One fine day in winter some ants were busy drying their store of corn, which had got rather damp during a long spell of rain. Presently¹ up came a grasshopper² and begged them to spare her a few grains, "For," she said, "I'm simply starving."

 

The ants stopped work for a moment, though this was against their principles. "May we ask," said they, "what you were doing with yourself all last summer? Why did't you collect a store of food for the winter?"

 

"The fact is," replied the grasshopper, "I was so busy singing that I hadn't the time." 

 

"If you spent the summer singing," replied the ants, "you can't do better than spend the winter dancing." And they chuckled³ and went on with their work.

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