The Ants and the Grasshopper

THE ANTS were spending a fine winters day drying grain collected in the summertime.

A Grasshopper, perishing with famine, passed by and earnestly begged for a little food. The Ants inquired of him, “Why did you not treasure up food during the summer?

He replied, “I had not leisure enough. I passed the days in singing. They then said in derision: “If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supperless to bed in the winter.

Vocabulary Help

• ant – formiga
• dry – secar
• grain – grão
• summertime – verão
• grasshopper – cigarra
• perish – perecer
• beg – implorar, suplicar
• treasure up food – acumular comida
• leisure – lazer
• sing – cantar
• derision – desprezo
• fool – tolo
• supperless – sem jantar