The Story of Ant and Grasshopper: A Moral Tale

Aesop’s Fables are interesting for children that teaches them life lessons through familiar characters and situations. The stories were written by Aesop, a storyteller and slave, who lived in ancient Greece. His fables were first published in 1484 by William Caxton and they are still widely read and told. It is believed that Aesop wrote the fables for adult readers because it was mostly political satire but they later got popularised as children’s stories as they are so simple and easy to comprehend. All these stories have animal characters who act like humans and at some point of the story, these characters find themselves in a challenging situation or a problem. In the end of the story, the problem is solved and there is an important life lesson or a moral for the readers to learn.

We will take a look at one of Aesop’s most popular fables today – the ant and the grasshopper.

The Story of the Ant and the Grasshopper

Once upon a time, there lived an ant and a grasshopper in a grassy meadow near a river. Despite being a tiny creature, the ant was very hardworking and sincere. On one bright summer day, the ant began to gather her army to collect grains from the farmer’s field. The ant and her army worked hard day and night and carried heavy grains of food on their little backs. In a very short time, they managed to collect a lot of food for themselves. Check the ant and the grasshopper story with pictures pdf.

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The grasshopper on the other hand was busy singing and dancing all this while. He had plenty of food in store, so he stopped doing any work and spent all his time in leisure. One day he saw the ant who was carrying grains on her back and asked her - “Why are you working so hard, oh tiny little ant? Come with me and have as much fun as you want! We will dance, sing and eat a yummy meal, don’t you worry about tomorrow it is not a big deal.”

To which ant replied - “My dear grasshopper I need to worry and unlike you, I got to hurry. For when the sun will no longer shine, what will I do and where will I dine? You too listen and don’t waste another day, while the sun shines you better make hay!”

The grasshopper laughed at her and went back inside his house. The ant and her army continued doing their work and managed to collect enough food to last them through the winter season.

Time went by and seasons changed. First came autumn. The trees started to shed their leaves and the air became a little chilly. The ants were still on the lookout for any opportunity of collecting more food but the grasshopper who didn’t pay any heed to the ant’s wise advice was busy with his merrymaking.

Then came winter. The grassy meadows were covered in snow and with each passing day, the weather turned colder and colder. The ant and her army were living comfortably inside their house but the grasshopper was cold and hungry. All his food and firewood was over, and he was not in a cheerful mood anymore. The grasshopper was struggling to live and finally remembered the ant’s advice. Feeling guilty about ignoring and mocking her, he decided to apologise and ask the ant for help. He went to her house and knocked on the door. The ant greeted him and asked – “Why have you come here, oh dear grasshopper? Do you not sing and dance for longer? You look so weak and I heard you yelp. Tell me my dear, do you need any help?”

The grasshopper weakly replied – “I came to ask for forgiveness from you my friend. Help me or my life will end. I am a fool who ended up wasting time. Please have mercy or I shall not survive.”

The Ant and the Grasshopper Story Summary

The ant showed her generosity and helped the grasshopper. In return, she asked him to not mock anyone and also to work harder from the next time. The grasshopper obliged and thanked her. He had learnt his lesson. Refer to the ant and the grasshopper story pdf. 

Bottom Line of the Ant and the Grasshopper Moral

Take the example of the story about the ant and the grasshopper. If we have to teach children about the importance of time and hard work, we shall have to begin with telling them what is time, what is an opportunity, why one needs to sow now to reap the rewards later et cetera. But what if we tell them a story instead? A story that has all the necessary elements. It will be quick, easy and effective; and it has a great recall value too! The characters are so unique that the children will remember them and the moral of the story forever. So yes, these stories help a lot in teaching and shaping young minds.

The Ant and the Grasshopper Moral of the Story

From the story of the ant and grasshopper, we learn that we should make proper use of an opportunity and not take it for granted. Hard work always rewards us in the end. It also teaches us that determination and sincerity can help a person overcome any adversity.