THE LAZY GRASSHOPPER AND THE BUSY ANT

 

It was a winter season. There were colours and beauty all around. Birds and animals were happy. They had fine weather to enjoy and variety of food to eat. One day a grasshopper was happily sitting on a leaf and humming a melodious tune. He was observing some ants collecting eatables for their hard days. They were busy in carrying the grains to their home and storing them inside their home. Making fun of them, the grasshopper said to one of them, “Why are you busy working like this? Enjoy the beauty of nature in these winter days. Eat well and be merry!”

 

The ant said humbly, “These are the starting of winter days. So we could get variety of foods easily. But when the snow fall starts we will not get sufficient food, So we are storing food, So we are storing food for that time right now.” The grasshopper replied, “Ha! What a foolish thing to do! Worrying about the future! Not enjoying the present.” Saying so the grasshopper left the place humming a melodious song. By the middle of the winter season the trees shed their leaves. Then snowfall began to cover all the branches and bushes. Insects went underground and the migrating  birds flew to the south. Animals stayed inside the caves. The poor grasshopper found nothing to eat as the snow had covered the branches of trees. No one came out due to the cold weather.

The grasshopper went to the ants asked in a humble tone. “Would you, please, spare a few grains for me? I haven’t eaten anything from yesterday. I am almost starving to death.” The ants stopped for a moment, and thought it was against their habit. The ant said “We are happy in our homes with a lot of food. We are reaping rewards of our hard work in the past. You were happy being lazy and singing in the sun. Why don’t you dance now? Go away, we don’t entertain lazy creatures like you!”

 

MORAL: SAVING FOR THE FUTURE IS THE BEST SELF HELP.