One day the ant was working hard as usual, when he suddenly remembered that it was his birthday.  He decided to stop working and have a party, and to invite the cricket and the kingfisher.

Just at that moment, the cricket and the kingfisher came to see him.  The ant told them he wanted to celebrate his birthday with them.  They also had forgotten that it was the ant’s birthday and wanted to get a present for him.  The ant grasped his friends quickly, “Don’t go, friends.  I have not made the feast table ready yet.  Please help me prepare the food rather than get a present for me.”

So they hurriedly began to prepare the food but found that they didn’t have the necessary fish.  The three friends quarreled over who should go and get the fish.  Finally, the cricket said, “You, Mr. Ant, are wealthy enough to buy fish in the market, and you, Lord Kingfisher, are talented enough to catch fish.  But, because I am always singing in the bush, I have no money to buy fish and no natural skill in catching fish.  So, when I want to eat fish, I have to catch it as humans do.  Trust me, and see if I can catch a fish or not.”  At last it was decided that the cricket would prepare the fish.  The cricket wished to surprise his friends by showing his skill in catching fish.

While the cricket was at the river, the kingfisher and the ant prepared the party table and waited for him to come back.  But after a long time, the cricket had not returned.  In the meantime, all the food got cold and the red sun disappeared beyond the mountain.  The kingfisher was angry because he had nothing to eat on account of the cricket.  Knowing that the kingfisher was particular about food, the ant, as host, could not keep his guest from going fishing.  The kingfisher was a veteran at catching fish.  After a short while, he came back with a big fish in his mouth.  The kingfisher still seemed angry about the cricket.  He asked the ant to bring a knife to cut the fish.

As soon as he cut the stomach of the fish, however, he found something strange—It was the cricket! “Oh! Hot, hot! I shall die! I shall die of heat!” the cricket said when he came out.  “Mr. Cricket!”  “Yes. It’s me.”  Far from catching a fish, the cricket was caught by one.

The cricket was well cooked, for he had been in the warm stomach of the fish for a long time.  Sweat poured out of his forehead.