In a field on a fine summer's day, a grasshopper was hopping about, singing and dancing and enjoying himself.

Nearby a group of ants was hard at work. They had built their house underground, and they were filling it with food to last them through the long, cold winter ahead.

"Why not come and play with me?", asked the grasshopper. "Why bother about Winter?" We have plenty of food now. Come, leave your work. Now's the time to dance and sing."

But the ants paid no attention to the grasshopper. They kept working hard, all day and every day.

But not the grasshopper. All summer long, while the ants worked, he jumped about the field, and danced and sang. Sometimes he'd sit for hours and listen to the humming of bees, or watch the butterflies flitting about, or take long, lazy naps in the warm sun. And when he woke up he would sing this song:

"The summertime's the time for me,
For then I'm as happy as can be.
I watch the butterflies and bees,
I do whatever I may please.
I do not work the livelong day,
I pass the time in fun and play.
Oh, the summertime's the time for me,
For I'm as happy as can be!"

Yes, the grasshopper was a happy fellow - but never thought about the future.

One day the grasshopper woke up and felt a chill in the air. Then he saw the leaves turn red, gold and brown, and begin to fall from the trees. Then the days kept getting cooler, and soon the grasshopper saw no butterflies or bees, and the fields where he liked to sing and dance turned bare and hard.

Now the cold days of Winter were upon him, and the grasshopper was freezing and hungry. He came to the ants house and knocked on the door.

"What do you want?", asked the ants.

"May I come in and share your food?", asked the grasshopper.

"What did you do all summer?" asked the ants. "Didn't you put away some food to use now?"

"No" said the shivering grasshopper. "I was too busy singing and dancing."

"So" said the ants, "you sang and danced all summer while we worked. Well, now you can sing and dance while we eat!"

And as the grasshopper walked away, he sadly sang this song:

"I did no work all summer long
And now I know that I was wrong.
It isn't fair for me to play
While the others work the livelong day.
Next time I'll work as well as dance,
Then I'll be ready like the ants!"