The Ant and the Grasshopper

In the bright days of summer, a cheerful grasshopper leaped through the meadow. He fiddled on a dry blade of grass and sang a happy tune to anyone who would listen. The sun was warm, and the world felt full of music.

Across the dusty path, a steady ant carried heavy grains one by one to her nest. She paused to plan each trip and checked the sky for signs of storms. 'Come play!' the grasshopper laughed. 'The sun is warm and the wind is sweet!'

The ant wiped her brow and answered without anger, 'I will play when my work is done. Winter always comes, and my family must be ready.' Day after day, the grasshopper chose music and shade while the ant stored seeds and mended her tunnels.

When autumn arrived, cooling the fields, the grasshopper noticed the flowers were fading. The meadow grew quiet as the insects found places to hide. He felt a tiny pinch of worry, but told himself that tomorrow would be as easy as today.

Then the true winter arrived. Frost silvered the grass, and the meadow fell completely silent. The grasshopper shivered in the biting wind and searched for a bite to eat, but the stems were bare and the ground was frozen hard.

Hungry and cold, he remembered the diligent ant. He made his way to her cozy door and softly knocked. 'Please,' he whispered, 'I have no food, and the winter is so very cold.'

The ant greeted him with care. She did not scold him for his singing. Instead, she offered him a warm place by the fire and a portion of her grain. 'Sing for us now,' she said kindly, 'and when spring returns, plan as well as you play.'

So the grasshopper learned to balance joy with preparation. The next summer, he stored food between his songs. He lived happily, knowing that making wise choices today makes every tomorrow much kinder.