introduction

Aesop's fables are well-read by Japanese children. Shin'ichi Hoshi, one of the most celebrated short story writers in Japan, wrote a series of short stories titled Mirai Isoppu “Future Aesop's Fables.” This 1982 collection contains several up-dated versions of well-known Aesop's fables, one of which is Ari to Kirigirisu “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” In this “new” version of the story, Hoshi presents a critical view of some contemporary societies where the abundance of food challenges the traditional work ethic and social values.

Pre-reading tasks

1. Do you know any fables, old tales, fairy tales of Japan? Do you recall fables and stories you read in your childhood in your own culture? Can you recite any one of Aesop's fables? If you answered positively to any of the questions, summarize one of the stories you know in Japanese.

2. Recalling Entry 8 on narratives, think of an expected beginning, middle, and end along with a likely plot development of a typical Japanese story. Would such a plot coincide with that of the Aesop's fable? With other stories do you know?

3. If you are not familiar with the original version of “The Ant and the Grasshopper,” here is the story taken from a collection of Aesop's Fables (1960:137). In this story a cicada appears instead of a grasshopper.