Judge — December 24, 1887 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is an illustrated adaptation of Aesop's classic fable, set in a winter landscape. The cartoon shows two anthropomorphic figures: a grasshopper (appearing as a soldier or vagrant in tattered clothing, carrying a rifle) and an ant (depicted as a wealthy, well-dressed gentleman with horns, suggesting devilish prosperity). The fable's moral—that the industrious ant prepared for winter while the grasshopper idled away summer—becomes a social commentary. The "horned" ant likely represents greed or capitalism rewarded, while the struggling grasshopper symbolizes the working poor or unemployed facing harsh conditions. This inverts traditional moral lessons, suggesting the satire critiques how the wealthy prosper while the destitute suffer, even during Christmas season.