On a warm summer morning, the grasshopper was hopping along, singing his favorite silly songs. “Who needs work when the sun is shining?” he chuckled, strumming his tiny leaf guitar. Across the meadow, ants marched in a neat little line, carrying crumbs twice their size. They looked serious, and boy, were they busy! But the grasshopper just laughed. “Ants are so boring,” he thought. “All work and no play? No, thank you!”

The ants, though, didn’t seem to mind his teasing. They kept going back and forth between the meadow and their home, working hard to store food for winter. “Why don’t you stop and relax?” the grasshopper called out, leaning against a blade of grass. “Winter is forever away!”

One ant paused, wiping sweat off its tiny head. “We work now so we can rest later,” she explained. “When the cold comes, there’ll be nothing to eat unless we prepare!” The grasshopper rolled his eyes. “Cold? Ha! I’ve got sunshine, music, and my dancing legs. Who needs boring old crumbs?” The ants shrugged and went back to work, leaving the grasshopper humming his tunes.

Summer rolled into fall, and the meadow changed colors. Leaves turned golden, and the air grew crisp. The grasshopper noticed the ants’ home was now bursting with food. He peeked inside and saw piles of seeds, crumbs, and even a few yummy berries. “Wow, you ants sure know how to throw a feast!” he said, impressed. But when he asked for a little snack, the ants gently shook their heads. “This food is for winter,” one said kindly. “There’s just enough for our colony. Didn’t you save anything?”

“Save? No way!” the grasshopper chuckled nervously. “I was too busy being awesome!” But he didn’t feel so awesome anymore. The days grew colder, and the grasshopper found it harder to play his guitar with frozen fingers. The once-green meadow was now frosty and bare. “Winter came too fast!” he shivered, hopping from one chilly spot to another. He thought about the ants, cozy and warm inside their home, with plenty to eat.

One day, as snow fell, the grasshopper knocked on the ants’ door. “Hello? It’s me, your fun-loving neighbor—the grasshopper! Could I please have just a little food?” The ants looked at each other and whispered. They had worked so hard to save their food, but they could see the grasshopper was cold and hungry. Finally, the same ant who had warned him in summer stepped forward. “You can share a little with us,” she said gently. “But next time, you should prepare for winter too!”

The grasshopper’s heart warmed, and he promised, “Next summer, I’ll be the hardest worker in the meadow!” The ants smiled and handed him a tiny crumb. As he ate, he hummed a soft tune—not a silly song, but one of gratitude. And next summer, when the sun returned, the ants spotted a new helper carrying crumbs beside them: a grasshopper with a big smile and a little leaf guitar strapped to his back.

Always remember: Play is fun, but planning means you’ll have fun later too!