It was a warm summer. A grasshopper spent every day singing and dancing in the green fields. One morning he saw an ant carrying a grain of wheat to her nest. The ant was working hard in the hot sun.
“Why are you working so hard?” asked the grasshopper. “Come and sing with me!” “I am storing food for the winter,” said the ant. “You should do the same.” The grasshopper laughed. “Winter is far away. There is plenty of food now,” he said, and he went on singing.
Soon the summer ended and winter came. The fields were covered with frost, and there was no food anywhere. The grasshopper was cold and hungry.
He went to the ant’s home and knocked. “Please give me something to eat,” he begged. The ant gave him a little food, but she said, “You sang all summer while I worked. Next time, remember to prepare for hard days.”
Moral of the story
Work hard today, and you will be ready for tomorrow.
New words
- grain
- a seed of wheat or rice
- storing
- keeping something to use later
- plenty
- a lot; more than enough
- frost
- a thin white layer of ice on the ground
- begged
- asked for something very humbly
- prepare
- to get ready
Questions and answers
- How did the grasshopper spend the summer?
Show answer
He spent it singing and dancing in the fields.
- What was the ant doing?
Show answer
She was carrying grain to her nest and storing food for the winter.
- Why did the grasshopper laugh at the ant?
Show answer
He thought winter was far away and there was plenty of food.
- What happened when winter came?
Show answer
The fields were covered with frost, there was no food, and the grasshopper was cold and hungry.
- What did the ant tell the grasshopper?
Show answer
She told him to remember to prepare for hard days next time.
- Who was wiser, the ant or the grasshopper? Why?
Show answer
The ant was wiser, because she worked in summer and was ready for the winter.
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