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Aesop’s Fables
13. THE ANT AND THE ‘Anyway ain’t got time to stand around
talking about music. Got stuff to do.’
GRASSHOPPER
‘Stuff?’ said the Grasshopper. ‘What stuff
By Rob John
have you got to do on a lovely sunny
One hot summer’s day a Grasshopper sat morning like this?’
on a blade of grass enjoying the sunshine.
‘What a fine day,’ he said. ‘The sun’s ‘Gotta get this food shifted,’ said the Ant.
shining and I’ve got as much grass as I
can eat.’ The Grasshopper noticed that the Ant
was dragging along a huge ear of corn.
The Grasshopper spent the whole
morning stuffing his face until he couldn’t ‘That looks like hard work, mate,’ said the
eat another thing. Grasshopper.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘Now I’ll make some ‘Tell me about it,’ said the Ant.
music.’
‘What you doing with it?’ said the Grass-
He rubbed his back legs against his wings hopper.
and made a loud buzzing sound.
‘Taking it to our nest,’ said the Ant.
‘Lovely,’ said the Grasshopper. ‘Nothing
better than the sound of a happy Grass- ‘What’re you doing that for?’
hopper.’
‘Food for the winter,’ said the Ant. ‘Gotta
‘Give it a rest,’ said a passing Ant. get ready for the winter.’
‘What?’ said the Grasshopper. ‘Why?’ said the Grasshopper. ‘Winter
won’t come for ages. Won’t be winter till...
‘I’m trying to work here,’ said the Ant. the winter. It’s summer now. Why worry
‘You’re giving me a headache.’ about the winter?’
‘You don’t like my music?’ said the Grass-
hopper.
‘Not my kind of thing,’ said the Ant.
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‘We always worry about the winter.’ said ‘Yep,’ said the Ant.
the Ant. ‘We spend all summer gathering
up food for the winter. It’s what we ants ‘Cold, isn’t it?’ said the Grasshopper.
do.’
‘Nice and warm in our nest,’ said the Ant.
‘It’s not what Grasshoppers do,’ said the
Grasshopper. ‘We Grasshoppers know ‘Not so much to eat now is there,’ said the
how to enjoy the summer. Eat...sleep... Grasshopper.
make some cool music...it’s a fine life. We
Grasshoppers know how to live, see.’ ‘We’ve got plenty,’ said the Ant. ‘Our store
rooms are full of seeds and corn. Got
‘Right,’ said the Ant. ‘I’ll leave you to it.’ loads of food. Enough to see us safely
through to spring.’
‘Don’t go Ant, mate,’ said the Grass-
hopper. ‘Stick around. Pass the day with ‘Loads of food, eh?’ said the Grass-
me.’ hopper. ‘Look...mate...I don’t suppose I
could...? I don’t suppose you’d be able to
‘Sorry.’ said the Ant. ‘Like I said, I got stuff give me...?’
to do.’
‘You said you’d never seen a more silly
The Ant dragged his ear of corn and strug- creature than an Ant,’ said the Ant.
gled off across the field.
‘I didn’t mean that,’ said the Grasshopper.
‘Please yourself,’ called the Grass- ‘That was just a joke. Oh, come on. Just
hopper. ‘I’m not bothered. I got stuff to do a couple of ears of corn. You can spare it.
too. Got all this grass to eat. Got the sun I’ve got nothing.’
to enjoy. Not gonna waste a lovely day
like this talking to ants!’ ‘Sorry...mate,’ said the Ant. ‘If you save up
on the days when you have plenty then
‘Have you ever seen a more silly creature there’ll never be a day when you have
than an ant?’ shouted the Grasshopper. nothing.’
It was winter. The Grasshopper was cold. The Ant hurried down into his warm nest
Too cold to hop. Too cold to make his knowing that he’d never ever see that
music. And he was hungry. He’d spent Grasshopper again.
all day looking for something to eat.
Suddenly he saw the Ant.
‘Hello Ant,’ he shivered. ‘Remember me?’
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