The Ant and the Grasshopper
“The Ant and the Grasshopper” comes from Aesop's Fables of ancient Greece: the ants work all summer storing food, while the grasshopper only sings and laughs at them — until winter comes and the grasshopper has nothing to eat. La Fontaine of France later retold it too, and for over two thousand years everyone has known its lesson: prepare for rainy days while the sun still shines.
Summer was hot and sunny, and the whole meadow felt warm. The ants worked hard carrying food back to their nest, while the grasshopper sat on a stone and happily played his violin.
The grasshopper saw how hard the ant was working and laughed, "Why work so hard, stop working and come sing and play with me!" The ant wiped the sweat off his face and kept carrying food.
The ant said, "Winter is coming soon, so I must store food ahead of time." The grasshopper answered, "Winter is still far away, take your time and come play with me!"
Autumn arrived, the leaves on the trees turned golden yellow, and a cool breeze blew gently. The ant kept working hard to carry food, while the grasshopper kept singing and dancing in the meadow.
At last winter came, heavy snow fell from the sky, and the whole meadow turned white. The grasshopper was shaking with cold, his tummy rumbled with hunger, but there was no food at home.
The ant opened the door, looked at the hungry grasshopper, and shook her head.
The ant closed the door, and the grasshopper had to face the cold winter alone.
