Morals for kids – Aesop’s Fables – The Ant And The Grasshopper

Narrator:

Once upon a time in a field on a summer day, there was a happy Grasshopper who liked to play, sing, and dance all day.

Grasshopper: What a splendid day!., la,la,la,la,la. I have nothing to do, but sing and play… la, la, la, la, la…

Narrator:

As she was singing, an ant was passing by.

Ant: Don’t you ever get tired of playing?

Grasshopper: Who, me? … of course not!

Ant: Don’t you ever work?

Grasshopper: Who, me? … of course not!… Do you want to play with me?

Ant: No, I have work to do.

Grasshopper: Come on, let’s sing together.

Ant: No, I’m very busy right now.

Grasshopper: Work, work, work! … That’s all you do… You don’t have time to play or sing with me.

Ant: No, I don’t.

Grasshopper: Why are you in such a hurry?

Ant: I have to take home this kernel of corn.

Grasshopper: What for?

Ant: I have to store food for the winter.

Grasshopper: How can you think about winter on such a fine day?

Ant: Because the winter will be here soon, and food will be too hard to find… and you should do the same.

Grasshopper: I don’t want to worry about winter right now! You just go ahead and work, work, work… and I will just play, sing, and dance.

Ant: Soon, you will not have enough food to eat.

Grasshopper: I have plenty of food right now.

Ant: And what about tomorrow?

Grasshopper: I don’t worry about tomorrow.

Ant: I do… good-bye.

Narrator:

So the Ant went on its way and continued its work. The weather soon turned cold, and all the food lying in the field was covered with a thick white blanket of snow.

Grasshopper: I should have listened to the ant! It’s so cold that I can’t even play, or sing songs anymore… and I don’t have food to eat. I am sure the ant will help me!

Narrator:

The grasshopper went to the ant’s hill.

Grasshopper: Please, ant gives me something to eat… I am cold and hungry.

Ant: Why should I help you? What did you do all summer?

Grasshopper: I played, sang, and danced.

Ant: All summer long I worked hard while you made fun of me, and sang and danced. You should have thought of winter then! Find somewhere else to sing, grasshopper! There is no warmth or food for you here!

Narrator:

And the ant shut the door in the grasshopper’s face.

Moral:

There is a time to work and a time to play.