From: Vladimir Vasyagin <vasyagin-AT-hotmail.com> To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:12:38 -0400 Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] ants and grasshoppers Well. I think it's not Aesop =93mistake=94. He wrote it about how terrible is to have an Ape on the King Thorn actually. Vladimir > Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:05:52 -0400 > From: sheepwpunks-AT-gmail.com > To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] ants and grasshoppers > > I've always found Aesop to be quite the fascinating fellow. I've heard > people describe his stories as 'Morale Tales' but I'm not sure if this > is true. For me they have a distinct smell of even amorality about > them, in as much that it is not how nice/innocent you are, it's the > actions you take that determine whether or not your survive. I found > an interesting Aesop fable that illustrates this: > > (paraphrased) > Two human ambassadors appeared before the King of the Apes. The Ape > king asked the first ambassador, who came from a country of liars, > what he thought of the Ape King's kingdom. > "A brilliant place your majesty" fawned the lying ambassador, "full of > marvels, and your own subjects are clearly learned and disciplined as > a people." > Pleased, the Ape King turned to the second Ambassador, who came from > an honest nation, and asked him the same question. "Well," mused the > Ambassador, "Really, you're a lot of hairy apes, aren't you?" > The Apes tore the honest man to pieces. > > Hence it may be said that the Grasshopper did not starve because he > had nothing worthwhile to contribute to society - he starved because > the Ants did not want what he had to offer, and they had all the > power. > In other news, my uncle is an accountant. > > -A > On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 3:00 PM, Steve Abrams <sapuppets-AT-gmail.com> wrote: > > I have been doing Aesop for years but have always avoided "ant and > > grasshopper" because I did not like the ant's point of view. > > My favorite up-side down version is Leo Lionni's "Fredrick". Its all about > > mice, but it is really a sweet retelling of ant and grasshopper the features > > a mouse/poet who does not gather supplies for the winter. > > > > A few summers ago, the library theme for the summer was "bugs" so I thought > > I needed to accept the challenge of doing "ant and grasshopper" > > > > I looked at many versions, but I was pretty much convinced that the harsh > > version is closest to the original. > > > > I came up with a version, but it didnt have enough action. > > I realized that grasshoppers hop! duh! and if I could have him hop around a > > lot it might help. I started having my grasshopper hop more. > > grasshoppers were energetic and not lazy slackers.(same is true for > > artists) > > > > Then I realized that my hopping grasshopper was a lot like my nephew who has > > ADD (attention deficit disorder) > > > > > > every time the ant tried to engage the grasshopper in conversation, the > > grasshopper could not focus and would hop away. > > > > I began audience testing and realized I had struck gold. > > > > The ant got more and more frustrated with the grasshopper's jumping. > > > > The more frustrated the ant became, the more the audience liked it. (do > > kids like to drive their parents crazy?) > > > > I had lots of action and emotion instead of chit chat > > > > It is a perfect metaphor for many parent-child encounters (whether or not > > the kid is ADD) > > > > I ended with the ant forgiving the grasshopper and I had a way of doing the > > tale that I could perform enthusiastically > > Steve > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 1:14 PM, <puppetpro-AT-aol.com> wrote: > > > >> > >> At a recent residency, I directed Kindergarteners to perform "The Ants and > >> the Grasshoppers". When I modeled the story for them, I changed it so that > >> the ants were merciful to the grasshoppers and paid them (in food) for their > >> singing and dancing. It was a significant change to the moral of the story, > >> but I thought that for the kindergarteners, we really needed to teach them > >> about sharing ... > >> Then, it so happened that all the girls in the class wanted to be > >> grasshoppers and all the boys wanted to be the ants. So, I'm afraid that > >> quite another "message" could have been read into a rather innocent > >> rewriting of the tale. The teachers and I kept our mouths shut about that > >> one. > >> > >> > >> > >> Rolande > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Alan Cook <alangregorycook-AT-msn.com> > >> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > >> Sent: Sat, Mar 13, 2010 1:38 pm > >> Subject: [Puptcrit] SUPPORT of the arts/Slow wheels of government > >> > >> > >> Thanks, Rolande for enduring the Funding Cuts hearing process. At City > >> Council > >> Meetings it is not unusual to see Council Members reading magazines or even > >> dozing while "important matters" are supposedly being discussed. They may > >> already be overloaded with sensory input or be merely incompetant. It is > >> not any > >> different when you work up to Congress or the Senate. > >> > >> While feedng the homeless, providing healthcare, etc. are important, so is > >> feeding curiosity, educating the ignorant, and providing the foundation the > >> Arts > >> provide for being complete human beings with purpose and understanding, > >> with > >> exhilaration for life and its interconnections. > >> > >> Aesop's Fable, THE ANT & THE GRASSHOPPER can be inerpreted in TWO ways. The > >> traditional view was that the Ant was a noble, hard worker and the > >> Grasshopper > >> was a slacker (as if his musical talents had no value). A more truthful > >> interpretation: the Grasshopper could add something to our lives besides > >> drudgery. > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > >> Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit > >> Archives: http://www.driftline.org > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > >> Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit > >> Archives: http://www.driftline.org > >> > > _______________________________________________ > > List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > > Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit > > Archives: http://www.driftline.org > > > _______________________________________________ > List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org > Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit > Archives: http://www.driftline.org _________________________________________________________________ The New Busy is not the old busy. 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