The Ant and the Grasshopper

In a meadow on a warm summer day, a hardworking ant was busy collecting food. She knew that winter would come soon, and she needed to gather enough supplies to last through the cold months. As she carried grain after grain to her storage, she noticed a grasshopper lounging nearby, playing his fiddle and singing happily.

 

The grasshopper watched the ant and said, “Why are you working so hard? The sun is shining, and there’s plenty of food around. Come, enjoy the summer with me!”

 

The ant paused and replied, “I’m preparing for winter. When the cold arrives, there won’t be any food left in the fields. I need to make sure I have enough stored to survive.”

 

Question: Why do you think the ant is working hard even though there’s plenty of food around?

 

The grasshopper laughed and continued to play his fiddle. He didn’t believe that winter would be as harsh as the ant said, so he spent his days singing and dancing, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

 

As the weeks passed, the days grew shorter and colder. The leaves fell from the trees, and the fields were covered in frost. The grasshopper, who had not gathered any food, soon found himself hungry and cold. He knocked on the ant’s door, shivering, and begged, “Please, kind ant, share some of your food with me. I have nothing to eat.”

The ant looked at the grasshopper and said, “All summer long, I warned you about the coming winter, but you chose to play instead of preparing. Now, I have just enough food for myself, and I can’t share it without risking my own survival.”

 

The grasshopper hung his head in shame. He realized too late that he had been foolish to ignore the ant’s warnings. With no food and nowhere to go, the grasshopper faced a harsh winter alone, hungry and cold.

 

Question: How do you think the grasshopper felt when he realized he hadn’t prepared for winter?

 

As winter set in, the grasshopper learned a hard lesson. He understood that while it’s important to enjoy life, it’s also essential to plan for the future. By the time spring arrived, the grasshopper had changed. He no longer wasted time and instead worked hard to make sure he was always prepared for whatever challenges might come his way.

 

Moral: Plan ahead and work hard to be prepared for the future. It’s important to balance fun with responsibility.