The Grasshopper and the Ant

The sun shone brightly. Not a cloud was in the blue sky. Grasshopper played a song on her fiddle and danced.

Meanwhile, Ant worked busily around her. He was gathering firewood and bringing it down into his anthill. Grasshopper could not understand why Ant was wasting this perfect day.

She stopped playing her fiddle and went over to him. “Ant, why are you working on such a sunny day? You should be enjoying it.”

“I am,” he replied. “I’m enjoying this day by working.” 

“But work isn’t fun,” she said. “Playing music and dancing is fun. Join me!” She played her fiddle and danced around Ant.

Ant laughed but shook his head. “I’m going to keep working.” 

“How come?” Grasshopper whined.

“Because before you knowit, winter will be here. And it will be too cold and dark to collect food,” he said. “Would you like to help?”

Grasshopper shook her head and said, “No way! It’s still summer. Winter is far away. There will be plenty of time to collect food later.” 

Ant shrugged as Grasshopper kept on playing her fiddle.

The next day was just as sunny. Grasshopper lay in the grass, playing her fiddle. 

Ant gathered more firewood and food. Then he swept around his anthill with a little broom. Grasshopper couldn’t believe it. Ant was doing so much work again!

“Ant!” Grasshopper called to him. “You’re doing chores again?” 

Ant nodded and said back, “Winter will be here before you know it! Want to join me?”

“Nope,” Grasshopper said, stretching out in the grass.

This happened over and over. Grasshopper played her fiddle and danced all day. Meanwhile, Ant worked hard to get ready for winter. Whenever Ant asked Grasshopper to join him, Grasshopper said no and kept on playing.

Pretty soon, summer turned to fall. The sun still shone, but the weather was cooler. There was a cool, crisp breeze in the air. 

Ant moved faster, trying to finish up the last of his work. But Grasshopper continued to play. She felt the breeze and thought it was a good time to fly her kite.

“Grasshopper! Can you believe it’s fall already?” Ant asked.

“Yeah! It’s the best time of year to fly a kite,” Grasshopper said as her kite floated in the air.

“It’s getting colder. You really should start getting ready for winter. I’m almost done,” Ant said.

“Oh, I’ll collect food, and clean, and do all my chores later. Stop bugging me!” Grasshopper shouted.

“OK, I’ll leave you alone,” Ant said with a shrug. Then he climbed down into his anthill.

Grasshopper felt bad about yelling at Ant. But she did not like him telling her what to do. She would do her work when she felt like it. Right now, she felt like flying her kite. So she did.

Every day after that, it got colder and colder. Grasshopper kept playing her fiddle and flying her kite. She didn’t notice that winter was almost there. 

Meanwhile, Ant came outside less and less. He waved at Grasshopper from the window of his anthill while cooking in his cozy kitchen.

It wasn’t until the first snowfall of the season that Grasshopper finally began working. Or at least she tried to work. But it was very hard to find food when everything was covered in snow.

She searched all over, but she couldn’t find a crumb. Her tummy rumbled with hunger. And her hands were so stiff from cold that she couldn’t play her fiddle or fly her kite. She was very unhappy. 

As she sat in the snow shivering, she smelled something scrumptious. She stood up and followed the smell all the way to Ant’s anthill. Grasshopper could see in the window that Ant was baking muffins. Grasshopper’s tummy rumbled again. With no other choice, Grasshopper knocked on Ant’s door.

“H-h-hi, Ant!” Grasshopper said, shivering.

“Hiya, Grasshopper. How are you today?” Ant was wearing a hat, a scarf, and mittens.

“I’m hungry and cold,” Grasshopper said. 

“Don’t you have firewood and food stored for the winter?” Ant asked.

Grasshopper shook her head. “No. Why didn’t you remind me to do those things?”

“I tried, but you told me to stop bugging you!” Ant said. 

“Ant, I’m so sorry. You were right. I should have spent those sunny days working instead of playing. Now I have nothing.”

“Well, that’s not true. You have something,” Ant said.

“What?’” Grasshopper asked.

“You have a friend,” Ant replied, taking off his warm scarf and wrapping it around Grasshopper’s neck.

“Ant, can I please stay with you this winter? I’ll do anything!”

Ant thought. Then he said, “Of course!” 

Grasshopper jumped with joy!

“BUT,” Ant continued, “when winter is over, you have to promise to help me with work before you start to play.”

“I promise! Thank you, thank you!” Grasshopper said, hugging Ant and spinning him around. Ant giggled and welcomed Grasshopper into his snug anthill. 

For the rest of the winter, Ant and Grasshopper stayed warm inside. They shared meals, read books, and even played music together. Grasshopper played songs on her fiddle, and Ant joined in on the piano.