Pay Attention to Advice

Once upon a time, an ant was passing along a path to collect grains of barley when suddenly her eyes fell upon a beehive. The sweet fragrance of honey made her mouth water. The hive was attached to a rock. The ant tried repeatedly to climb the rocky surface to reach the hive, but she failed again and again because her feet kept slipping and she fell every time.

The temptation of honey compelled her to call out loudly. She pleaded,

“O people! I desire honey. If any brave one can take me to the beehive, I will offer one grain of barley as payment.”

A winged ant was flying nearby. She heard the ant’s voice and warned her,

“Be careful. Do not go toward the hive. There is great danger there.”

The ant replied,

“Do not worry. I know what I am doing.”

The winged ant said,

“There are honeybees there, and they have stingers.”

The ant responded,

“I am not afraid of honeybees. I want honey.”

The winged ant warned again,

“Honey is sticky. Your hands and feet will get trapped in it.”

The ant replied confidently,

“If hands and feet got stuck so easily, no one would ever be able to eat honey.”

The winged ant said,

“You know best. Still, listen to me and give up the thought of honey. I am winged, old, and experienced. Going toward the hive will prove very costly, and you may fall into trouble.”

The ant replied sharply,

“If possible, take your payment and deliver me there. If you cannot, then do not overreact. I do not need a guardian, and I do not like those who give advice.”

The winged ant said,

“Someone may indeed take you there, but I see no good in it. I do not assist in matters whose outcome is harmful.”

The ant said stubbornly,

“Do not trouble yourself unnecessarily. Today, at any cost, I will reach the hive.”

The winged ant went her way. Once again, the ant cried out,

“Is there any brave one who can take me to the beehive and receive one grain of barley as payment?”

Suddenly, a fly passed by.

She said, “Poor ant! You desire honey, and you have every right to it. I shall fulfill your wish.”

The ant exclaimed joyfully,

“May God bless you and grant you a long life. You are truly a kind-hearted creature.”

The fly lifted the ant from the ground, placed her near the hive, and flew away.

The ant was overjoyed. She said,

“Wonderful! What fortune! What a hive, what a fragrance, what fine honey, and what pleasure it brings! What greater happiness could there be? Ants are truly unfortunate to keep collecting wheat and barley instead of turning toward the beehive.”

The ant tasted honey here and there and kept moving forward until she reached the pool of honey. Suddenly, she realized that her hands and feet were stuck in the honey and she could no longer move.

She struggled desperately to free herself, but all efforts failed. Finally, she cried out,

“What a terrible trap I have fallen into! What greater misfortune could there be? O people! Save me. Is there any brave one who can take me out of this hive? I will offer two grains of barley as a reward.”

Earlier the offer was one grain—now it had become two. This was the only idea she could think of to escape that hell.

At that very moment, the winged ant was returning from her journey. Seeing the ant in this condition, she felt deep sorrow and immediately rescued her.

Then she said,

“I do not wish to scold you, but I must say this much: excessive greed becomes the cause of captivity. Today, your fate was kind that I happened to arrive here in time. In the future, be cautious. Listen carefully to advice before falling into trouble, and never seek help from a fly. A fly is not a friend of an ant—how could it ever truly be her well-wisher?”