Aesop’s Fables
The Ants and the Grasshopper
Grade 2
One summer’s day, some ants were hard at work. They were carrying an ear of corn back to their nest.
Along came a grasshopper with a fiddle under his arm. “Hello, ants!” he called. “Come and dance to my song!”
“We can’t stop now,” said one of the ants. “We are storing up food for the winter. You should be doing the same thing.”
“Why should I worry?” asked the grasshopper. “There is plenty to eat right now. It’s a fine summer day. Why not have some fun?”
The ants shook their heads and kept working.
Each time the ants saw the grasshopper, he was laughing and singing. And each time, the ants reminded him that winter was on its way. But the grasshopper couldn’t be bothered to think about work.
Soon enough, winter came. It was cold, and there was snow everywhere. The grasshopper could not find any food. As his hunger grew, he came upon the ants. There they were, taking corn and grain from their stores.
The grasshopper then wished he had spent less time making music. He wished he could turn back time and listen to the ants.
