Section 158
The Grasshopper and the Ants explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
One fine day in winter some Ants were busy drying their store of corn, which had got rather damp during a long spell of rain. Presently up came a Grhopper and begged them to spare her a few grains, "For," she said, "I'm simply starving." The Ants stopped work for a moment, though this was against their principles....
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Public-domain original
One fine day in winter some Ants were busy drying their store of corn,
which had got rather damp during a long spell of rain. Presently up
came a Grhopper and begged them to spare her a few grains, "For,"
she said, "I'm simply starving." The Ants stopped work for a moment,
though this was against their principles. "May we ask," said they,
"what you were doing with yourself all last summer? Why didn't you
collect a store of food for the winter?" "The fact is," replied the
Grasshopper, "I was so busy singing that I hadn't the time." "If you
spent the summer singing," replied the Ants, "you can't do better than
spend the winter dancing." And they chuckled and went on with their
work.
Public-domain original text shown for study context. Underlined terms can be tapped for simple reader notes.
What happens here
A hungry grasshopper begs ants for food after wasting the summer.
Why this scene matters
This fable teaches preparation before need arrives.
Characters in this scene
- Grasshopper: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Ants: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
The ants store food while the grasshopper sings. In winter he asks for help, but they remind him he failed to prepare.