It was a fine winter morning in a small Indian field.
The golden sunlight touched the grass, and a grasshopper sat on a stone, stretching his legs in comfort.
He sang softly to himself, enjoying the warmth of the day.

But soon his stomach growled. “Oh dear,” he sighed, “I haven’t eaten anything since last night.”
He looked around, hoping to find some food.

Just then, he saw a long line of ants marching in order, each carrying a small grain of wheat toward their hole in the ground.
The grasshopper hopped toward them and said politely,

“Dear friends, can you please share a few grains with me? I’m very hungry and haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

One of the ants stopped and asked kindly,

“Brother Grasshopper, what were you doing all summer when the fields were full of food?”

The grasshopper lowered his head. “I sang songs and played music. The days were so lovely that I forgot to store food.”

The ant smiled gently and said,

“We worked hard all summer to collect food for the winter. Work done at the right time keeps hunger away later.”

Then she added with a playful grin,

“Now, my friend, maybe you can sing us a song to keep us warm while we work!”

The grasshopper gave a shy smile and whispered, “You’re right. I should have worked when I had the time.”
He slowly hopped away, thinking deeply about what he had learned.

That evening, as the sun set behind the village, the grasshopper began to hum again —
but this time, he promised himself that when summer returned, he would sing after the work was done.