The Grasshopper and the Ants

Once upon a time, there was a large, busy anthill in a meadow by a forest of oak trees. The ants were marching back and forth, carrying many different things. Nearby, a young grasshopper was grazing on the grass. He watched them for a while and finally asked: “What are you carrying, ants?”

“We’re preparing our food supply for the winter. When the snow and the icy frost arrive, it’s going to cover the whole landscape. It’ll be frozen and we won’t be able to find any food at all,” explained one of the ants.

The grasshopper started laughing. “How silly they are, working on such a beautiful summer day,” he thought to himself. “Hey, ants!” he called to them. “It’s such a nice day! You need to enjoy the summer and play,” he said. “Don’t you know that only fools work when the weather is so great?”

But the ants didn’t listen to the grasshopper and they kept gathering whatever they might need during the winter. They carried big leaves and small twigs to make their anthill firmer for the cold winter ahead.

They also carried mushrooms, blueberries, and other fruit from deep in the forest so that they would have something to eat year round. The silly grasshopper was still hopping around the meadow, wasting his days away. Every single time he passed the ants, he kept trying to convince them to think about fun and enjoy the sun.

“Come play with me,” he called. But the hardworking ants just shook their wee heads as they continued to prepare for the winter.

One day, an oak leaf landed on his nose. It was yellow and when he looked around, he saw that all of the leaves were changing colour. They were turning from bright…