One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
“What!” cried the Ants in surprise, “haven’t you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?”
“I didn’t have time to store up any food,” whined the Grasshopper; “I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone.”
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
“Making music, were you?” they cried. “Very well; now dance!” And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
The Ants and the Grasshopper (Aesop’s fable)
Summary:
One hot summer, a busy colony of ants worked from sunrise to sunset, carrying grains and seeds into their underground storehouse to prepare for the cold months ahead.
Nearby, a carefree Grasshopper spent the same days singing, dancing, and laughing at the ants. “Why toil so hard?” he teased. “Life is short—enjoy the sunshine!”
When winter came, the fields were frozen and bare. The Grasshopper, shivering and starving, knocked on the ants’ door begging for food.
The ants looked at him and said:
“You sang and danced all summer while we worked. Now you can dance through the winter.”
Moral (the classic ending):
It is best to prepare for the days of necessity while you still have the chance.
(Short version: “Work today, or starve tomorrow.”)