info]

The Owl and the Grasshopper

THE OWL AND THE GRASSHOPPER. The Owl always takes her sleep during the day. Then after sundown, when the rosy light fades from the sky and the shadows rise slowly through the wood, out she comes ruffling and blinking from the old hollow tree. Now her weird "hoo-hoo-hoo-oo-oo" echoes through the quiet wood, and she begins her hunt for the bugs and beetles, frogs and mice she likes so well to eat.
Now there was a certain old Owl who had become very cross and hard to please as she grew older, especially if anything disturbed her daily slumbers. One warm summer afternoon as she dozed away in her den in the old oak tree, a Grasshopper nearby began a joyous but very raspy song. Out popped the old Owl's head from the opening in the tree that served her both for door and for window.
"Get away from here, sir," she said to the Grasshopper. "Have you no manners? You should at least respect my age and leave me to sleep in quiet!"
But the Grasshopper answered saucily that he had as much right to his place in the sun as the Owl had to her place in the old oak. Then he struck up a louder and still more rasping tune.
The wise old Owl knew quite well that it would do no good to argue with the Grasshopper, nor with anybody else for that matter. Besides, her eyes were not sharp enough by day to permit her to punish the Grasshopper as he deserved. So she laid aside all hard words and spoke very kindly to him.
"Well sir," she said, "if I must stay awake, I am going to settle right down to enjoy your singing. Now that I think of it, I have a wonderful wine here, sent me from Olympus, of which I am told Apollo drinks before he sings to the high gods. Please come up and taste this delicious drink with me. I know it will make you sing like Apollo himself."
The foolish Grasshopper was taken in by the Owl's flattering words. Up he jumped to the Owl's den, but as soon as he was near enough so the old Owl could see him clearly, she pounced upon him and ate him up.
Flattery is not a proof of true admiration.
Do not let flattery throw you off your guard against an enemy. [more info]