The Grasshopper and the Ants - Bertie Stories

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Read by Natasha
Adapted by Bertie
Picture by Bertie

I’m an artist, and as everyone knows, artists are usually rather poor. Normally, I don’t mind about that. When the sun is shining, I sit on my favourite blade of grass and play music for everyone to listen to. I have lots of friends, and together we’ve formed an orchestra.

Everyone loves our music and says how cheerful it makes them feel – well almost everyone. There’s a family of ants who never stop to listen. They take themselves far too seriously for music or enjoyment. All they do is work, work, work – even when the sun is shining.

“Hey You Ants,” I said to them. “It’s a lovely summer’s day. Why don’t you rest your feet for a while, and listen to my sweet music?”

“No time to stop,” one of them said, panting away. “We’re far too busy stocking up food for winter.”

The months went by, and the days got shorter and colder. I was shivering so much that I couldn’t even sing. A hard frost was on the ground, and there wasn’t a crumb to eat. I was so hungry! So I went to see that busy family of ants and said: “Please Sirs, I’m a poor starving musician. Spare me a few crumbs from your store of food.”

Do you know what? Those ants just turned their noses up at me. They were so stingy that they wouldn’t share any of their food. Oh well, I’ll just have to go hungry this winter. In the New Year, I’ll make a resolution. When the times are good, I’ll remember to save some food for a rainy day.