Grasshopper Plays All Summer

Part One · Grasshopper Plays All Summer

All summer long, Grasshopper played his fiddle in the sun. He did not do any work at all.

The ants were busy. They carried seeds and corn to their nest all day.

"Stop and play with me!" called Grasshopper. "The sun is warm, and the day is long!"

"We can't," said the smallest ant. "Winter is coming, and we must have food."

Grasshopper laughed. "Winter is far away," he said. "Nobody needs to think about it yet!"

Soon the leaves fell, and the wind turned cold. Then one morning, the snow came down.

Grasshopper looked in the grass for seeds. He found nothing, and his tummy rumbled.

He shivered all the way to the ants' nest. He knocked on the little door.

"Please give me some food," he said. "I am so cold and hungry."

The smallest ant looked at him. "All summer you played," she said. "What can we do now?"

Grasshopper hung his head. "I should have worked too," he said. "I am sorry."

The ants looked at each other. Then they smiled and opened the door wide.

"Come in and get warm," said the smallest ant. "We have enough to share."

That night he played his fiddle. The ants danced until they were warm.