The Grass Hopper and the Ant (revised edition)
In a field one summers day, a grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”
“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”
“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger. Grain also being the currency of the land he realized he had no job to help him get the medical care he so desperately needed. He also found himself in foreclosure on the wonderful tree stump he had inhabited and could not pay the ever increasing payments upon even though he knew they would be due. At this time he saw the ants distributing every day, the corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. So he went unto the great acorn, where the council of insects met and beseeched them to help.
“I have nothing oh worthy insects, yet the ant lies warm and comfortable in his mound, feasting upon corn, he has saved enough to feed and provide for me and my family as well as those in his own brood”
The chief executive beetle looked down upon him and said, “Shall we leave this creature out in the cold though he has wasted our resources throughout the warm seasons? Shall we not tax the ant to help provide for this poor soul?”
And so the Grasshopper was given paper pictures of grain printed in the thousands that he might have the means to pay his bills and live on equal terms with the hard laboring ant.
The ant looked upon this and said “we cannot eat the pictures of grain and if it is traded the same as grain soon all grain will lose its value. “ The ant was looked upon by the Council that met at the great acorn, they labeled him as discriminatory to other insects, and they told him that he should mend his ways.
The End
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