Once upon a time, in a sunny meadow, there lived a busy ant and a playful grasshopper. The ant was always working hard, collecting food and storing it for winter. The grasshopper, on the other hand, loved to sing and dance in the warm sun.
One day, while the ant was gathering seeds, the grasshopper hopped over and said, “Hey there! Why are you working so hard? Come and play with me in the sunshine!”
The ant replied, “I’m getting ready for winter. It’s important to collect food now so I have enough to eat later.”
The grasshopper laughed and said, “Oh, don’t worry! There’s plenty of time. Just enjoy today!” With that, he went back to singing and hopping around, while the ant continued her work.
As summer passed, the ant kept gathering food while the grasshopper kept playing. He thought, “I’ll worry about winter when it comes!”
Then one day, the chilly winds of winter arrived. The meadow was covered in snow, and it became very hard to find food. The grasshopper was hungry and cold. He knocked on the ant’s door and said, “Please, ant! Can you help me? I’m so hungry, and I don’t have any food!”
The ant opened the door and saw the grasshopper shivering. “I tried to warn you,” she said. “While I was working hard, you chose to play. I have enough food for myself, but I can’t share with you right now.”
The grasshopper felt sad and realized he should have listened to the ant. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ll remember to prepare for next time.”
From that day on, the grasshopper learned that it’s important to work hard and be ready for the future. And the ant was happy to have enough food to last through the winter.
Moral: It’s smart to prepare for the future and not waste time when you can be working.