The Ant and the Grasshopper

Lyric

The ant worked hard all summer long,
The grasshopper sang a happy song!

“Come and play!” said the grasshopper bright,
“No,” said the ant, “I work till night!”

Work today, play tomorrow,
Don’t wait till there’s winter sorrow!
Work today, play tomorrow,
Ant’s way is the way to follow!

Snow came down, cold and deep,
The ant had food, the grasshopper sleep.

Work today, play tomorrow,
Don’t wait till there’s winter sorrow!

Sing and dance, but plan ahead,
That’s what the wise ant said!

Work today, play tomorrow,
Ant’s way is the way to follow!

THE STORY

The Ant and the Grasshopper

In a field on a bright summer day, a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to his heart’s content. He saw an Ant passing by, toiling with great effort to carry an ear of corn back to his nest. The Grasshopper laughed at the Ant, asking why he was working so hard on such a beautiful day. He invited the Ant to stop and chat with him instead of worrying about the winter that was so far away.

But the Ant replied that he was preparing for the future. “I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” he said, “and I recommend you do the same.” The Grasshopper shrugged off this sensible advice, believing it was a waste of a perfectly good summer day to be thinking of winter. He continued his merrymaking, singing and dancing while the sun shone, believing there would always be time to prepare later.

When the winter finally came, the Grasshopper found himself cold and starving, with not a single crumb to eat. He went to the Ant’s nest and begged for a little food. The Ant, safe and well-supplied in his comfortable home, looked at the shivering Grasshopper and asked what he had been doing all summer while the work was being done. “I was singing and making music,” the Grasshopper replied weakly. The Ant, having stored away what he himself had gathered, told the Grasshopper that he could now continue his dance to keep warm, for he would receive no charity.

With grateful thanks to the original storyteller, Aesop (c. 620–564 BCE), whose ancient fables have imparted timeless lessons for centuries. This tale, now in the public domain, has been a cornerstone of folklore and moral instruction.