This is more of a found in translation.

Firstly let me give you a little preamble- for the benefit of those who didn’t do French in their Inter Cert.

La Cigale et La Fourmi, the Cricket and the Ant is a much loved , and I always thought rather nasty little fable by Fontaine which I , and countless others, studied for the inter.

The Cricket , cold and hungry in the winter tries to beg for some food from the ant.
The Ant asks him what was he doing all summer while she was gathering food.
“I sang ” said the cricket.
“Well dance now” says the nasty Ant.

Today Síle and I went to a new shop a couple of kilometres down the road which has just opened as a farmers cooperative.
I have been there a few times and have got to know the girls who run it , it is a great source of duck legs which make a Confit de Canard which is a staple in Le Presbytere.
Today we gathered together the legs and headed for the checkout.
I nudged Síle to show her that they had kindly put up the card of Le Presbytere by the till, but her attention was attracted by a poster to her choir’s Christmas concert next to it.
All this nudging and pointing had then to be explained to the nice lady checking us out.
“Ah ” said she admiringly to Síle ” So you sing ”

It was at that moment that I managed my first French literary joke.

“It is like the Cricket and the Ant” I said.
“She sings while I cook ”

You will be glad to know that both Síle and Madame got the joke and laughed politely.