During a bright, sunny summer, a Grasshopper spent his days singing and dancing in the fields. He had plenty of food and didn't have a care in the world.

Nearby, a colony of Ants worked tirelessly. They spent every hour of daylight carrying heavy grains of corn and seeds back to their nest. Watching them, the Grasshopper laughed and said, "Why work so hard? It’s a beautiful day! There is plenty of food right here."

One Ant paused and replied, "I am helping to lay up food for the winter, and I recommend you do the same."

The Grasshopper just shrugged. "Winter is a long way off," he chirped. "Why worry about tomorrow when today is so wonderful?"

The Turning Point

When winter finally arrived, the ground was frozen and covered in deep snow. The Grasshopper could no longer find a single blade of grass or a tiny seed to eat. He became weak with hunger and cold.

He eventually wandered to the Ants' house and saw them distributing corn and grain from the stores they had collected during the summer. He begged them for a small bite to eat.

"Didn't you store anything away?" the Ant asked. "What were you doing all summer?"

"I didn't have time," the Grasshopper whined. "I was too busy making music."

The Ant shook his head. "If you spent the summer singing, you must spend the winter dancing.”