The Ant and the Grasshopper

It was a bright, sunny summer. In a green meadow, a little ant was working very hard. All day long, she carried tiny grains of wheat back to her home under the ground. She was storing food for the cold winter.

Nearby, on a blade of grass, sat a grasshopper. He was singing a happy song and playing his fiddle. "Chirp, chirp! What a lovely day!" he sang. When he saw the busy ant, he laughed. "Why are you working so hard, little ant? Come and play with me! The sun is warm, and summer is long."

"Winter Is Coming"

The little ant stopped for a moment and wiped the sweat from her face. "I am storing food for winter, dear grasshopper," she said. "Winter will be cold and long. There will be no food outside then. You should work too and save some food."

The grasshopper laughed even louder. "Winter? That is so far away! Why worry now? Come, dance with me!" And he played his fiddle and danced in the sunshine.

The grasshopper's friend, the butterfly, flew by and joined in the fun. "Yes, come and play!" she said. "The whole summer is still ahead of us." So the grasshopper sang even louder, and the butterfly danced in the air. The little ant just smiled quietly and kept working. She knew the truth about winter.

The ant shook her head and went back to work. Day after day, all summer long, the ant carried food home. And day after day, the grasshopper sang, danced, and played.

The Cold Winter Arrives

Then autumn came, and the leaves turned yellow and red. Soon after, the cold winter arrived. Snow fell softly on the meadow. The wind blew hard, and everything was white and freezing.

The little ant was warm and safe in her home under the ground. She had plenty of wheat and seeds to eat. She smiled and shared her food with her ant friends.

But poor grasshopper! He had no food at all. He was cold and hungry. His fiddle was frozen, and he could not sing.

The snow was so deep that the grasshopper could hardly walk. His little legs were shaking, and his wings felt like ice. "I was so foolish," he said with tears in his eyes. "I played all summer while the ant worked. Now I have nothing." Shivering, he knocked on the ant's door. "Please, dear ant, give me some food! I am starving!" he cried.

The kind little ant opened the door. "Come in, grasshopper," she said. "I will share my food with you. But remember, next summer, you must work too." The grasshopper nodded and promised, "I will! I have learned my lesson."

Moral of the Story

Work hard today so you can be happy tomorrow. Do not waste time playing when there is work to do.