One summer day, a grasshopper was hopping about, playing his fiddle, chirping and singing to his heart’s content. An ant passed by him, bent under the load of a grain of rice that he was carrying.
“My dear ant! Put down your weary load. Look, what a bright, sunny day it is! Come and sing with me instead of toiling away”, said the grasshopper.
“I am helping to store away food for the winter, ” said the ant. “And I advice you to do the same, my friend.”
“Why bother about the winter?” replied the grasshopper. “There is still plenty of time, and we have plenty of food for the present.”
“As you wish”, said the ant and continued on its way.
When the winter came, the grasshopper had no food. Everything was covered in snow, and he found himself dying of hunger. He wandered around and came upon the ants, who were distributing corn and grain that they had collected in the summer. Then the grasshopper knew “It is always best to prepare for future days of necessity.”
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(Grasshopper image credit: Walt Disney Fansites)