In a meadow green and wide, where wildflowers danced in the breeze, lived a busy little ant named Annie. All summer long, while the sun shone brightly, Annie was hard at work. She scurried here and there, carrying tiny seeds, crumbs of bread, and little bits of yummy things back to her cozy anthill. "Heave-ho, heave-ho!" she'd puff, her tiny legs moving fast.

Not far away, a cheerful grasshopper named Gus loved to play. Gus had a shiny green fiddle, and oh, how he loved to make music! "Tra-la-la, fiddle-dee-dee!" he'd sing, hopping from one tall blade of grass to another. He saw Annie rushing by, day after day.

"Hello, Annie!" Gus would call out, strumming a happy tune. "Why are you working so hard on such a beautiful day? Come and sing with me! The sun is warm, the flowers are bright!"

Annie would pause for a tiny moment, wipe her brow with a little leg, and say, "Hello, Gus. I can't stop to play. I'm storing food for the winter. Soon it will be cold, and there will be nothing to eat."

Gus just chuckled. "Winter? Oh, that's ages away! Don't worry so much, Annie. Enjoy the sunshine!" And off he'd go, singing and dancing without a care in the world.

The sunny days of summer slowly turned into the cool, crisp days of autumn. The leaves on the trees turned golden and red, and then they began to fall. Annie worked even harder, making sure her pantry was full. Gus kept singing, though his tunes were a little less bouncy as the air grew chilly.

Then, winter arrived. The world turned white and frosty. A cold wind whistled through the bare branches of the trees, and snow covered the ground.

Annie was snug in her anthill. She had plenty of food to eat and was warm and comfortable.

But poor Gus the grasshopper was not so lucky. He was cold, so very cold. His fiddle was tucked under his arm, but his fingers were too stiff to play. And his tummy rumbled loudly. There were no flowers, no green leaves, and certainly no tasty bugs to eat. Everything was hidden under the snow.

Shivering, Gus remembered Annie the ant. "Maybe Annie will help me," he thought. He hopped slowly and weakly through the snow until he reached Annie's anthill. He knocked gently on her little door with a trembling leg.

Annie opened the door a crack, a warm glow coming from inside. "Gus! What are you doing out in this cold?"

"Oh, Annie," chattered Gus, his teeth clicking together. "I'm so cold and so hungry. I haven't eaten for days. Could you please share a little bit of your food?"

Annie looked at Gus, who was shivering from head to toe. "Well, Gus," she said, not unkindly but firmly, "what were you doing all summer long while I was working hard to gather food?"

Gus looked down at his cold feet. "I... I was singing, Annie," he mumbled. "I was making music and enjoying the sunshine."

Annie nodded slowly. "Ah, singing," she said. "Well, if you sang all summer, perhaps you can try dancing all winter to keep warm." And with that, she gently closed her door, leaving Gus outside in the cold, wishing he had thought ahead, just like wise little Annie.

1679 Views