28 THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

Once an ant and a grasshopper lived in the same field.

The ant was a great worker. In summer she laid up food for the winter. But the grasshopper was lazy and played all day.

“Why do you work so hard, friend ant? ”said the grasshopper, one summer day. “I dance and sing and have a good time.”

“If I play in summer, ”said the ant, “what shall I do for food in winter? ”

“Winter is a long way off, ”said the grasshopper, as he went away, singing.

“Poor grasshopper! ”said the ant, “He will live and learn.”

At last winter came. The birds had all gone away, and snow covered the ground. How cold it was!

The ant had gone into her warm house, which was full of food. The cold could not harm her. But the poor grasshopper had no home and no food. He was stiff with cold, and he was very hungry, too.

So the grasshopper went to the ant's house. “Will you give me something to eat? ”he asked, “I have had nothing to eat for two days. The snow is so deep that I can find no food.”

“Poor grasshopper! ”said the ant, “In summer you sang while I was hard at work. Now you may dance for your supper.”

(Retold from a Fable by Æsop)

Word list

grasshopper: a kind of insect that can jump ma long way

harm: hurt, injury

stiff: sore and unable to move very much

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) What was the difference between the ant and the grasshopper?

2) When winter came, what happened to the ant?

3) What happened to the grasshopper when winter came?

4) What did the ant mean when she said, “Now you may dance for your supper”?

5) If you were the ant, what would you do when the grasshopper asked for food? Why?

B) Matching—Match the correct words to the meanings. Choose from the list.

ant grass dance harm last have dad sad angry sang

1) a small insect: ________

2) really mad: ________

3) not happy: ________

4) move your body: ________

5) opposite of first: ________

6) a parent: ________

7) gets moved: ________

8) form of sing: ________

9) to hold or own: ________

10) to hurt or damage ________

C) Fill in the blanks—Read the sentences carefully and fill in the blanks with words from the story.

1) In the story, the _________________ was very lazy.

2) The ________ worked very hard.

3) The ant was warm in the _____________.

4) The grasshopper played and sang in the ________________.

5) The grasshopper danced for his _____________.