Edited by the Spanish partenership

ACT-FACT Active Citizenship Through Fairy Content Tales A Comenius Project ROMANIA SLOVENIA TURKEY SPAIN
The little ant La hormiguita
2
The Little Ant
By Fernn Caballero
Once upon a time there was a wonderful little
ant. So lovely and so hard working that
everyone loved her! One day while she was
raking leafs in her front yard; she found a
shiny new penny. She said what should I do
with this new penny? Maybe I should buy
some nuts? No, I cant open them. Maybe I
should buy a caramel apple? No, it is just
candy. She thought about it and decided to go
to the store; there she brought some blush to
put on her cheeks and took it home. When she
got home, she styled her hair, washed her
face, and put some blush on her cheeks. Then
she went outside and sat on her front porch. She was so stylish and beautiful that
everyone that passed by was mesmerized by her.
A bull passed by and asked her: Little ant, do you want to marry me?
How will you inspire my love?, answered the little ant. The bull started to mooooo,
the little ant covered her ears, and told the bull: Go on your way bull, because you
surprise me, scare me and startle me.
The same thing happened with a dog who barked, a cat who meowed, a pig who
oinked, and a rooster who sang cock-a-doodle-doo. None of them were able to win
the heart of the little ant; instead they all frightened her. Until Peter the mouse
came. He treated her kindly and very delicately. He was so nice that little ant
married him and they both lived very happy and very much in love. It was a love so
big that it hasnt been seen since the beginning of time.
But due to bad luck, one day the little ant went to the store by herself, after putting
a pot of soup in the fire, which she left in the care of Peter the mouse. The little ant,
who was very cautious, warned Peter the mouse not to stir the soup with the small
spoon; she told him to use the big spoon instead. Unfortunately, Peter the mouse
did not listen to what his wife had said; he used the small spoon
to stir the soup. And what the little ant had tried to prevent
happened. With his clumsiness, Peter the mouse fell into the
pot, like a rock that falls into a well and there he drowned.
When the little ant returned home, she knocked the door but no
one answered. So she went to the neighbours house to see if
she could jump from one roof to the other, but the neighbour
didnt let her. So she had to call a locksmith, to unlock the door.
When the door opened the little ant ran to the kitchen. Oh
no!!!!, she cried with so much pain when she saw Peter the
mouse floating in the soup.
The little ant was crying bitterly when a birdie flew by and asked her: Why are you
crying little ant?
She answered: Because my husband died.
ACT-FACT Active Citizenship Through Fairy Content Tales A Comenius Project ROMANIA SLOVENIA TURKEY SPAIN
The little ant La hormiguita
3
Well then, I birdie shall keep my beak dirty.
Then a dove came and she asked the birdie: Why is your beak so dirty?
Well, because Peter the mouse drowned inside his house and the little ant is crying
because of him dying.
Then I dove shall stay in the cove.
Then the pigeon loft asked the dove: Why do you stay in the cove?
Well, because Peter the mouse drowned inside his house and the little ant is crying
because of him dying, and the birdie kept his beak dirty, and I dove shall stay in the
cove.
Well then I pigeon loft will break off
Then the water spring said: Why are you going to break off, pigeon loft?
Well, because Peter the mouse drowned inside his house and the little ant is crying
because of him dying, and the birdie kept his beak dirty, and the dove stay in the
cove and, I pigeon loft will break off.
Then I water fountain will cry here in this
mountain.
Then the princess climbed up the mountain to fill
her glass with water, and asked: Why are you
crying here in the mountain water fountain?
Well, because Peter the mouse drowned inside
his house and the little ant is crying because of
him dying, and the birdie kept his beak dirty, and
the dove stay in the cove and the pigeon loft
broke off and I water fountain am crying here in
the mountain.
Well, then I princess shall smash my glass in a
flash
And I, who read this story, feel very sorry because
Peter the mouse drowned inside his house and the
little ant is crying because of him dying.
This story was written by Fernn Caballero (1796-1877), the pseudonym
adopted by Spanish novelist Cecilia Francisca Josefa Bhl de Faber. She was
born at in Switzerland, and was the daughter of Johann Nikolaus Bhl von
Faber, who lived for a long time in Spain. His daughter visited Spain in 1815,
got married, and stayed. La hormiguita was a story written in the
nineteenth century and this is transmitted in the text by the different
language that is used.
ACT-FACT Active Citizenship Through Fairy Content Tales A Comenius Project ROMANIA SLOVENIA TURKEY SPAIN
The little ant La hormiguita
4
Spanish original text:
La hormiguita
de
Fernn Caballero
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ACT-FACT Active Citizenship Through Fairy Content Tales A Comenius Project ROMANIA SLOVENIA TURKEY SPAIN
The little ant La hormiguita
5
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ACT-FACT Active Citizenship Through Fairy Content Tales A Comenius Project ROMANIA SLOVENIA TURKEY SPAIN
The little ant La hormiguita
6
ACTIVITIES
1. The end of the story is really very sad. Could you write a different end? (Feel free to
change anything you like to make the story believable).
ACT-FACT Active Citizenship Through Fairy Content Tales A Comenius Project ROMANIA SLOVENIA TURKEY SPAIN
The little ant La hormiguita
7
2. One of the values we want to emphasize in the tales is solidarity. How would you
say this solidarity is shown on the little ants misfortune?
3. Fill in this moral value table for the Little Ants tale:
POSITIVE VALUES NEGATIVE VALUES
ACT-FACT Active Citizenship Through Fairy Content Tales A Comenius Project ROMANIA SLOVENIA TURKEY SPAIN
The little ant La hormiguita
8
3. Discuss on the following morals we can extract from the tale:
We should support our loved people
We should learn to listen carefully to someone that is
speaking to us
Obey your parents and teachers so that we wont
have the same end as Peter the mouse