The Ant & the Grasshopper

Once upon a time, on a bright and breezy summer day the Ant was busy at work. Her legs moved rapidly carrying one grain after another back to her nest. The sun was high and the days were long, providing the perfect day for gathering grain.

Meanwhile, the Grasshopper was lounging on a blade of grass strumming his legs and singing cheerfully. Noticing the Ant's incessant labor he couldn't help but call out,

"Hey, Ant! Why spend all your day working so hard? Come, relax a bit, sing a song with me. Enjoy the glorious summer sun."

Pausing briefly, the Ant replied sternly, "I need to store food for the winter. While you sing all day, I work to secure my future. What will you do when the cold comes, Grasshopper?"

Laughing off her concerns, the Grasshopper responded, "Why worry about winter on such a sunny day? There's plenty of food around and winter is far away. I have time enough to find food later. Now is the time for music and fun."

Shaking her head, the Ant went back to her work, muttering, "To each their own then."

As the seasons changed, the warm days of summer turned into the chilly winds of autumn and then into the bitter cold of winter. The once abundant food was now buried under layers of snow.

Shivering and starving, the Grasshopper found himself in dire straits. He remembered the Ant's storeroom and, driven by desperation, decided to ask for help. He hopped over to the Ant's home and knocked on her door.

The Ant, snug and comfortable in her warm, well-stocked nest, answered the door to find the Grasshopper standing weak and thin.

"Ant, please help me," the Grasshopper pleaded, "I sang through summer and failed to prepare for winter. I am hungry and cold. Can you spare some food?"

The Ant replied, "I worked hard in summer to gather this food. When I advised you to prepare, you chose to sing instead. What did you do all summer, Grasshopper?"

"I sang my songs, I believed that was enough," the Grasshopper said meekly.

"Well, then," said the Ant, not unkindly but firmly, "Just as you sang in the summer, now you can